So, you have set your mind on writing a novel, and maybe you already have a specific topic in mind – most aspiring authors do. As a matter of fact, when it comes to writing a first novel, the process of determining a suitable topic is utterly unnecessary. In this case the process is reversed: The idea of a captivating topic spawns the idea of writing a novel. Yet there are authors who are in need of a good idea.
I, personally, wrote my first novel, The Bleeding Hills, with a lot of passion but had enormous trouble starting a second. I do have enough ideas in my mind that would account for another four or five novels, but none of them had the potential to light another fire in me. It took me almost a year, and an unfinished attempt for a second novel, before the passion returned in form of The Eleventh Incarnation, a work still in progress.
There are two basic methods of finding a topic, and they depend fundamentally on the motivation behind writing a novel. Most authors write about topics they feel very passionate about – I am one of them. However, passion alone is no guarantee for success.
The second, somewhat safer method is to go with the current mainstream taste, which could be seen as writing as a business, not a passion. After all, everybody would like to make some money writing at home.
The perfect scenario, though, is when you can combine the two methods, meaning your passion is compatible with the current mainstream taste.
The “Passion” Method
The saying is that you’re good when you do things you love, things you are passionate about. I myself am a history buff, but I still don’t know nearly enough about historical events as much as I would like to. Benjamin Disraeli once said, “The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it.” And that’s exactly what I did by writing The Bleeding Hills. It personally bothered me that I never looked into the background of the Irish Troubles, specifically the gruesome events of Bloody Sunday. Everybody knows Sunday, Bloody Sunday by U2, but hardly anybody I know is familiar with the background. I wouldn’t call myself the ultimate expert on Irish history, but after writing my first novel I feel very comfortable discussing the current political situation in Northern Ireland and its historical background.
The downside is that the topic of the Irish Troubles is not mainstream taste at all these days. My novel still sells in small numbers, more through Amazon’s Kindle Store rather than the paperback version. On the other hand I stated from the beginning that I wrote The Bleeding Hills to get a feel and look of the publishing industry, i.e. without the commercial aspect. Of course, you have dreams of selling millions of copies, which would have been the cream on the cake. Well, it didn’t happen. The passion remains, though.
Other ideas I had was writing about immigration to the United States in the 1930′s, Robert F. Kennedy’s last train ride from Los Angeles to Boston, but, just by chance, I got stuck on a different topic. This is another case of curiosity. What would happen if the Dalai Lama died? Who would be his successor? I know, any expert on Tibet and his complex religious system will cringe. Now I know better. The Dalai Lama doesn’t die! The Dalai Lamawill shed the garment of his human body and enter upon a passage into another life. And there will be a search for his reincarnation. As part of my research I slipped into the topic of The Panchen Lama Controversy, which provides enough material for several novels. As a result I am researching and writing The Eleventh Incarnation.
I understand, not everybody is into history, but if you follow your passion you will find a good topic eventually. Do what I did. Keep digging. This world is full of stories to be told. You just need to turn the stone to find what’s beneath it.
One tip, though, before you start writing: Check out existing works on the topic you chose. There might be a slight chance that your topic was already picked up by somebody else. If you find that your idea is already covered by other authors, you might consider backing out. On the other hand, don’t let existing works discourage you. In my specific case (i.e. The Eleventh Incarnation) I found that somebody had already used “my idea” to write a novel, but under totally different aspects. I know my novel will be different from existing works. Nevertheless, it is advisable to check existing works, and specifically what their content is. The best way to do that is to search your topic on Amazon.com. Amazon.com provides vast information on each book like publication year, number of pages, content, sales rank, and more. Use this information carefully before you make a decision.
As I wrote before, the perfect scenario is when your passion and current mainstream taste are very similar. A great number of aspiring writers are into vampires and werewolves these days, definitely inspired by Stephenie Meyer’s novels. I admit, my current writing project, The Eleventh Incarnation, is somewhat of a Dan Brown material, even though I am trying not to assimilate him or his writing style. As I said, I am a history buff, and I love reading his history-based novels.
The “Mainstream” Method
I still remember the vast success of The Hunt For Red October by Tom Clancy in the 1980′s, and especially all the follow-ups by a myriad of lesser-known writers. Spy novels were the big seller then. The same situation is true for the vast success of the Twilight and Harry Potter series. There are authors, either trying to land a first success the easier way, or simply focussing on the commercial aspect, i.e. making money. They look at what’s selling these days. They copy and slightly modify book titles and concepts. Pablo Picasso once said, “A good artist copies; an extraordinary artist steals.”
Judging from my tone, you may recognize that I don’t necessarily approve of the mainstream method. I personally prefer to be the master of my own ideas, even if it implies continuing my life as a starving writer (Not really. I do have a daytime job.). Nevertheless, mainstream followers exist, and writing is just another job for them.
The question is, how do you determine mainstream taste? The easiest way to determine the current bestsellers is by going to the Amazon website.
Go to Amazon.com, search for books, but don’t enter any title information. The Sort By drop-down box is set to Bestselling per default.
Amazon.com will also provide information, beside the sales rank, that is important for your writing project, such as number of pages. The number of pages and the book price will give you a good indication what you need to accomplish to break into the market.
The Monty Python Code
For those who happened to stumble upon this article per search engine, this particular post is part of an article series Let’s Write A Novel. My intention is to challenge those authors who write about writing a novel. About 99% of these books are filled with inspirational blubbering. Their strongest feature is a strong, but misleading title. The rest is pure fraud.
That being said, let’s decide the topic for our writing project. Well, the decision is already here. We are going with mainstream taste, and we are going with Dan Brown. The title of our work will be The Monty Python Code. Any resemblance to The Da Vinci Code is, of course, purely coincidental.
Professor Hubert Ringtone, America’s top specialist on religous sects, becomes an unwilling conspirator in a plot to reveal the deepest secrets of the Thetan Society, the fastest growing religious movement in the history of the world. Four of his students have been tortured and murdered after discovering the health records of the Thetan Society’s founder, Ron Bruiser. These records could prove devastating for the movement’s message of abstinence, or might even destroy its very foundation. Ringtone, with the help of another student, Margaret Hatcher, engages in a roller-coaster quest to find the location of the secret documents, followed closely by his nemesis, Don ‘Potatoe’ Quayle, the grandmaster of the Knights of the Thetan Society, the movement’s military side-arm.
To follow our little writing project go to Let’s Write A Novel – The Monty Python Code.
Last, But Not Least
I know there are many more aspects on this topic, and I am not the source of all wisdom. If you want to contribute helpful information, please do so by any means. Any comment, whether you agree with me or not, is appreciated. The only request I have is to, please, keep a professional tone.
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The Bleeding Hills
A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
- 2 Timothy iv. 7
The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]
The Bleeding Hills is available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Nobel, and any other good bookstore.
