[softballchica02]

I want to write a book, but I'm still in high school and I don't think anyone would read it... it's a fiction book that has a lot of action, suspense, and romance. Its about a boy named nathan, he has a power to control water. A lot of other kids have powers too and the government is trying to wipe them off the earth. Nathan's family was killed by the government and a young spy named Cece is trying to save kids like nathan. She makes the government officers believe that nathan is her younger brother named Slate. So he is called that from now on. She sends Slate to a training facility for 7 years so he can train with 2 other kids that have powers too. Dray is one of them, he can control electrictyand his twin sister is Alex, she was smarter than anyone ever can orwill be.Slate and Alex don't like each other at all and each day is like a death match between them...



All right does this sound like a good book?

[Alty]

Sounds like you've got a great story line.

The key to a good book is knowing your characters, and knowing your story line, and what your characters will do in every situation that arises.

Flesh out your characters. Know everything about them, even if it's not included in the book. That's the key to making them believable, and likable.

Your age doesn't matter when it comes to writing. S.E. Hinton, author of "The Outsiders", was only 17 when she was published. It's the quality of the book that matters, not your age.

Good luck.

[joypulv]

Each plot needs a premise, a reason for being there. Why is the government trying to wipe out kids with special powers, and why were Nathan's parents killed? Why do Slate and Alex not get along?

Instead of stating those things, work up to it with dialog and descriptions, emotions and thoughts, surroundings and moods.

Remember that the reader isn't in your head. They don't know all the rich details about your characters and story line that you do.

Many writers jot down ideas on 3 x 5 cards to sort out later, when typing. Some novels are 10, 15, 20 years in the writing. Others can whip one out in a few months.

I like your story!

[Wondergirl]

I like your story too!

I disagree that the writer should know everything about his plot and characters. Sometimes the characters will work out parts of their own storyline when the writer hasn't figured it out yet. One of my characters needed to have wet, lanky strings of hair around her head and face when she looked in the mirror. I couldn't figure out how to make that happen. Millie decided to take a hot, steamy bubblebath and thus afterwards look in the mirror at her long, lanky hair.

Another character in another story had Asperger's and knew every song Elton John had ever recorded and in which year. He needed to be accepted and appreciated by his boss at work. The story stalled for several days with the two guys glaring at each other on the pages of my story. The employee's solution to my plot problem? He started to softly hum some of Elton John's songs, and the boss overheard him. It turned out the boss loved Elton John's music, so the two guys ended up in a friendly guessing game -- the employee would hum a song and the boss tried to guess the title and date.

Still another character, an old man, needed to meet his long-lost son, a doctor, for the first time. I was stuck. The old man decided to have chest pains and ended up in the ER, thus solving my problem.

You never know where your characters will take you!

[Alty]

I disagree that the writer should know everything about his plot and characters.

I don't think I made my post very clear. I didn't mean that the OP had to decided on a plot and stick to it exactly. The characters however are important to know. It's important to understand them so you know what they will do and why they'll do it. It has to be in keeping with their character. For instance, you knew your character had aspergers and knew every Elton John song, which is why he started humming Elton John. Had you not known your character you wouldn't have come up with a solution to your problem.

Yes, the story will move along, sometimes in a different direction than you first intended, but a basic outline, a basic plot is important. You can't just sit down and write, you have to know where you're going, and where you want to end up. The rest, well your characters will get you there. :)

[Wondergirl]

You can't just sit down and write, you have to know where you're going, and where you want to end up. The rest, well your characters will get you there. :)

I wrote the basic story in less than an hour (or maybe it wrote itself). The only part that held me up was the two characters not getting along. My Asperger's character hadn't started humming yet and didn't for two days. The story was accepted and published in a magazine two years ago.

Danielle Steel plots out her books (with great detail as to settings, characters) on huge white sheets she sticks up all over a room in her house. I write by the seat of my pants. But then, she's a millionairess, and I'm not (yet).

[softballchica02]

Wow, you don't know how good it makes me feel that people like this:) I have written a few pages to it and what I have in the question is a very brief part of it

[Wondergirl]

Keep writing! It sounds like it's lot better than some of the books that have been published. And that age group is a hot one in publishing now.

Amazon has a breakthrough book award -- one award is for a young adult book, if I remember. The prize is a $15,000 advance and a cut of all the royalties. Penguin will publish it. Can you finish it by next week when submissions will begin to be accepted? Only 5000 entries will be accepted.

Check Amazon for details. http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-N...node=332264011

[softballchica02]

Aha heck no I can't finish, I'm not even half way done, I don't have a lot of spare time for writing...