Article Surfing Archive

Tired of the day job? Than why not try and access your inner J K Rowling?

JK Rowling went from being poor, scribbling her ideas for a children's book down on a napkin ' to being almost richer than the Queen. Writing a bestselling novel is like buying the winning lottery ticket. In fact, Rowling's rags to riches story could be pretty good basis for a bestseller itself. Because who doesn't dream of writing the next Harry Potter? Could there be a better happier ending to all your financial woes? After all, writing doesn't cost anything but time and effort.

It's all too easy to dream of publishing success when you are drowning in bills, can't afford a holiday or think you work too hard for too little money. But of course it's not as easy as it seems or everyone would have succeeded. So how do you write a bestseller? The plot thickens...

1)Cracking storytelling. Storytelling is key ' check out any major bestselling book, Harry Potter included, and there will be a story that grabs you by your lapels, shakes you around and leaves you feeling that you've learnt and lived.
2)According to some narrative theorists there are only a handful of plots in the world, some say three, some seven, some ten. Find out the fictional archetypes and start writing.
3)Believe in your story. If you just copy a formula it will flop. You need to believe in your world and characters to bring your own originality to those age old plots. Keep your integrity.
4)Oh, and you need to be a natural writer with talent.

Other tips of the trade are:

'Discipline. Dan Brown didn't get to the top of the bestselling list for months on end, or get Hollywood to make a movie of his novel starring Tom Hanks with a dodgy haircut, without having discipline. Apparently, he writes at 4am when there are no distractions and breaks ever hour to do sit ups and stretches to keep the blood and ideas flowing to his blockbuster brain.
'Chose a theme that interests you, pick a big idea with plenty of moral debate.
'Remember that attention spans are different today. We're used to fast moving movies. Dan Brown keeps his chapters short.
'Good looking hunks and heroines sell. Imagine Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Nicole Kidman playing your protagonists in a movie. Or even Tom Hanks with a dodgy haircut works!
'Cliff hangers at the end of a chapter will keep your readers hooked.

And the golden rule is ' ignore all of the above! There are countless tips out there from authors telling us how to write a bestseller. The truth is you need a good story, determination, self discipline, and a basic command of language. Writing means biting the bullet and working hard. It is as the clich' goes, 10 percent inspiration, 90 percent perspiration. And even after all that, there's no guarantee you'll hit the jackpot. Let's face it, most of us have got to face up to reality, pay our bills and manage our finances without the hope of JK Rowling's bank account.