Is Your Idea Novel Worthy

Not all ideas deserve a novel. Some want a short story others can only work in a poem. So how do you know if your story is worth the novel that you want out of it or if it can even survive the grueling process of writing?Is your idea novel worthy.

For one your idea must meet the basic criteria for plot consistent ideas. The criterion is called LOCK (Lead Objective Conflict and Knockout). It must have a strong lead who is sympathetic to the reader. You don’t want to make someone so perfect all the reader wants to do is see them fail so that they can prove they’re human. The main character in your story must have one active and compelling objective – find out who killed his mother, conquer the Persians, take over the family business, save her brother. This goal must be so powerful it is the lead’s highest priority.

Give your main character a conflict. What’s going to stop him from reaching his goal? Turn his/her world topsy-turvy then let them figure out how to get themselves out of the mess. And Finally your beloved character must face the conflict you’ve created ‘man a mano’ and hand it a knockout punch. There shall be no anonymous tips to the police, dying off book, going bonkers or answering machines, man and enemy must meet for the big reveal.

It’s all good to write about your neighborhood Gandhi setting out to starve himself and his conflict is the baskets of food the fair maiden keep dropping on his doorstep. But who really wants to read about him? Your idea must be fascinating for both you and the potential reader. It must be something new enough to peak someone else’s interest.

The best ‘idea-awesomeness test’ is to invite someone over for dinner (or is it coffee?). During dinner start to tell the story then about halfway through excuse yourself to go to the bathroom (or to go check on desert – something). When you come back, start talking about a completely unrelated topic. If your specimen guest reminds you that you were telling a story, you’ve got a winner. If not – toss that one out or renovate it.

As Always 

Jan

Story Ideas

After you’ve figured out the theme, it will probably feel as if the story is just writing itself. Well don’t let it run away from you. Jot down any ideas you have to add on to your story idea in a notebook specifically selected for that idea. If the ideas are not flowing as fast as you’d like try mind-mapping. A Mind map for the above story would involve questions like: what makes her start searching? What are the barriers she finds as she tries to find her mother? What’s so interesting about her search? What happens after she finds her mother – does she meet her expectations? What does she hope to find and what does she really find? Remember all this has to go on paper.

Try to figure out the basics of your characters and the setting even as you prepare to go in depth in latter days.  If you’re writing a mystery this would be a good time to start thinking of the clues that will help in the solution of your crime. Think of the supporting cast like the villain. If you’re thinking of a science student who’s decided to create the perfect man will it be the mentor who is secretly stealing her research material, or the best friend who is trying to sabotage the project?

If you decide to go with a theme that is considered controversial like sexual liberation or terrorism, think of how you can make your argument look attractive. Let’s say you have an American soldier who steals treasure after an invasion into one of Saddam Hussein’s lost homes. You can choose to explore the argument that ‘freedom to own property must be moderated’ and portray your soldier as a hero who prevented one of Hussein’s son’s (who appeared harmless) from using it to pay his way back into power. Or you could decide that ‘the sins of the father should not visit his sons’ and show how his daughters have been left destitute, ostracized and hunted and instead show another soldier trying to get these treasure back to them.

If you’re still really stuck (though I doubt you can be – I’m watching TV now and I’m thinking what if it was some sort of spying gadget ‘I watch it, it watches me’), then consider taking original story ideas and changing a few aspects such as character, conflict or setting. Choose the shortest description you can find. Since I don’t feel like standing I’m just going to use a Wikipedia description of an episode of Mentalist:

‘The CBI team investigates the murder of a powerful, successful and under-handed criminal attorney whose only client is one of California's most powerful and notorious motorcycle gangs.’

Watch what I do. Replace CBI Team with Malcolm Haines; murder with disappearance; successful and under-handed criminal attorney with a self - professed neighborhood psychic; replace whose only client is one of California's most powerful and notorious motorcycle gangs with who has been foretelling the death of the town’s mayor for the past month. And voila you have;

‘Malcolm Haines investigates the disappearance of a self-professed neighborhood psychic who has been foretelling the death of the town’s mayor for the past month.’

The best ideas are those that fascinate you beyond measure. Often times these ideas will come from an interesting question; what if your neighbor turned up murdered (I know absolutely morose – but who cares – it’s an idea), what if Hitler had an unknown son who was just as bad as him, what if you found your phone was bugged? You see a man at the ATM and you think what if that debit card isn’t really his? The stranger the idea the more intriguing it will be to write about and to read about.

As Always

Jan

FURTHER RESOURCES

Novel Writing Ideas: How to Get Them
 

Choosing The Genre of Your Novel

How do you feel today?


Do feel like magic is on the horizon and elves and fairies are spinning in cartwheels all around your brain. Are you imagining sending one of your imaginary friends diving into the Ganges head first or would you rather they just climbed a mountain then you'll have a chance to almost send them falling off the ledge (almost but not quite) Do you hear rattling chains and chilling screams travel up your spine, through your mutilated arms to your fingertips poised on your keyboards.

Well then - that's the genre of your novel. 
 
Fiction is classified according to the emotions it evokes in the reader or its setting. There are 8 broad genres for fiction.

1. Children's Fiction is for readers between 0 and 11 years and has characters also within the same age range.
2. Fantasy Fiction contains something fantastic that grown-ups do not believe in.
   
3. Horror is designed to send the reader scurrying underneath their beds (where of course another monster awaits. 
4. In Mystery novels, the reader and your detective will try to get to the bottom of some puzzle or unexplained happening.
5. Alas, here comes the Romance where Prince Charming will find his fair maiden and they shall proceed to make their own 'happily ever after'.
6. Science Fiction will send you off to distant galaxies or bring their inhabitants right to your doorstep. Of course they come bearing new technologies that keep scientists scratching their heads. 
7. Expect action! action! action! in a Thriller throw in some international intrigue, unexpected blasts, exotic locations and a few spies and you're well on your way to maximum suspense.
8. Young Adult reading targets those between the age of 12 and 14 with the main characters also falling within the same age group.

As a new writer there is really no pressure to stick to a genre. You can choose to do a Genre Quiz to determine your niche. You can decide the genre based on what are the most popular genres (mysteries. thrillers and crime have the highest number of readers) or just experiment with different genres.  But eventually you will need to settle on one.
 

Why Settle? Well if you're expecting to be a published writer then a fan base will come with it. Your fans will expect a certain type of writing from you and if you want to avoid turned up noses you better stick to the package you offered them the first time. Sticking to one genre will help you become an expert in it making writing successive books much easier. And finally - choosing the genre will be one less day when you're going through this cycle next time. 

The genre you finally settle on should be one you are familiar with in that you've read many books within it. It should be something you find fun. A trick to make you stretch your writing muscles is to pick a genre that interests you but that you find intimidating.  

Other Fiction Genre Resources

Fiction Genres