Telling Write From Wrong

Let Me Help You With That Book You're Writing

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's given me great pleasure this year to advise some very gifted bloggers on matters relating to writing, editing, layout and photography. I am also delighted to be helping some terrific writers in different parts of the world with their books and extended writing projects. In addition, I'd like to share my experience as a novelist, in order to help other writers in some small way. With this in mind, I thought I'd run a once-a-week post on tips for aspiring writers. This is the first of the series.

Tip #1. Always write a synopsis.

To those writing books or novels, my first piece of advice is to write a short synopsis. When I wrote my first novel, Vegemite Vindaloo, I started with great momentum. But I didn't write a synopsis, so I got derailed very quickly. I could not figure out where the plot was going.

It was a crucial stumbling block - but there was a simple solution. So I sat down and wrote a very short synopsis - a mere three sentences. It took me all of 10 minutes, but the entire theme crystallised instantly. From that point on, it was like looking at a GPS map. The novel was published by Penguin Books India last year and was on the bestseller lists from July until late December.

If you're driving in unfamiliar territory, you always consult a road map first. Same thing if you're writing. So work out your synopsis first, whether it is one paragraph or several pages. Once you know where the plot is going, you'll find it all falls into place. And don't be afraid of taking diversions. When I wrote Vegemite Vindaloo, I planned to introduce a couple of laconic Outback characters and to give them two or three pages. But they bulldozed their way through the plot and instead they became integral to two major chapters.

So, yes, having a plan is crucial. But being willing to deviate and come back to it is equally important. Trust your instincts, write from your heart - and you'll never go wrong.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I'm always here to help.