How to write a novel

How to write a novel
Completing your book and
preparing it for publishers and agents
The greatest stories are yet to be told
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Who are we?
Mission statement:
To seek, educate and nurture talent in both literature and
screenwriting, creating and publishing original works that will
challenge and alter people’s perceptions of the world.
Pen Works Media is a small independent publisher with a big
ambition…
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Who the hell am I?
Jody Medland
* Born in Devon in 1982
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Who the hell am I?
Jody Medland
* Writing prolifically since 1998
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Who the hell am I?
Jody Medland
* Worked as a writer in advertising, commercial, corporate, education,
film, gaming and literary industries
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Who the hell am I?
Jody Medland
* Screenwriter of feature film, The Adored
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Who the hell am I?
Jody Medland
* Written, compiled and edited 16 e-books
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Who the hell am I?
Jody Medland
* Author of paperback novel, The Moors
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Who the hell am I?
Jody Medland
* Author of paperback novel, The Moors
* Fought the good fight and am ready to collaborate as an author
and a publisher
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Who the hell am I?
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Who the hell am I?
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Who the hell am I?
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Which kind of writer are you?
Prickly character Open book
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What is a novel?
Definition:
A fictitious prose narrative of book length, typically representing
character and action with some degree of realism.
In books the conflict takes place internally within our character/s
In plays the conflict takes place externally between a small group of
people, such as lovers, friends or family
In films the conflict takes place in a grander world – a heavily visual
medium
Before starting, make sure your story is being written for the correct
outlet
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Fact or fiction?
Fiction – original stories in a specific genre:
comedy, crime, horror, spiritual, thriller, etc
Non-fiction – stories based on real life:
biography, conspiracy, memoir, etc
Children – stories aimed at younger readers:
pre-school, educational, young adult, etc
Experimental – stories written in new, adventurous ways:
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Special interest – miscellaneous works, including:
novelty, photography, poems, short stories, travel, etc
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The Fargo Method
“Factual fiction” by Joel & Ethan Coen
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Entry points into “the industry”
There are three main ways to get your book noticed…
Agents – always seeking new talent and can open doors you can’t,
but scarcely have the time to help
Publishers – can get your book to the masses and fund mainstream
promotion of your book, but very hard to impress
Self-publishing – more profits per sale, but a shed load more work
It’s important to understand what happens during people’s working
day…
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Snowed Under
It doesn’t matter how big they are…
At Pen Works Media, we already know we can’t publish
anything until 2018.
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Snowed Under
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Follow submissions guidelines
It’s very important to send the right message
For example, we like Manuscripts to be:
Times New Roman (size 12) font so it offers no gimmicks
Double spaced so it’s more convenient to make notes
* If there’s a reason your submission should be different, ask first
* If what you send me doesn’t adhere to what’s on our web site,
what will happen?
* Also, before you approach anybody . . .
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Who is your audience?
Don’t be an amateur
Everybody needs to know how to market the product, so do the
work for them.
Ask yourself…
Who will be most interested in your book – men or women?
Why will they want to read your book?
How old are they, and what kind of books / papers / magazines do
they read?
What other (successful) books are similar to yours?
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What you need to prepare
Do not submit material until your entire MS is complete
When submitting your story, ensure the following items are as good
as they can possibly be…
Cover letter no longer than 1-page, giving clear, concise and
interesting details about yourself
Synopsis no longer than 1-page, focusing solely on your story and
including comparable books and/or authors
Sample chapters – always send the prologue and first three
chapters, unless otherwise stated
Tip: You only get one shot at this, so make it good!
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Deeper level: What do I mean?
1. Cover letter – no longer than 1-page, giving clear, concise and
interesting details about yourself
* The cover letter is to tell them what’s interesting about you
* There is only one of you. You are unique. Market yourself
* If they don’t find you interesting, can they sell your book?
* Leave them wanting more
Self-publishing does not help you elude these questions! Nielsen and
other book sellers need the info, too.
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2. Synopsis – no longer than 1-page, focusing solely on your
story and including comparable books and/or authors
* This is to let them know how they can sell your story
* Don’t get bogged down in the story itself, but compare it to others
* Paint me a picture of why it can’t fail
* Only compare your work to successful titles
This is not to be confused with your book blurb, which is what Nielsen
and other book sellers will use to sell your book.
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3. Sample chapters – always send the prologue and first three
chapters, unless otherwise stated
* Set the scene
* Be wary of pacing
* Don’t overuse gimmicks, such as flashbacks
* Make sure your MS is completely finished
If you get a request for the full MS, you must be able to send it right
away. If not, you risk getting blacklisted.
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And if you want a gold star…
4. Marketing Document – to show that you’ve done your
research and that you’re a fully dedicated professional
* Show who your audience are
* Describe where it fits into the market
* Explain what proof or evidence you have of
an existing or emerging fan base
Get this right and then suddenly…
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…you’ll stand out from the crowd
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What to expect…
Submitting material can be a testing experience, but here
are some important tips:
Prepare to wait up to 8-weeks, and even then, you’re lucky to get
an e-mail or a letter
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What to expect…
Accept rejection as they might not have even read it
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What to expect…
Be a whore and enjoy it because it’s their job to tie you down
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What to expect…
Be a whore and enjoy it because it’s their job to tie you down
Be thankful to anyone who takes the time to read your work, and
try to stay connected to them. It’s a surprisingly small industry!
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Why would they say no?
Honesty is lacking, so it can be impossible to tell, but maybe…
They lack time or resources – PWM are swamped until September 2016
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It’s not for them – usually their slates are pretty specific
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It needs too much work – not necessarily editorially, but the marketing
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It’s just not good enough – a hard one to take, but often the case
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It’s just not good enough – a hard one to take, but often the case
Beware of people who won’t make a decision.
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The main aim
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Out of interest, what do you think is the best
thing you can hope for?

The main aim
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For the receiver to request the full Manuscript.

The importance of a meeting
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It’s very unlikely you’ll get an outright “Yes.” Instead, they will
ask to meet you, which really means you’re auditioning.
Are you presentable and would you look good on television?
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ask to meet you, which really means you’re auditioning!
Are you articulate and could you gain fans via radio interviews?
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Are you adaptable and if changes are needed, will you be easy
to work with?
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to work with?
Are you interesting and how much (focused) material is in you?
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Are you articulate and could you gain fans via interviews?
to work with?
Are you interesting and how much (focused) material is in you?
And most importantly of all…
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Can you sell?
I’ve always dreamed of the perfect writer/agent relationship, but honestly,
I’m no longer sure it exists.
It will always be about the bottom line.
Show me the monaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
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So what’s going to stop you?
What are some of the main factors for you not reaching
your goals?
From what I’ve seen, there are 4 recurring issues with new writers:
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your goals?
1. Don’t see the big picture – why spend time writing a story that will
never sell?
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your goals?
never sell?
2. Feel overwhelmed – feeling small severely hits self esteem and
motivation.
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your goals?
never sell?
motivation.
3. Treat writing like a hobby – never underestimate how much work it
takes to become a successful writer.
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your goals?
never sell?
motivation.
3. Treat writing like a hobby – never underestimate how much work it
takes to become a successful writer.
4. Lack necessary skills – despite nature or nurture debate, most
writing can be learned and taught.
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What do these guys have
in common?
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They’ve got direction
Coaches, managers and mentors
Worth their weight in gold because they:
1. Tell you what to do next preventing you from getting overwhelmed
2. Keep you focused in the face of endless distractions
3. Hold you accountable helping you meet deadlines
4. Provide education where they see it’s needed
5. Maximise productivity helping you get 80% of results from
20% of what you do
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The main benefit
These people hold you accountable
When children, we have parents.
When students, we have teachers.
When working out, we have personal trainers.
When writing, does it really work to only have ourself?
Being accountable to yourself is very hard, so unless you’re a great
task master, seek somebody to hold you accountable.
TIP: Assigning a selected reader to your novel, or attending writers’
groups, are great ways to keep yourself motivated.
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Without direction
You’ll go round in circles
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Remember
Mission statement:
To seek, educate and nurture talent in both literature and
screenwriting, creating and publishing original works that will
challenge and alter people’s perceptions of the world.
Pen Works Media is a small independent publisher with a big
ambition…
- 57 -
Part of the reason I’m here is to offer the advice I was
always looking for, and part of the reason is to build
our own support network.

Ask yourself
Why do I want to be a writer?
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What if is doesn’t happen a year from now?
Or in 5 years?
Or in 10 years?
Most authors have another job to supplement income.
Is that okay?

Coffee Break
(A writer’s best friend)
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What Will I Write About?
Everything starts with just a germ of an idea
There are two ways to go:
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1. Write about something you’re hugely passionate about
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2. Research what people want and match it to your skills
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If you only had 30 days left on this earth, what story would you want to
leave behind? What would you want your legacy to be?
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If you only had 30 days left on this earth, what story would you want to
leave behind? What would you want your legacy to be?
TIP: It is never advisable to follow trends due to the 6-month rule.
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The Buyer’s Journey
Before purchasing your book, a customer is likely to…
See the cover and be drawn to it
Read the blurb and be intrigued by it
Look for quotes and be influenced by it
Read the prologue and be interested in it
Read the first chapter (Kindle) and be impressed by it
If even one of these points isn’t good enough, they won’t buy it, so think
about each step from day one.
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The Power of a Hook
Reel ‘em in, then knock ‘em dead.
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What is a Hook?
Simply put, it’s information that makes you want more.
There are a few variations:
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What is a Hook?
Hook makes you intrigued to know what happens
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What is a Hook?
Seed information planted for a later payoff
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What is a Hook?
Cliffhanger makes you need to know the outcome
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What is a Hook?
Twist keeps readers interested and engaged
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What is a Hook?
Twist keeps readers interested and engaged
The use of hooks is a real skill, with real debate over how often they
should be use. Some author’s use mini-hooks at the end of each
chapter, but it depends on your style.
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The use of language
The Victorian’s did many great things…
…but they were rather snooty about language. As a result, I was always
taught:
Never start a sentence with a conjunction
Don’t take shortcuts with sentences
Always insert punctuation where it’s needed
Don’t use contractions
All suitable lessons during our education. There’s just one problem
with the modern audience…
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The use of language
THEY GET BORED!
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The use of language
* It sums things up more easily
* It quickens the pace
* It gets to the point
* It keeps things exciting
* It makes things more relatable
* It keeps people reading
Often heavily academic writers just cannot get their head around
marketing copy, as it goes against everything they were taught.
In selling a book, however, it’s essential.
Writers who have worked in marketing soon learn the power
of short copy
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The Lesson is Simple…
Mould the language into whatever you need.
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The use of language
“I can’t believe you
said that to me.”
To emphasise or not to emphasise? That is the question...
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said that to me.”
Try saying this aloud with the following emphasis, and notice
the difference…
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The use of language

said that to me.”
- 79 -
the difference…
The use of language

said that to me.”
- 80 -
the difference…
The use of language

said that to me.”
- 81 -
the difference…
The use of language

said that to me.”
- 82 -
the difference…
The use of language

said that to me.”
- 83 -
the difference…
The use of language

said that to me.”
- 84 -
the difference…
The use of language

said that to me.”
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the difference…
The use of language

The Alan Sugar Thoery
When young, I was taught to “do it right, or don’t do it at all.”
It’s sound advice, but in the reality of writing and publishing:
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Action vs Perfection

The Alan Sugar Theory
* Your work will never be perfect
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* “Perfection” is an egotistical idea and can only hold you back
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* A misplaced comma in your novel will not affect sales
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* You have a whole lot of stuff to learn AFTER you’re published…
so get your work out there!
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* You have a whole lot of stuff to learn AFTER you’re published…
so get your work out there!
In other words, worry more about the quality after it sells.
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Two Great Examples
These books are written just well enough to have been professionally
published, but the authors managed to grab the imagination of their
readers, and that’s what successful; authors do!
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Story - by Robert McKee
* Story is about principles, not rules
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A guru who lives by a handful of rules…

* Story is originality, not duplication
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* Story talent is a must; literary talent
is not
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is not
* Story is time – no day course can
make someone a writer
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is not
* Story is time – no day course can
make someone a writer
* A craft must be learned – if your
dream were to be a musician, would
you go straight to the piano?
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The importance of structure- 98 -
What if I told you most stories followed the exact same formula?

The importance of structure
And what’s the problem with having no structure at all?
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The importance of structure
And what’s the problem with having no structure at all?
- 100 -

Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet- 101 -
Mister Snyder believes that stories should follow this age-old tried
and tested structure…
1. Opening Image (1): 9. Mid-point (55):
2. Theme Stated (5): 10. Bad Guys Close In (55-75):
3. Set-Up (1-10): 11. All Is Lost (75):
4. Catalyst (12): 12. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85):
5. Debate (12-25): 13. Break into Three (85):
6. Break into Two (25): 14. Finale (85-110):
7. B Story (30): 15. Final Image (110):
8. Fun and Games (30-55):

How does that apply to my book?- 102 -
Because if the Beat Sheet were applied to a novel, it would look
like this…
1. Opening Image (1): 9. Mid-point (110):
2. Theme Stated (10): 10. Bad Guys Close In (110-150):
3. Set-Up (1-20): 11. All Is Lost (150):
4. Catalyst (24): 12. Dark Night of the Soul (150-170):
5. Debate (24-50): 13. Break into Three (170):
6. Break into Two (50): 14. Finale (170-220):
7. B Story (60): 15. Final Image (220):
8. Fun and Games (60-110):

Who cares about structure?
Let’s write!!!
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To use an analogy, let’s say we’re building a house…
This would mean your scenes are the foundations.
Is it easier to change the foundations before you’ve built on them or after?
What might be the most efficient way to map out your novel?

The Scene by Scene Document- 104 -
Otherwise knows as the Sc x Sc
A Sc x Sc is a document that sums up the intended action of every
scene in a simple paragraph.
In TV shows such as Doctors, Hollyoaks, Holby, Coronation Street and
Eastenders, they use Sc x Sc’s.
Why?

The Scene by Scene Document- 105 -
Otherwise knows as the Sc x Sc
Sc x Sc’s make the development process:
* Faster
* Simpler
* Clearer
* Easier to highlight problems
* Easier to fix problems
With this in mind, shouldn’t we do this to outline novels as well?

Narrative- 106 -
Before you write a single word, you face an important decision
Whose perspective are you writing from?
Your story will be told either in the first, second or third person. Your decision
must be made with the full view of your story in mind to generate maximum
impact for your audience.

Narrative- 107 -
* First person – “I was 14-years-old when I made my first killing.”
The story will be told from your character’s point-of-view

Narrative- 108 -
* Second person – “You are not the kind of person who likes such grisly tales,
yet here you are, unable to walk away.”
The story is narrated as if a storyteller is speaking to you, the reader.

Narrative- 109 -
* Second person – “You are not the kind of person who likes such grisly tales,
yet here you are, unable to walk away.”
The story is narrated as if a storyteller is speaking to you, the reader.
* Third person – “She always lived life on the edge. That’s what made her so
darn likable.”
The author uses “he,” and “she” as they describe the story to you, the reader.

Create Jeopardy- 110 -
Whatever the medium, people like to see characters struggle
Here are a few essential ingredients to make people fall in love with your
story…
Theme:
The overriding message you are trying to convey
in the story. In Star Wars, Luke must believe in the
force and then himself.

story…
Obstacles:
Anything that prevents your hero achieving their goal. Meet the Parents
is full of them because everything Greg does backfires, taking him further
away from his goal – to win permission
to marry Pam.

story…
Conflict:
Opposing forces who want other things than your hero, causing an
imbalance. Or your hero might fight against himself as in Drive, or nature as in
Castaway.

story…
Exposition:
Information about your plot, character and setting – the boring stuff the
audience needs to know. However, great novels don’t feel like they have
exposition.

story…
Motivation:
To go after something, your character’s motivation can be simple, but it
has to be believable.

Buzz Words Explained- 115 -
Plot Point:
This refers to any part of the novel where a key plot-related event occurs.
Protagonist:
Fancy way of saying “hero.”
Antagonist:
The main person or thing keeping your hero from their goal.
Irony:
The opposite to which is perceived – as in a priest who murders, a depressed
clown, etc.
Dramatic Irony:
When one character is aware of something that the other/s are not.
Set-ups and Payoffs:
“You complete me,” in Jerry McGuire or the crane kick the in The Karate Kid.
Backstory:
Any part of your characters’ past.

How to write a novel- 116 -
The aim of this seminar was to help you…
 Understand the roles of publishers and agents
 Map out your story in the most exciting way
 Learn tips and tricks to help structure your novel
 Create a book that will appeal to readers and be “industry ready”
 Use your existing strengths to stand out from the crowd
Has this been achieved?

Thank you so much!- 117 -
I really hope you found this seminar useful
Please take the time to complete our short feedback form to help
us improve.
Also:
* Visit penworksmedia.co.uk to stay updated on future seminars and projects
* Follow us on social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
* Contact us on info@penworksmedia.co.uk should you have any further
questions
* Tell your friends!!!

The End
Happy writing
- 118 -

How to write a novel

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