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我来了！！！我是想发一些东西给你看。不是写评论。你的文文太短了，没啥好评的。不过，我喜欢！

Elements of a Good Novel
by Jeannette Cézanne
Every novel is unique. And every novel is also like every other novel.
How do these two concepts live together?
While your idea for a novel might be special and different from anything else you’ve ever heard of, in order to tell the story, you’ll be using a lot of elements that are common – and necessary – to every other novel.
Consider the following as a non-definitive list of the elements that you will want to include in your novel:
* A narrative voice that is strong, clear, and interesting. Not many readers will itch to read a story told by a protagonist who does not capture their attention. Your protagonist does not have to be a good person or even a likeable person; but he or she does need to be interesting.
* Characters that are believable and have clearly defined personalities and motivations.
The Chapter Ending
Something had to be there, Julie told herself. Something that would tell her why anyone would ever think to accuse her father of horrible things. Some shadow, some darkness, some thought that could be twisted, misinterpreted, construed in false terms.
Something had to be there. Something that would help her, would explain how such a monsterous error could be made. Something that would tell her how Albert Gower could stand accused of crimes against humanity.
It wasn’t there. And the feeling of panic had done nothing but grow.
Jeannette Angell
The Illusionist
* Realistic dialogue that sounds as though somebody might actually conceivably say it. (Here’s the test: Try speaking your dialogue out loud. If you can’t, chances are that your characters can’t, either.)
* A strong opening that pulls the reader into the story. It doesn’t matter if things really pick up by Chapter Four; if you don’t grab your reader right away, the chances are good that he or she will never even get to Chapter Four.
* Complex situations and relationships. Life is not a picture in black and white; your novel shouldn’t be, either.
* Some sort of dilemma or problematic situation. You might want to write a story that is all “sweetness and light,” but I don’t know too many people who will want to read it. We learn from reading, from seeing how other people meet obstacles. Design some interesting ways for your characters to do so.
* A balance between different elements. Narration alone does not make a story; nor does dialogue. Think out the rhythm of your book, and give your reader a blend of action, description, and dialogue. Remember that one plot does not a novel make: a number of sub-plots will keep readers interested and engaged.
* My favorite: wonderful chapter endings. Whether it is a cliffhanger, a surprise, or a dramatic moment or phrase, end your chapters in such a way that it’s impossible for the reader to put the book down. I have been guilty of staying up far too late into the night while reading a well-crafted book, promising myself, “Just one more chapter.” Wouldn’t you like it if your book had that effect on people, too?
You may want to consider using some of the following elements in your novel as well. Think of them as a spice rack that you have always on hand while you’re cooking; if you find that there is a place where your story seems flat, or when you’re not sure where to turn next, you can season as needed from the following list:
* Conflict: Don’t make life too easy for your characters. Make them think. Make them wonder. Make them real.
* Tension: There has to be some reason for the reader to keep reading. Make your reader fret, make him or her concerned, and the book will be that much harder to put down!
* Action: Even the most introspective of novels needs some. Get them up, get them out, provide a counterpoint to long dialogues. In fact, adding action to dialogue makes it richer in a lot of different ways.
* Point of View: Choose one or two and then stick with them. Juggling a lot of viewpoints gets tricky, as you need to keep each voice separate and consistent. Never, ever tell the story from the cat’s point of view. Trust me here: it doesn’t work.
Some authors have a detailed outline before they begin; others let the book take shape entirely as they write it. Most of us are somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. It’s always helpful to start with a synopsis, even if you later diverge from it.
Elements of a good synopsis include:
* An opening sentence that describes the book
* A rough story line
* A three-act drama approach to telling the story, so that you have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Characterizations: Get to know your characters! The better you know them, the more real they will become to the reader. Of course, not everything that you know about them will necessarily make it into the finished novel; but the mere fact of your knowing all the details will color and influence the way that you write about your characters. I often tell my students to keep index cards, one for each person in the book. What does he or she look like? What is his favorite ice cream flavor? What was she afraid of when she was a child? What was he like in high school? What did she want to be when she grew up? What is he most insecure about? Develop questions like these, and answer them for all of your characters, and suddenly you’ll find that they are not just characters anymore, they are real people with real stories and emotions and needs and demons. And that’s when you can write about them.
Storytelling is made up of many complex and inter-related skills. But the best thing that you can do, for yourself and for your books, is to find what is unique about your voice, your interests, and your style, and let those things lead you. So that your book will in fact – while incorporating all of the things that we’ve been talking about – be unique.
Finally, ask yourself the following questions about your book, because whoever will be reading it will be asking him or herself the same questions:
* Is the dialogue realistic? Can you imagine the characters actually saying what you wrote?
* Is there enough action?
* Is there enough suspense?
* Have you been honest with the reader?
* Is there tension and conflict? (Remember that these are two elements that will move the story along.)
* Do you have an interesting plot?
* Did you pace the storytelling well?
* Have you broken up the narrative so that it is neither boring nor too lengthy?
* Did this story accomplish its purpose?
Make sure that you can answer all of those questions to your satisfaction before you submit it anywhere. Remember that you have only one opportunity to make an impression on an editor or agent. Use it wisely!
Remember that good writing is just the beginning of being successfully published.
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你们上language arts有教吧？虽然无聊，却很有用，特意转载给你。呵呵！！！谢谢我吧！！！抱抱！你的文再长一点的时候我会再来的！

首页>我的晋江> 《天使也有泪》 第8章

首页>我的晋江> 《天使也有泪》第8章