How to write a novel using web tools

How to write a novel using web tools

Web applications and social media have made the process of writing a novel considerably easier and arguably more enjoyable. Here a toolkit is presented for using the web to write a novel or even a book.

1. Organize
One of the most important and perhaps most often overlooked aspects of writing a novel is staying organized. Without organization, it can make the already daunting task of putting your ideas down on paper even more difficult. Characters and places can become confused and the timeline of events in your novel can get mixed up in a hurry.

While your idea is still in the brainstorming phase, many people find it helpful to create a mind map as a way to figure out how all the events and characters in your story tie together. One of the best mind mapping applications on the web is Mindmeister, which gives users a way to create, edit, and collaborate on mind maps in an intuitive and visual manner. Once you know who your characters are and how they interact.

2. Research
The level of realism is very important for all the books. Even if your novel takes place in a completely imagined fantasy world, research into the real world may be necessary to make sure your book is close to the near real future. It allows readers to suspend belief and really identify with your story and characters. Research used to mean hours in the library pouring over dusty tomes, but the web is changing that.

Online resources like Wikipedia  and Google Books give you access to thousands of articles and volumes on a wide range of subjects. If you need to know, for example, about popular ladies clothing in Victorian France, there is no reason that information can’t be found online.

3. Write
Once you actually get down to the business of writing, the web can make that easier as well. If you need a full-featured word processor, the leader of the pack in terms of price (free), feature set, ease of use, and reliability might be Google Docs ( ). One great thing about using an online word processing environment is that your work is stored online and can be accessed from anywhere. You can also collaborate on writing projects with fellow authors.

4. Connect
Writing can be a very solitary task. Most often we imagine a writer as a lonely person, sitting in their attic or locked in a room typing away until they go mad. Social media has brought us all closer; including those of use for whom putting words down on paper is a trade.

One of the most established social networks for writers is Red Room, on which wordsmiths — including a large number of well-known published authors — connect and discuss their craft. Of course, the most well-known social resource for writers is probably Writing.com. Though it’s a little old school, the site has over 650,000 members and thriving forums for writers.

5. Publish
A manuscript could take years to be written, or it could take a few weeks. But whenever it is done, once you have your book in a publishable form, the web can also help you get it onto bookstore shelves. Print-on-demand publishing services like Lulu and Amazon’s CreateSpace can not only publish your book in a number and variety of great looking formats, they can also help you with the details, like securing an ISBN, getting your book listed in the Bowker’s Books in Print catalog, and helping make your book available in store shelves — both real and virtual.

If writing is more of a personal hobby and not a vocation for you, then Blurb (blurb) might be a good choice for printing your book up in a very beautiful and readable format that you can share with family and friends. .

So, now you have the web-based tools that can help you go from idea to book — the rest is up to you. Stop procrastinating and start writing. Good luck!

Credit: Mashable.com; Photcredit:www.writingforward.com/