The publishing project focuses around introducing new or inexperienced writers to the world of
production and publishing. Many young writers make mistakes and fall for scams-this website
will prepare them to be successful in their endeavors.
There are numerous genres for publishing but I will focus the following: horror, romance,
comedy, fantasy, poetry, mystery, adventure and sci-fi.
It is imperative to have a wide variety of vocabulary and adjectives when writing a novel. Try to
avoid flowery language that is unnecessary and distracting for the reader. An example would
be, “The delicate breeze softly generated wind, causing Jessica’s sun-kissed golden hair to flow
like a river behind her.” A revised sentence could read, “Jessica’s hair flowed behind her in the
gentle breeze.”
Research literary devices and try to utilize them effectively. Address these devices with
someone more experienced with using them, so that you can avoid misuse. A few common
devices are similes, personification, metaphors, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. Reference the
literary device link below for more details.
A simile is a comparison between two things using the key words “like” or “as”. For example,
“Her hair is as golden as the sun.” or “He loves her like a child.” This should not be confused
with a metaphor which is a comparison between two things without the key words “like” or
“as”.
An example of a metaphor is, “Water is a hero in the desert.” Water is being compared to a
hero. This could also be classified as a form of personification.
Personification is giving human-like traits to an inanimate object. “The rain sorrowed with those
dying in the night.” This is a form of personification. The rain does not feel human emotions but
is given this quality through the writer’s interpretation of the scenery.
Alliteration is using the same letter at the beginning of words consecutively to create a
particular style. “Stealing swiftly, Suzie scoffed at the lack of security in the store.” This is a form
of extreme alliteration with the repetition of the letter “s”.
Onomatopoeia is the process of writing verbalized sounds. Examples of written sounds are,
“Boom, bang, or whoosh.” Think of the captions around comic book pages. The action-packed,
crime fighting pages are filled with onomatopoeia to enhance the experience of action for the
reader.
When starting a new story, depending on the preferences of the writer, it is usually good
preparation to fill out a general storyline. The more that is planned in advance, the easier it can
be to incorporate foreshadowing or other devices further into the story. Foreshadowing is the
act of mentioning something earlier in the story only to bring it back later in the story but with
greater significance. A way of foreshadowing would be to casually mention that the main
character has a family house off in the forest by a lake that no one knows about. Then, later in
the story when zombie take over the world and they have no water supply, they escape to the
family house and acquire the necessary supplies to battle the zombies and win the war.
No matter the genre of the story, it is important to make your storyline flow and be generally
believable. Now, for those writing fantasy, it does not have to be believable in the way that
your reader will believe that a magical Pegasus will gallop onto their ceiling if they read the
enchanted spell you wrote, like it did for your protagonist, but it should make sense to the
format of the story.
For instance, think of the Harry Potter series, which is so intricately woven that the readers
become immediately immersed into the world of wizards and spells. The spells have Latin roots,
the names are original and characters are consistent. We are given people to root for, people to
despise, and an overall theme that love conquers all evil. J.K. Rowling knows how to make a
believable storyline.
It is a good idea to make a character log, describe the character’s general views on certain
subjects that pertain to your story. Develop an antagonist and protagonist that your reader can
relate to, or root for. The more details, the better off your story development is and the more
likely you are to have a successful story. Make sure your characters have a purpose. Are they
good, bad, or battling between their emotions? What is their weakness? Who knows their
weakness and will they exploit them? These generic questions can be asked of any developing
character to help make them more realistic. Even Superman has kryptonite; nearly every
character can have one weakness whether it is someone or something that they have a soft
spot for. Find your characters’ Achilles’ heel and introduce it into the story to add to the drama.
Too many inexperienced writers fall victim to scams and tricks sent by agencies to lure in free
products. Make sure to verify where your writing is being sent, and to whom. If you are looking
to get published, it is best to bring your work into a publishing company yourself, or to submit it
formally through the mail. The last situation you want is to have your work stolen or misused
on an amateur site being sold for $80.00 a book where no one is going to see your work and
you have forfeited your rights. For more information, reference the How to Get Published link
at the bottom of any genre page.
In order to be taken seriously by a publisher, you have to have your piece proof-read for flaws
and errors before submitting a final copy. Most publishers do not want a first draft copy of your
story. It will be thrown away. If you do not have the resources of a professional editor, ask
some friends or family to proof-read your story. If you do not wish to share your writing, you
can put the piece in a safe place and wait a couple of months until your forget some of the
details. Then, go back and reread what you wrote before. This provides a way for you to proofread your own story and not have to worry about finding an outside source, though that is
recommended. This is important because a concept that might make sense to you can be
confusing to others and it can be fixed before submission.
For help on proper grammar it is good to reference websites like Purdue and check your formal
grammar and punctuation.
Web Content
Self publishing
http://www.millcitypress.net/self-publishing-info?_kk=how%20to%20get%20published&_kt=8c893c746acb-4563-8ba1-c4fea2c30b5f&gclid=COC23LXHwrICFaaDQgodklMAuQ
http://www.artbookbindery.com/PoetryComplete.htm
Publishers
http://www.dorrancepublishing.com/info.asp?program=internetgoogle&gclid=CIqO68PHwrICFaaDQgod
klMAuQ
http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/02/how-to-get-published/
http://janefriedman.com/2012/01/28/start-here-how-to-get-your-book-published/
http://www.katehart.net/2011/03/how-to-get-published-flowchart.html
Genres
Adventure
http://www.ehow.com/how_5117311_write-adventure-book.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4781215_write-good-adventure-novel.html
http://postmodernpulps.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-how-to-write-action.html
Horror
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/10/11/25-things-you-should-know-about-writing-horror/
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Horror-Story
http://www.writing-world.com/sf/taylor1.shtml
Humor
http://www.ehow.com/list_6827904_tips-writing-comedy-book.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/sep/22/howtowrite/comedy
http://allfreelancewriting.com/2011/02/24/specialties/web-writing/make-your-writing-funny-myfavorite-comedy-writing-books/
Poetry
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/56
http://www.writersdigestshop.com/poetry
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2008/sep/21/howtowrite/poetry
Romance
http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-a-romance-novel
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-Romance-Novels
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/writing-a-romance-novel-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html
Sci-fi/fantasy
http://www.writesf.com/
http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-science-fiction.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-Science-Fiction
Drama
http://www.ehow.com/list_6593067_tips-writing-teen-drama-book.html
http://www.how-to-write-a-novel.net/drama.html
http://thestorydepartment.com/reviewed-writing-drama/
Mystery
http://www.martindalemysteries.com/pages/howto.html
http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-a-mystery.html
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/genrefiction/tp/mysteryrules.htm