On Writing 151, How to Write your Novel, cont.

3.        Start and finish. Very soon after you have written the first chapter, write the concluding chapter. It will remove pressure to know it is done; you now have the start and end of your arc. Come back to them regularly and improve them: you seek a first chapter which will not let the reader go until they have read the final word. And a closing chapter which will leave them with a profound sense of satisfaction.

4.        Be clear about the genre: thriller, romantic, etc. Genres have conventions, and readers have expectations. Thus, in the crime genre, there are expectations that multiple characters could be guilty, with clues pointing in misleading directions. In the romance genre, there 'ought to be' many obstacles that challenge the couple's relationship. Of course, you can break the rules, and a few first-time novelists do, but stick to what works unless you have the breakthrough idea.

5.        Generate quantity. Write, write, write. Hit your target. Every third day, concentrate on editing and turning your quantity into quality. If you cut large chunks or chapters, keep them in a separate file; they may become useful later. I once had two novels on the go, neither to my satisfaction. I was inspired by Paul McCartney talking on the radio explaining the sequence in Abbey Road and how he had lots of bits….well, you know the rest; he stuck them all together and created the delightful B-side sequence; I used that concept to create my novel.

6.        Practise your skills. If it is your first novel, like any new skill, it takes time to get good at it. Hence, write daily. No excuses. Once you have written 25000 words, read a couple of books on novel writing techniques. Many will not add more elements than this article, but all will add valuable details, such as what is expected in each genre, how to improve your dialogue and the critical stages of a novel. Your word count is vital, but that must be balanced with quality.

7.        Finish before submission. Remember, completing your novel before considering finding a publisher is essential. Most agents aren't interested in just 'an idea' from first-time novelists. But hey, rules are made to be broken, right? Maybe you can break that rule if you have a genuinely stunning idea. Just be sure you can sustain it beyond a couple of sample chapters.

8.        How to Write a Best-Seller.

 I wish I knew. However, consider these potential strategies as you write and occasionally pause for coffee and cigarettes.

The Breakthrough Style

Day of the Jackal is a splendid example; Frederick Forsyth brought a journalistic, procedural tone to his fiction, which consequently felt fresh and gripping. Other examples of style-driven breakthroughs are Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, with its raw Scottish dialect and fragmented narrative; The Road by Cormac McCarthy, with sparse punctuation, minimalist language and rhythm; House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, with experimental layout, typographic weirdness and matching content.

Zeitgeist Grabs

Gone Girl helped launch a wave of books with "Girl" in the title (The Girl on the Train, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, The Girl Before, etc). It tapped into a moment of psychological thrillers with unreliable female narrators. Other zeitgeist moments are Twilight, which led to the Paranormal Romance Boom and suddenly vampires, werewolves, and angsty love triangles were everywhere; The Da Vinci Code which launched a thousand Historical Conspiracy Thrillers with their tropes of esoteric symbols, secret societies and puzzles which needed decoding; The Hunger Games and the  Dystopian YA Wave : Divergent, Maze Runner, Matched, etc.

Cultural Taboo / Shock Factor

Lolita, American Psycho, and Fifty Shades of Grey are all books that got people talking and/or clutching their pearls.

But for Now. 

95K words is the norm.

Go write.