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People can’t believe I did it, but I did. I wrote my first novel, The League, in about 30 days. I never spent more than two hours on any given day, unless I wrote then went back to edit. I also found and signed with a publisher in one month (see my article, Whatever It Is, Publish It Now, for details on this). Friends, family, and colleagues are fascinated when I tell them this. It’s not possible, they say. Then, I enlighten them.

The secret to writing a novel is quite simple. You don’t have to be John Grisham or Danielle Steel, either. In fact, you really need basic writing competence. Although I have years of experience in writing (I was a journalist for three years), I don’t consider myself on the level of the aforementioned novelists, in terms of style and eloquence. What I am is a storyteller. I look for ideas that are unique. I look for a niche. Take Grisham, for example. His niche is courtroom drama. He uses his experience as a lawyer, takes a new angle on a case, and turns it into some type of conspiracy that no one has considered.

Now, I don’t know how long it takes people like Grisham and Steel to pen their stories, but they too must be fairly quick, because they’re turning out novels at a crazy pace. Don’t forget, the publishing process is usually six months to a year. So, they obviously write a novel or two, while a prior work is being published and marketed. So, how do I churn out my own work so fast, you might ask? As I said, it’s actually quite simple. I start at the end and work my way backwards.

I get an idea in my head of how the story will end, and I outline a way to get there. This usually takes a few days, maybe 10 hours total. Then, I sit down at my computer and start typing. I let the words flow, rarely stopping, until about two hours have passed. Knowing where I have to wind up helps me develop my characters and conflicts along the way. I usually write the story in about 25 days and spend five days or so editing and revising. There you have it — a novel in 30 days.

You can do it too. All you need is the idea. Figure out your ending, sit down, and start typing. Learn more about The League and my other work at www.sportsnovels.com.

Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. Learn more about this suspense thriller and Mark’s other work at http://www.sportsnovels.com

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How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas When Your Well has Been Tapped Dry

When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can never do it. Then gradually, I write one page and then another. One day’s works is all I can permit myself to contemplate.

John Steinbeck

I know that it seems easier to make that extra pot of coffee, read that good book, that you have had in storage for the last ten years, and suddenly decide to make the kids that Halloween costume by hand, than it can be to make yourself sit down and write. Believe me, I have been there.

Here are some brainstorming techniques to get your brain pumping again and churning out ideas.

1) If you are having trouble coming up with characters or even a story line, try developing an action scene. One good scene to kick off your book can get the rest flowing. Develop the characters and story line around that scene.

2) Come up with a problem to solve. Is your main character the class clown or the brainiest kid in school. What type of problem would your character face in his or her normal life? Write your story around the problem and a unique way of solving it.

3)For character development use common sense. Use what is in front of you.

Look at your family and friends and see if they remind you of anything. My first Shakespearean teacher reminded me of a caveman or a husky walrus because of his whiskers. Does your Uncle Arthur have whiskers, wear glasses, and walk with a little bit of a waddle? Turn him into a know it all beaver or a store clerk, at a bookstore that sells books that you can actually climb into and live out an adventure.

Does your sister have a talent for jumping rope and blowing bubbles, with purple bubble gum? Maybe the heroine for your next book could do the same.Is their a kid in your neighborhood that is always getting into trouble? Hmm, do you think that the creator of Dennis the Mennis might have known one?

You can use your family and friend’s talents and their physical characteristics to come up with tons of characters. One hint though- if you choose to make Uncle Charlie a slug or Aunt Emma a rhinoceros, keep it to yourself. They may not be thrilled with their induction into literary history.

Inspiration is all around you, waiting for you to reach out and grab for your next storyline or character. Use stories from the news, jokes that your neighbors tell you, the quirky things that your dog Buster does in the morning.

One final word - stop criticizing what you have written down. In these first stages, no one cares if you have misspelled words or if your grammar isn’t perfect. Just write. The rest will follow, after your story is done.

About The Author

Caterina Christakos is the author of How to Write a Children’s Book in 30 Days or Less. To get more writing tips please go to: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com

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Do you want to publish something? An article, a non-fiction piece, a short story, a children’s book, the great American novel? What are you waiting for? You may be answering that it’s just too competitive. Competition in the writing industry is fierce, no doubt, but many good writers have piles of work collecting dust in a box, sitting in the corner, or in file upon file, tucked away in a desktop PC. You may be one of them, and their problem and yours is not the competition. It’s the approach.

Ten years ago, publishing anything from a 500-word article to a suspense/thriller was a cumbersome task. The problem was the overwhelming procedure of querying an editor, waiting for a response to the query, tossing aside numerous rejections, then sending off your work after the query. Then, someone actually asked to see the work, only to decide they didn’t like it, after all. All of this might take a total of four months, and all you have to show for your efforts is frustration and disappointment.

Many people, some very good writers, simply give up. Today, we live in the electronic age, and the process for writers has become amazingly simple; it’s just that most writers still don’t realize it. One incredible tool can change your approach to submitting and, ultimately, publishing your work. All writers need Writer’s Market — not the old hard back book, but the online version with the same service.

Writer’s Market now contains more than just addresses and phone numbers. The most valuable additions are website and e-mail addresses. Best of all, the majority of publishers and agents accept queries via e-mail. In fact, many publishers and agents will take e-mails of your actual work, from article to novel. Plus, at the click of a mouse, you can locate agents and publishers of any genre and location.

Imagine spending one day on your computer, sending 50 to 100 e-mailed queries and submissions of your writing to literary agents and publishers. Many will reply the same day or within one week. You don’t need a hard copy or an envelope or a stamp. The electronic age has created incredible new opportunities for writers. So, dust off those old manuscripts, subscribe to Writersmarket.com, and get your work out there.

It worked for me. My novel, The League, sat in a box for nine years. I followed the above procedure, and received a publishing contract in less than one month. Now, I’m working on novel number two. Learn more at www.sportsnovels.com.

Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. Learn more about this suspense thriller and Mark’s other work at http://www.sportsnovels.com

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