How To Thread a Novel

So much detail to put in just the right places. How does anyone ever write a novel? There are tricks, of course, passed along from writer to writer. Not to over simplify -- or over promise as per our header here, but here are our best suggestions in a nutshell.

Q: I've written my first draft and there are sizeable clumps of information that need to be threaded throughout. What's the best way to do this? I started an outline, but got sick of it. I read Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird about plot treatment--summarize chapter by chapter what happens. I'm thinking this might be the best way to go. I know the chronological thread of my MC's life, but I want to start when she's an adult, then go back and insert background on her past, her relationship with her mother, her job, her relationship with her boss, how she met certain friends, all while keeping the main story moving forward. Without it all becoming a huge mess. How have you done it? Hannah's Thread Obsessed and Millefeuille post were helpful, but maybe a little more nuts and bolts about how to work those threads? And Lynne's post on journals hit home. I had one character as an ex-Marine, then realized it didn't really fit his personality! Exactly what does a thread consist of--subplots or just the chronology of each character?

Lynne Griffin
Like Amy, my storytelling process is more organic than plotted or outlined. I don't choose jobs or homes or life circumstances for my characters, these come to me over time. And the time I spend thinking about my characters--listening to their story, wondering about their predicaments-- far exceeds the time I spend putting words on the page. That said, as you mentioned above, I keep a journal for each novel. Not only do I jot down plot points as they come to me, but I note what threads I'll need to go back and tighten in revision. Writing fiction, for me, is equal parts art and science. I strive to write for the story, then I go back to be sure I've been true to craft. As my dear friend Michael Lowenthal once said, "Let readers dismiss the work on taste, not talent."

Amy MacKinnon
Outlines? Plot treatments? Chapter summaries? It all sounds so technical. I'm afraid I can't help you with this one because my process is more organic and very simple. In terms of threads, I introduce them the way I'm introduced to other people's stories in real life: in bits and pieces. When I'm getting to know someone, they don't tell me everything of their past and present right away, and they almost always hedge the truth. Time teases out the story, trust, circumstances, a shared experience. It's a gradual process. And then, finally, there's the big revelation and you realize the clues were there all along. It's simply a matter of identifying each story in your novel, and ensuring each is told as fully, as richly as possible, and all sharing a common thread.

Hannah Roveto
I always do a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, for my own work and when I read for others. Hallie Ephron teaches a High-Low Revision process; she explains it in her Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel, which is perfect for any kind of novel. Whether or not you're an outliner, and I'm not, you do need to see your first draft from higher ground and follow each character through. The draft is very organic for me, messy even. Once it's complete, then comes the work to make sure it doesn't stay that way! I do synopses on a couple of sheets of lined paper, with 3-4 lines per chapter. Line one is the synopsis, with the date in the left margin and setting, then a quick description of key points. When I've got them all down I go back and make little notes -- one or two words -- thread by thread, character by character, on what info gets revealed to whom when ("R 2 K, dad issue"). Leaving yourself little space makes you focus. What really does happen here that is important to the reader/story? Best to do this with a cup of hot tea to one side, in the comfiest office chair you own. The few hours it takes are well spent!

Help Me Get Published!

Q) I know most authors got published because they knew someone, but I don't know anyone in publishing and I don't live near New York. Can you help me get published?

A)

Lynne Griffin
I've never won the lottery, or got a job because I knew the boss, and I didn't know a single person in publishing when I landed my first agent back in 2001. And of all the people I've met in my journey so far, not one landed their deal without doing so the old fashioned way. They did their homework. They networked like mad. And above all, they wrote a great story.

No one can help you get published, but you! Plain and simple there is no easy way to do it. Now certainly networking by attending conferences, author signings, and taking classes can help in innumerable ways (This equals doing your homework, learning about the industry) but at the end of the day, this process is not a linear one. In fact the journey requires you to travel through the narrow gate.

Amy MacKinnon
I know lots and lots of people in the publishing business, everyone from authors to agents to editors. When I completed my manuscript, a few authors offered to refer me to their agents and a few agents offered to read a full. Maybe it's the Aries in me, but I wanted to do it on my own without ever having to wonder if the work was good enough. Of course knowing someone is no guarantee your work will get published, still I didn't want to argue with "that doubt" the rest of my life.

I went it alone, through the slush piles and was fortunate enough to receive several offers from agents. I chose the one who best got what I was aiming for; turns out I chose well. She put my manuscript before the perfect editors and there was an auction involving -- if memory serves me well -- eight publishers. Bottom line, you don't need connections, you need to write an excellent book, do your research, persevere, and then work harder than you imagined every step of the way.

Lisa Marnell
Going it alone is exciting. It's like that first time you borrow your mom's car and drive to a friend's house. Will you make it there? Who knows, but it's all up to you. Write well (as Miss Snark says) and you'll find an agent who falls in love with your work. BTW, there will be agents who pass you by; it's not for them. Stick to it and surprise yourself!

Hannah Roveto
One word: persistence. Or many words: Finish your manuscript, make it the best it can be. Find an agent who believes in you. Keep yourself positive and excited about what may happen, what you will make happen. The business is a hard one; go into it with eyes wide open and a readiness to handle what comes your way and still find every drop of joy. No joy, don't bother. Network, and keep networking. The first contacts you make may not be the right ones. Do your research, and know whom you are approaching and why you are approaching them. Don't assume any open door will stay open, or even that you may want it to do so, or that any closed door will stay closed. Keep sending letters. Every journey is unique. Take classes and more classes, and listen to new thoughts on your manuscript, as long as you are faithful to its core and know how it might be made better. The world can be your oyster; you need to know it and explore it for it to open wide.

Book Sales in This Economy?

Okay, so maybe you heard Houghton Mifflin is no longer acquiring manuscripts. I know, breathe. Or you read this post by Editorial (Ass)istant and you're scared your book won't catch an agent's eye or sell to any of the twenty editors to whom she's submitting. Scary stuff. But take heart, where there's a will, there most certainly, undoubtedly, is a way.


Q: Okay, I know the chances of making it as a writer have never been good, but the bad economic news I hear every day has to make my chances worse. What I need to know is whether or not there's any chance now for me. And before you tell me I need to write well, let me say that I'm no J. K. Rowling. All I ever hoped for was to be a mid-list author; I love to write and I want to make money on the side. Go ahead ladies, make my day and say there's still a chance for me or tell me to give it up. I can handle your version of the truth!

A:
Lynne Griffin
My answer contains both good news and bad news. The bad news—and the reality is—there will be fewer book deals in the coming months and years. So whether you want to hear it again or not, this means you must write well. Very well. Pen a story strong in narrative drive. Work hard to unravel the secrets of writing a novel.

Yet this reality has an up side, too. In my opinion, fewer books should be published. Being an eternal optimist, I think this economic downturn will force editors and publishers to acquire only the best books, working with talented writers who have career potential. Fewer acquisitions will mean more focused campaigns for promoting the ones they do buy. Economic concerns aside, your challenge will always be to write the best book you can. And for goodness sake, readjust your attitude. Don’t aim for midlist, hoping you’ll be offered pocket change. Aim high. Don’t settle. And of course, write well.

Amy MacKinnon
Until you want this with every fiber of your being and you're willing to dedicate nearly all of yourself to your writing, no, I don't believe you have a chance. Writing isn't about the money, it's not about dabbling here and there, and it should never be about shooting for mediocrity. It's about pouring your soul onto the page.

Lisa Marnell
Well, all I'll say is that children's books were published in the Great Depression. You've heard of the Tales of Babar, right? What about The Little Engine That Could? That's right, both of these published in the worst of times and from what I here, the news today, unemployment, etc. doesn't even come close.

Oh, by the way. I asked this question to my husband (A Marketing Man). He said simply: Publishers need product. And the piece I heard on NPR the other day said that authors like you, my friend, are now often referred to as "content providers."

And I promise you, between now and Christmas, Publishers Marketplace will annouce sales; just last week I read about an auction and a pre-empt for two children's book authors.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Hannah Roveto
If you have characters in your head who beg to come alive, whispering to you about a set of situations that make you laugh or cry or shake with fear, and they won't leave you alone no matter what you read or hear, then read and hear us instead. Get them onto paper. Fill the edges of their world with details and beauty. You can't get published if you don't finish a manuscript, so take control of what you can. Write, and read, and study, and revise, and connect and believe.

Me? A Writer?

The confession -- or revelation -- that one writes, always prompts some kind of response from others. Is is a hobby? A career? A worthwhile pursuit? How can one know for certain?

Q) I have been writing on and off for most of my life. Nothing published, and frankly, nothing close to being published. Recent conversations with loved ones (read husband and parents) make me wonder if I am wasting my time; I spend at least three or four hours a week on my writing. How do I know if I'm just wasting my time or not?

A)

Lynne Griffin
Doing what you love is never a waste of time. Yet from your question, I’m not feeling the love. If you spend three or four hours a week writing in a journal or dabbling with a short story, and you enjoy it, great! If you’re writing with the goal of being published, I’m afraid I have to be honest. You’ve got more than an uphill battle.

The single most important character trait of successful writers is drive. Good old fashioned work ethic, coupled with passion to tell a good story. One you are certain only you can tell. Even if you’re driven, there will be times when your story has you by the throat. You will wrestle with it in your dreams, it will distract you from your day job, and you’ll find you willingly skip leisure time in favor of stealing just one more hour at the keyboard.

Writers write for all kinds of reasons, publication being only one. If you write solely for self-expression, go for it. If you want more from your writing, you’ll have to give it more of your time and energy. Some days you’ll be wrung out from giving, and still, whether it’s a day later or a week later you’ll go back to it. You won’t be able to stop yourself.

Amy MacKinnon
Wasting your time doing what? If you enjoy those three or four hours writing, then it's not a waste of time. I enjoy reading and baking, and even spend a fair amount of time doing so each week. Is that a waste? I take pleasure in each, a vastly underrated pursuit.

If, however, you're writing with the intention of getting a book published, then perhaps it's time to re-evaluate your commitment to your dream. Find your story and write it through to the end. Just that one story. Do so with intention (it will be published, it will be the best writing I'm capable of at this point, I will tell a great story with honest characters). Like everything else in life that matters -- relationships, education, career-- your writing demands a consistent investment of time and devotion.

As for your family and friends, think twice before sharing your writing life with them until you are published. In all likelihood, they perceive you as another person, not as a writer. And because they love you, they'll be quick to point out the many, many obstacles along your journey in an attempt to protect you. Your job as writer, as one who dares to dream big, is to see your way around all of the brick walls. Remember, publishing is persistence.

Lisa Marnell
You don't. End of story.

I can't tell you how many times I've had near panic attacks wondering that very same question. Although, I can almost guarantee that I've poured even more hours into my writing than you have. What helps me is to think of the alternative to writing: what else would I be doing with my time? I would spend my evenings watching either Stephen Colbert of Two and a Half-Men, or likely both (I could tape one as I watch the other).

For me writing is as much about who I am and what my dreams are than whether I will be published this year, next year, 2012 or 2020. Writing helps me love myself and I long to become. Simply put, I am a writer, published or not. If you feel at all like I do, than, frankly, do you have a choice?

Hannah Roveto
I have been a writer all my life, personally and professionally. The challenge of being a published author of fiction is its own unique beast. Ignore the others; listen only to yourself. If you want to be a published author, take writing as seriously as you have your professional career (workshops, books, network). Take it as seriously as you do your family (What to Expect, He Says She Says, playgroup wisdom, counseling). Take it as seriously as you do your garden, your decorating, your boat, your fishing, your skiiing, your tennis, your golf. There is a craft, skills that need to be acquired and practiced and polished. If you were to study for an MFA, your thesis would be "a book-length novel of publishable quality." That is your goal. The question is not when it will happen, but do you want to make it happen? If you answer yes, keep writing and revising and learning and moving ahead.

What You Read Makes A Difference

Writers love to read. What we love to read, of course, varies widely. Yet how does that affect the writing and then, of course, the path to publication?

Q) I have written my first novel, and it's a story I believe in. Yet as I send it to agents, I'm getting a consistent question back: whom do I write like? To whom would I compare myself? The trick of it is, I really prefer non-fiction to fiction, so how do I figure this out?

A)

Lynne Griffin
Agents ask this question of nonfiction and fiction writers primarily to hone a pitch. Editors want to know this to sell your book to the house. If the publishing house can visualize your novel finding a home with a specific subset of readers--the bigger the group the better--you'll be more likely to be offered a deal.

Be sure that you make accurate comparisons. Resist the urge to shoot the moon by saying you're the next Stephen King or Ann Patchett. Instead it's best to make specific comparisons. I pitched Life Without Summer as Ordinary People meets Deep End of the Ocean. Later my editorial team fine tuned it to--Good Grief meets Deep End. Why? Because comparisons should be contemporary so a larger group of readers can relate and of course should be compared to books readers know, those that did well in the market.

How to come up with your comparison titles? Read. Read. Read. Doing your homework is more than half the battle in this business. Never stop reading.

Amy MacKinnon
Interesting. My first instinct was to respond to your obvious question about comparing your writing to a published work, but I think there's a more urgent consideration here: Why are you setting yourself on the fiction track if you prefer nonfiction?

Look, it's a tough business. You will not reap satisfaction in a $big$ deal, you will not discover contentment when you make the NYT's bestseller list, the reviews will give you no solace. The true joy in the writer's life is found in the writing. It is the only time you'll feel whole. Write what you love, write your passion, and then you'll know exactly where your work fits in relation to others. And from a purely business oriented standpoint, it's a heck of a lot easier to sell nonfiction than a novel. I like nonfiction too, I read a lot of it. But I far and away prefer novels when I want to cozy up on the couch with a cup of tea. So the ball's back in your court. Why are you spending precious hours of your life pursuing something you don't want?

Lisa Marnell
My gut feeling is that you probably have a favorite author or two that you may be similar to. Given that you may not read much fiction, I'd look back to authors you read as a child or teenager, books you love. Are you similar to any of those authors? If you can't pinpoint yourself in regards to an author's style, then I'd recommend you think about genre and fit yourself comfortably in between books on that shelf.

Hannah Roveto
One question to ask yourself is are they asking because they want a way to categorize you, or because they perhaps feel you need to define yourself, and thus in turn refine your writing? If you write fiction, it is important to read fiction, and what you should do is to go to the library and talk with those fabulous men and women who seem to read everything. Tell them what you like to read, what it is about non-fiction and the particular books you read that you enjoy. Give them a brief overview of what you write, and ask for suggestions. They will get you on your way. At the same time, read about craft, so that you can read as a writer, too. In time, you will find you are learning from fiction writers (Guardian Angels, in the words of Martha Southgate) who are most similar to yourself.