< P > H o w d o y o u s t a r t w r i t i n g a n o v e l ? < / P > < P > T h e f i r s t t h i n g I d o i s d e c i d e t h e g e n r e a n d t h e s e t t i n g . < / P > < P > I s u p p o s e y o u s a w s o m e v e r s i o n o f < I > B a c k t o t h e F u t u r e . < / I > H e r e t h e s e t t i n g i s c h a n g i n g n o t b e c a u s e o f l o c a t i o n , b u t b e c a u s e o f t i m e p e r i o d . F l a s h i n g b a c k o r f o r w a r d c h a n g e s t h e a p p e a r a n c e o f t h e s a m e l o c a t i o n . T h e s e t t i n g i s n e w , i s n t i t ? < / P > < P > G e n r e i s t h e t y p e o f n o v e l y o u a r e w r i t i n g . T h a t c o u l d b e a w e s t e r n , a c t i o n , r o m a n c e , d e t e c t i v e , m y s t e r y , g o t h i c , o r w h a t e v e r y o u d e c i d e t o d r e a m u p . < / P > < P > S c i e n c e f i c t i o n w o u l d b e a n o t h e r g e n r e . < / P > < P > D i d y o u n o t i c e a p o s s i b l e c h a n g e i n t h e g e n r e i n o n e v e r s i o n o f < I > B a c k t o t h e F u t u r e ? < / I > T h e k i d o n t h e s k a t e b o a r d c h a n g e d t o a g u n - t o t t i n g w e s t e r n e r . W e l l , i t w a s s t i l l s c i e n c e f i c t i o n . < / P > < P > T h e s e t t i n g i s w h e r e t h e a c t i o n t a k e s p l a c e . I f t h e a c t i o n i s i n t h e p r e s e n t , y o u w i l l n o t h a v e a g r e a t d e a l o f r e s e a r c h t o d o o n t h e t i m e p e r i o d o f t h e a c t i o n . H o w e v e r , i f t h e a c t i o n t a k e s p l a c e i n 1 8 5 0 o r 1 3 0 B . C . , y o u m u s t d o r e s e a r c h o n t h a t t i m e p e r i o d a s w a s d o n e i n < I > B a c k t o t h e F u t u r e . < / I > < / P > < P > O n c e y o u h a v e d e c i d e d w h e r e t h e a c t i o n i s t o t a k e p l a c e a n d i n w h a t t i m e p e r i o d , y o u c a n d e f i n e y o u r c h a r a c t e r s . H e r e a r e s o m e t h i n g s t o c o n s i d e r : < / P > < P > < B > N a m e s : < / B > < / P > < P > D o e s t h e n a m e o f e a c h c h a r a c t e r f i t i n t o t h e l o c a t i o n a n d t i m e p e r i o d ? < / P > < P > D o n t c a l l y o u r V i k i n g r a i d e r , < I > J o e . < / I > < / P > < P > T r y < I > E r i c t h e M a d < / I > o r s o m e s u c h . < / P > < P > < B > L a n g u a g e : < / B > < / P > < P > W h a t w o u l d t h e l a n g u a g e b e o f y o u r c h a r a c t e r ? < / P > < P > I f h e l i v e d i n 1 7 5 0 i n L o n d o n , w h a t p h r a s e s w o u l d h e u s e ? < / P > < P > W h a t w o u l d h e s o u n d l i k e ? < / P > < P > T h a t w i l l d e p e n d o n h i s c l a s s w o n t i t ? < / P > < P > A L o n d o n c o b b l e r w o u l d n o t s o u n d t h e s a m e a s t h e C a p t a i n o f t h e K i n g s G u a r d w o u l d h e ? < / P > < P > W h a t a b o u t t h e K i n g h i m s e l f ? < / P > < P > H o w w o u l d h e s o u n d ? W h a t v o c a b u l a r y w o u l d h e u s e ? < / P > < P > < B > H e r e i s a W a r n i n g : < / B > < / P > < P > D o n t w r i t e a p e r i o d n o v e l i f y o u a r e n o t w i l l i n g t o o b t a i n t h e e d u c a t i o n a n d k n o w l e d g e y o u w i l l n e e d t o w r i t e i t . < / P > < P > T h e k e y t o g o o d w r i t i n g i s t o w r i t e a b o u t t h i n g s y o u k n o w a n d u n d e r s t a n d . < / P > < P > O f c o u r s e , i f y o u a r e w r i t i n g s c i e n c e f i c t i o n , y o u c a n d o a n y t h i n g y o u d a r n p l e a s e a s l o n g a s i t r i n g s t r u e t o s c i e n c e f i c t i o n r e a d e r s . < / P > < P > T h a t s w h y t h e a d v i c e o f t e n g i v e n t o w r i t e r s i s t o r e a d h e a v i l y i n t h e g e n r e i n w h i c h t h e y i n t e n d t o w r i t e . < / P > < P > T h a t s o n e w a y t o g e t a n e d u c a t i o n , i s n t i t ? < / P > < P > < B > D r e s s < / B > < / P > < P > I f y o u m e t a m a n i n W a l g r e e n w e a r i n g a s i l v e r b o d y - t i g h t j u m p s u i t a n d h a v i n g a n t e n n a s t i c k i n g o u t o f a g o l d h e l m e t , y o u w o u l d t h i n k : < I > T h a t g u y i s n t f r o m h e r e ! < / I > < / P > < P > I f y o u r c h a r a c t e r w a l k s i n t o a W i l d W e s t b a r i n 1 8 5 0 w e a r i n g a g r e e n s u i t , y o u w i l l h a v e s o m e e x p l a i n i n g t o d o . M y g u e s s w o u l d b e t h a t h e i s I r i s h a n d w i l l b e a s k i n g f o r a G u i n n e s s . N o t e : G u i n n e s s s t a r t e d i n 1 7 5 9 b u t I d o u b t t h a t y o u w o u l d f i n d i t i n t h e W i l d W e s t i n 1 8 5 0 . < / P > < P > D r e s s m u s t b e c o n s i s t e n t j u s t a s l a n g u a g e i s i m p o r t a n t . Y o u n e e d t o k n o w t h e l o c a l d r e s s , n o t s o m e s t e r e o t y p e d r e s s y o u s a w i n a B m o v i e . < / P > < P > D r e s s i s a l s o c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f v o c a t i o n a n d c l a s s . A b a n k e r , a b l a c k s m i t h , a m i l l w r i g h t , e t c . , w o u l d a l l b e d i f f e r e n t l y d r e s s e d i n t h e s a m e l o c a t i o n d u r i n g t h e s a m e t i m e p e r i o d . < / P > < P > E a r l y s e t t l e r s f r o m T e x a s i n A r i z o n a c o u l d b e t o l d b y t h e i r h a t s . < / P > < P > < I > O t h e r F a c t o r s : < / I > < / P > < P > I f y o u r c h a r a c t e r i s a n u r s e , y o u m u s t k n o w s o m e t h i n g a b o u t h o w a n u r s e p e r f o r m e d a t h e r l o c a t i o n a n d d u r i n g h e r t i m e p e r i o d . < / P > < P > D o n t h a v e t h a t s o l d i e r s h o o t s o m e o n e w i t h a W i n c h e s t e r d u r i n g t h e W a r o f 1 8 1 2 . O l i v e r W i n c h e s t e r w a s b o r n i n 1 8 1 0 . < / P > < P > E a c h c h a r a c t e r n e e d s a h i s t o r y . A p e r s o n s h i s t o r y a t l e a s t i n p a r t d e t e r m i n e s h i s o r h e r a c t i o n s . Y o u m a y n e v e r m e n t i o n s u c h a h i s t o r y i n y o u r n o v e l , b u t y o u m u s t k n o w i t . < / P > < P > E a c h c h a r a c t e r n e e d s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . Y o u m a y n e v e r m e n t i o n m o s t o f t h e m b u t y o u m u s t k n o w t h e m . T h e s e a r e t h e t h i n g s t h a t i n c o m b i n a t i o n m a k e y o u r c h a r a c t e r d i s t i n c t f r o m a l l o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s i n t h e w o r l d . T a k e S u p e r m a n f o r i n s t a n c e o r H e n r y t h e E i g h t h . < / P > < P > T h e b o t t o m l i n e i s t h a t a l l t h i n g s m u s t b e c o n s i s t e n t a n d l o g i c a l i f y o u w a n t y o u r n o v e l t o f l y . < / P > < P > I f s o m e t h i n g i s s t r a n g e , y o u h a v e s o m e e x p l a i n i n g t o d o . < / P > < P > < I > H o w t o d o R e s e a r c h < / I > < / P > < P > T h e e a s i e s t w a y t o d o y o u r r e s e a r c h i s b y r e a d i n g i n y o u r g e n r e . < / P > < P > I d o n t l i k e r e a d i n g m o s t n o v e l s . T h e r e f o r e I d o r e s e a r c h o n t h e t i m e a n d p l a c e . < / P > < P > I l i k e t o s t a r t w i t h a m a p o f t h e a r e a . T h e n I l i k e t o r e a d t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e a r e a e v e n b e f o r e t h e t i m e p e r i o d d e t e r m i n e d . I r e a d h i s t o r y b o o k s , o l d m a g a z i n e a r t i c l e s , I n t e r n e t a r t i c l e s , e t c . I l i k e t o v i s i t t h e a r e a a n d v i s i t m u s e u m s a n d h i s t o r i c a l s o c i e t i e s . I l i k e t o t a l k t o t h e p e o p l e , e s p e c i a l l y t h e o l d t i m e r s t h a t h a v e s i g n i f i c a n t t a l e s t o t e l l . < / P > < P > G o i n t o b o o k s t o r e s , y a r d s a l e s , b o o k s a l e s , j u n k s h o p s , a n t i q u e s s h o p s , a n d o t h e r p l a c e s y o u c a n p i c k u p m a g a z i n e s a n d b o o k s f o r a s o n g . L o o k a t t h e s t u f f t h e y a r e s e l l i n g i n a n t i q u e s h o p s a n d a s k a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y o f u n u s u a l i t e m s . T h e w a y y o u d o t h a t i s t o s a y t h i s : W h a t i s t h a t t h i n g ? < / P > < P > I n a w a y , i t i s m u c h l i k e b e i n g a n e w s p a p e r r e p o r t e r . I l i k e t o s e a r c h o l d n e w s p a p e r s f o r i n t e r e s t i n g s t o r i e s t o s e e w h a t o t h e r r e p o r t e r s h a v e d o n e . < / P > < P > L o o k i n o l d e n c y c l o p e d i a s , c a t a l o g s , a n d a l m a n a c s . Y o u w i l l b e s u r p r i s e d w h a t y o u c a n l e a r n . < / P > < P > W h e n I w a s w r i t i n g < I > R e v e n g e o n t h e M o g o l l o n R i m , < / I > I d e c i d e d t o r e a d o n e o f Z a n e G r e y s n o v e l s , t h e s e t t i n g s o f w h i c h w a s i n t h e a r e a s n e a r m y h o m e i n A r i z o n a . < / P > < P > I k n e w s o m e t h i n g a b o u t Z a n e G r e y b e c a u s e I w a s a g u i d e a n d w o r k e d o n e x h i b i t s f o r t h e l o c a l m u s e u m . < / P > < P > I e x p e c t e d t o h e l p i n t h e r e b u i l d i n g o f h i s c a b i n t h a t w a s d e s t r o y e d i n t h e D u d e F i r e . H o w e v e r , I m o v e d f r o m t h e a r e a ( P a y s o n , A Z ) b e f o r e t h a t t a s k w a s s t a r t e d . < / P > < P > A n y w a y , I w a s r e a d i n g h i s n o v e l a n d c a m e u p o n a p h r a s e t h a t d i d n t s e e m r i g h t t o m e . I t w a s a v i e w h i s c h a r a c t e r s a w f r o m t h e M o g o l l o n R i m . I d i d n t t h i n k h e h a d i t r i g h t . I d r o v e t o t h e R i m a n d p a r k e d v e r y n e a r t h e p l a c e h e d e s c r i b e d . T h e n I s a w t h a t Z a n e G r e y h a d d e s c r i b e d t h e v i e w p e r f e c t l y . M o u n t a i n s d o n t m o v e t h a t f a s t . < / P > < P > I t s a g o o d i d e a t o k n o w y o u r s u b j e c t , y o u r l o c a t i o n ( s e t t i n g ) , a n d y o u r c h a r a c t e r s b e f o r e y o u s t a r t w r i t i n g t h e n o v e l . W e l l , d o n ' t l e t t h a t s t o p y o u . Y o u c a n f i l l i n t h e b l a n k s l a t e r . < / P > < P > J u s t d o n t l e t s o m e b o l d c h a r a c t e r t a k e o v e r y o u r b o o k . < / P > < P > W r i t i n g , h o w t o w r i t e , s e t t i n g , c h a r a c t e r s , l a n g u a g e , c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , h i s t o r y , t i m e p e r i o d , r e s e a r c h < / P >
Author: John T Jones, Ph.D.
Author Bio:
John T Jones, Ph.D.
Jones was a vice president of a Fortune 500 company subsidiary having the major responsibility for research and development and certain engineering functions. After he retired, he became editor of an international trade magazine. Jones is Executive Representative of IWS, sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He is a direct mail and mail order marketer and operates a dozen websites.
He has written three technical books, four novels (Bull, Revenge on the Mogollon Rim, Bone China, and In No Way Guilty), and many published papers on business, marketing, engineering and other topics. Details on many of these topics can be found at his personal web site.
Jones is a hack poet and amateur landscape painter. He lives in Idaho with his wife of 52 years. He has five children, three in medicine, a lawyer, and a portrait artist. The Jones’ have thirty-two talented grandchildren (many with special musical talent and skills), and one great grand child.
Jones is a prolific writer which started when he was an engineering professor at Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!). He doesn’t know how to stop.
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