I\u2019ve been a working novelist a long time. My first book came out in my twenties \u2013 a long time ago now \u2013 and my last four were published by Penguin Random House. I thought I knew the business: how novels work, how publishing works, how to hook readers. But becoming a mentor was a surprise. I\u2019ve mentored writers of all ages and backgrounds, from the US to the UK to Australia, and six lessons have come up again and again. To my surprise, mentoring has taught me \u2013 or reminded me \u2013 so much about being a novelist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We often talk about people having innate talent, and\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0something to that, but no one is born knowing what it means to be a working novelist. You\u00a0have to\u00a0learn two things: how to construct your novel, and what a reader, including agents and editors, will want from it. No one is born a novelist. There are things you can learn, and people who can teach you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing I say most to new novelists: know your market. Understanding where your book belongs is the smartest strategy. Think like agents and editors think. Research\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0being published in your genre and read hit novels in that area.\u00a0You\u2019d\u00a0be amazed how many writers\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0really know their market. Seeing how empowering it is to understand that has made me rethink my own.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll confess something. I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0realise how important your opening chapter is until I became a mentor. I knew\u00a0in theory<\/em>, but now I see it. (Not least because I also do Jericho\u2019s Agent Submission Pack Reviews, and you really notice it there.) Your first chapter is your big chance. Agents decide within a page or two whether to keep reading \u2013 and so will readers. That opening must show who your protagonist is and what kind of world they inhabit, just as\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0about to fall apart. Make sure your opening sizzles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When talking about novels, we often focus on plot, but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0great, clear characters that make novels sing. Not their name or hair colour or funny brooch, but who they are deep down. What do they want? What will they learn they wanted all along but\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know? And how do you make the reader their confidante? Every novelist needs to get their book to where the character\u2019s desires and needs are central to the reading experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many mentees bring work that feels uneven, and\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0realised how much novel-writing is about rhythm. A novel is like a symphony: harmonies, instruments, crescendos. Every scene contributes to the whole. You\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0hear it on day one; you find it through writing. This has brought me back to my own work: you can hear the music of your novel \u2013 and you must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m in a writing group with other novelists, and I still rely on their feedback. (In fact, I just took my next novel to them.) If you have an honest friend, that might be enough, but often you need a professional ally who will tell you the truth, kindly but clearly.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0what a mentor does.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not just advice;\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0someone on your side in the hardest stage of a novelist\u2019s life: before success. Writing is full of feedback \u2013 from agents, editors, reviewers \u2013 but\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0at the beginning that it matters most. And here I am, years into a career, still wanting it. Novel-writing begins as a learning process but\u00a0remains\u00a0one, and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0the joy of a long-term career. You never stop learning \u2013 or wanting to get better. Put that in your heart, and you\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0go wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been a working novelist a long time. My first book came out in my twenties \u2013 a long time ago now \u2013 and my last four were published by Penguin Random House. I thought I knew the business: how novels work, how publishing works, how to hook readers. But becoming a mentor was a surprise. I\u2019ve mentored<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38188,"featured_media":784812,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[28525],"class_list":["post-858325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novel-writing","tag-mentoring"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n4. No, Wait! Character Is Everything<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5. Learn to Hear the Music of Your Novel<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
6. We All Need Feedback<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Work one-on-one with Neil Blackmore or any of our expert writing mentors & book coaches. Our mentoring service is like a choose-your-own-adventure for writers. Pick a package that fits your needs, and use your hours however you like. Each package includes your mentor\u2019s reading, editing, and any calls or video chats. Find out more<\/a>. <\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"