1. Due diligence on your research. For me that was the most tedious task of all the various things I encountered in crafting a novel. But it was worth the effort. And, thanks to the Internet you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble - - as well as money on airfare in my case. I left Australia in 1970 and now reside in Tustin, California. The flashback sequences of my story occur in Brisbane, Australia in 1969 and I have a pretty clear memory of how things were back then. But I needed to know what it was like now to complete the last few chapters. I was able to research the changes that had occurred in Brisbane, Australia since 1969 and the present - - and I did it all online. Perhaps not as much fun as going there but a hell of a lot cheaper. The point is, make the effort to get things right - - technical details, locations, cultural customs, etc.
2. Read books by bestselling authors in your genre. Once I knew the kind of story I was going to write I picked up books by authors in that genre and read them twice. Once for the pure pleasure and the second time to get a feel for how they crafted their scenes and chapters and all the elements that made the book a bestseller. I suppose this could also be part of your due diligence.
3. Don't just tell it, show it! Make the reader feel it. An early mistake I made, and I've seen lots of other beginning writers do the same, is to tell the reader about something happening rather than involving him and having him experience what is happening. For example, in my second book "Savannah" (currently in progress) the main character, Michael Easton, wakes up with a hangover. "Telling it" it would be: Michael awoke the next morning with an awful hangover. That communicates something to those of us who have experienced a hangover, I guess, but it's still a bit flat. So, I rewrote it this way: Michael woke up in bed alone, fully clothed, with no idea how he got there. What he did know was that someone was pounding a hammer inside his head, with absolutely no regard for the pain it was causing. His eyes seemed to pulse with each blow. But that was just the beginning. When he opened his eyes the room immediately began spinning like a tilt-a-whirl and last night's dinner came dangerously close to decorating the bedclothes. Closing his eyes again he choked back the bile in his throat and groaned mournfully. God, he felt like crap! Ever felt like that?
4. Bad grammar, misspelled words, incorrect words, overly long sentences - - Help! Is there an editor in the house? I've read quite a few books by self-published and indie authors. I've enjoyed all of them so far. There's a lot of talented new writers out there. However, one thing I've noticed in common to all of them, to lesser or greater degrees, is the lack of editing and proofreading There are just way too many typos! For money-saving purposes I did as much of it myself as I could, but I still missed things. Fortunately the publishing package I got with Xlibris (my publisher) included what is called the Chicago Manual Style of Editing. So, my basic grammar and punctuation needs were taken care of. But I still went through the book with a fine tooth comb myself, looking for missing words, added words and other typos. Make the effort to get it right, or have someone do it for you. My enjoyment of one person's book was spoiled by the number of typos in it. I'm very tolerant and forgiving and didn't write a bad review, but I did send a private message to the author recommending they get their book edited. They did (it was already in the works so I can't take credit for it) and the book started getting 5 Star reviews.
5. Don't spend years writing the first draft. I spoke to an old friend of mine recently who had just finished reading my book. He thought it was brilliant and was impressed that I'd actually written a book from start to finish. He told me he'd been working on a novel himself but was finding it very hard to write. He'd been working on it for years, apparently. I asked him if he was editing it as he went along - - making each paragraph or sentence perfect before moving on. He told me that's exactly what he'd been doing and it was damned hard work!. I advised him to do what I'd learned from other successful writers. Just tell the story with your first draft. Get it out of your head and on to the paper from start to finish, no matter how crappy the writing is. Then go back and fix it. He smiled at me as if I'd just imparted the true secret to life. Last I heard he'd finished his first draft!
6. Learn from the pros. The last thing I would strongly recommend is something that enabled me to correct many of the mistakes I made in my first couple of drafts. Pick up a book or two on writing by people who have actually written bestsellers and, hence, know what they are talking about. I recommend "Stein on Writing" by bestselling author Sol Stein and a series of four books by bestselling author Nancy Kress, which cover every aspect of writing a novel. Nancy's books even provide writing exercises you can do to put the theory into practice.
I am still learning and improving and I hope what I've written above will help you do the same if you are an aspiring writer.
About the author - In his long and varied career as a musician, songwriter and producer Perry has worked with such people as Lefty Frizzell, Hank Snow Jr. and Sheb Wooley. Over the years as a solo performer or with a band he has also been the supporting act for such show biz luminaries as the Bee Gees, Ambrosia, Little River Band, B.J. Thomas, Hal Ketchum and Lonestar - - to name just a few.
More recently he completed his first novel, "Pretty Flamingo". Based on actual personal experiences the book is essentially a mystery/love story that takes some very unexpected twists and turns.
