An Update On My Novel..... C'est Tres Important!!!
 

So yall know I am writing a novel. It is very Sidney Sheldon-esque as he is by far my FAVE author. A couple of nights ago I finished the second chapter and now I am in the editing phases of that. Next week I plan on starting on the third.

The novel is a thriller that deals with the mafia. To get a really full feel of how my novel is, I would be rambling on forever, so I'll just give you a really short and sweet "preview"......

There is this guy who is the C.E.O of one of the biggest companies on the eastern side of the U.S. The boss of the Donalle family (mafia) up in New York likes the way this guy works and wants to make him an associate. So the man moves from Chicago to New York with his wife and gets invovled, although the wife thinks he is working for another major corporation.

So the guy kills the boss and the whole mafia goes after him and his wife. They give her a decision to make. Either you kill your husband so we don't have to, or we kill the both of you. This leads to a wild goose chase around the world until after about a year the couple is cornered in an alleyway in the U.S by the mafia. There is no turning back. There is no more escaping. Make the decision now. What is it?

You'll just have to wait and see.......



So that is just a real vague generic synopsis of my book....... After I am done writing it, if I feel it is worthy, my family and I are going to get an agent and send it off to some companies in hope of publication....:nod: So this is definately the bright spot in my life (negative is the surgery).........

Feel free to tell me what you think. I just wanted to let those interested, know the latest developments on my novel.:nod:

Much Love,
Ethan

Good luck with the novel. I have attempted many a novel, always losing interest or getting serious writer's block, never completing anything. And that is why I now only write short stories.

I wish you the perseverence and determination that I lacked in my novel writing attempts. Writing is a difficult and often tedious journey, but it can be rewarding and even quite fun.

And don't fret if you don't get published; hardly anyone ever does, especially novel writers. Remember, being published is not what's important in writing; true success comes from the knowledge that, "Wow, I just wrote a novel!"

If you ever get writer's block or need advice, feel free to PM me.

Karlie, thank you for the support. I have gotten a lot of it from various online communites, as well as at home, and it really gives me the determination to go forward.:nod: What do you all think about the premise of my book?

Much Love,
Ethan

The premise sounds a bit Lifetime-TV-movie-ish, but that's actually great if you're writing commercial fiction. If you want your novel to be remembered, try to make it as original as possible while still maintaining its suspense. Use lots of imagery instead of just dialogue and plot summary; readers will be pleasantly surprised if they find literary gems in a piece of commercial fiction. Instead of trying to make your novel similar to Sidney Sheldon's work or that of any other author, try to do as much as you can to develop your own unique voice.

Oh, I totally meant to mention that it IS commercial fiction. Yes, I definately am more of an imagery person that a dialogue person, although there IS dialogue in the novel. I am not trying, per say, to make my novel sound like Sidney Sheldon, it is just that the way has always been similar. Very plot oriented instead of like Literary fiction (the classics). There are so many plot turns and unexpected events in it that it always leaves the reader guessing.

So, does the fact that it sounds lifetime movie-ish a good thing or a bad thing???:lol: Again, I appreciate your support, and look forward to continuing our conversation on the novel.

Much Love,
Ethan

Oh, it is a good thing. I think it will do exactly what commercial fiction is supposed to do: keep the audience wondering what's going to happen next.

I'm just suggesting that you add some elements that usually aren't found in commercial fiction (literary gems, per se) so your novel will be memorable and easily distinguishable from other novels.

However, I could be wrong; as a writer of more traditional "literature," I've always been taught that commercial fiction is garbage, and while I completely disagree with that school of thought, I might still be somewhat biased.

Ethan,

It's good to have ideas and not self edit. Let everything flow onto paper, but then you have to understand that not every idea works. What I notice about the concept that you've shared is that it doesn't sound the least bit plausable. Yes, it's fiction, but there are different types of fiction. The subject matter sounds like it would be a mystery/suspense type novel, but the events seem like they are out of a fantasy. Although it's fiction, you need to really do research into the subject matter to make it as believable as possible (unless you are working with fantasy, then you make up your own rules).
You have to ask yourself, because if you don't, your readers will, would the mafia go to so much trouble to try and make a mans wife kill him to spare her own life? Mmmm, not from anything I've ever read about the mafia. Why go to all that trouble when they could easily kill him?
Authors sometimes spend years researching their material to capture an accurate depiction that they can give their characters.
You need to have a clear understanding of what genre your story fits into, and once you do, you need to learn what works and what doesn't within that genre.

Most importantly, keep writing.

Good luck!

I agree. Doing research on your topic is vital before you begin writing. Although it is fiction, it still needs to be credible.

I completely agree with what you two have said. I definately have researched my topic. As for the for love or life decision, I guess I forgot to mention that this family, in particularly the boss, likes to force his victims to make these kinds of decisions. He likes to see them with conflicting emotions. Kind of a dark and crazy guy if you ask me..........

Again, thanks to you all for the support and I hope we can continue this convo....

Much Love,
Ethan