How Do You Write a Story as a Novel?

On this site, how do you do it?

@xxxddd: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel Coz if you just write, it might just turn into a novel...but do you mean getting published?

Whaa?

It's the same as writing any kind of story. You have a main character and a plot. Then you start writing and don't stop until it's novel length. :-P

@Project_Worm said:

Whaa?

This.

I think you want to know how to deal with the length, and if that is the case, you can write it chapter by chapter and keep adding them to the thread. That's what I did. Or you could just post each chapter as a new thread, like you would with issues. People don't like reading one really long post.

@batkevin74: @jobiwankenobi: @TheCannon: @Matchstick:

I was told in this thread to write my stories as a novel.

I'm asking what that means.

@xxxddd: You weren't being told to write a novel. You were being told to write in prose. There is a difference.

A novel is a book from anywhere above about 50, 000 words. The definition varies, but let's go with that, yeah?

Prose is a way of writing. It's not like poetry, which is lyrical and constructed (mostly) according to a metrical system. It isn't like a script either, which is what you seemed to be writing. Scripts tend to be about dialogue. There's action, sure, but everything hinges on how the characters talk to one another and how that talking reveals their motivations and personalities.

Prose is different. Prose is what you're writing now. Prose is, I suppose, the default method of writing and there's a reason for that. It allows you to explore things more introspectively. You can write with the lyrical style of poetry or you can write a piece with characters talking to one another, but what prose allows you to do is to explore sensations and to explore their inner-most thoughts woven around whatever it is that you're writing. Yes, prose is the format in which most novels are written. In fact recent replies in your thread explain it - "Remember how in grade school you had to write personal narratives and stuff like that".

They weren't telling you to write a novel. They were telling you to write prose; it just so happens that prose is the form in which most novels are written.

@xxxddd: He means you're writing it like a script.

i.e. He: said this

She: said that.

He says write like a novel.

i.e.

"Said this," he said.

She said, "said that."

I hope that helps.

I SUCK at righting in the script method, it's why I could never be a comic book writer

@xxxddd: I am sorry if I confused you. What I meant when I said that is just to not script it. So like how I am writing right now.

@thespideyguy: @jobiwankenobi:

So write like this?:

It's 7 p.m. in New York City. Iron Man in his bleeding edge armor and Hawkeye in his classic costume had just completed a routine mission. Standard mission procedure is to document what happened, so the two go to the Avengers Meeting Chamber in Stark Tower. Iron Man puts in a summary of what happened, while Hawkeye stands at the window, with his left hand on his waist and his right hand on the wall to the left of the window. He sighs heavily, having a disdainful look of regret on his face, creating a aura of sorrow in the room.

@xxxddd: Yeah, if that's not a novel style than I don't know what is.

@jobiwankenobi: Do you like the story so far?

@xxxddd: Not much to go off of right now. All I can tell is that the writer is talented enough to write a good story.

So, yeah I guess so.

@jobiwankenobi said:

All I can tell is that the writer is talented enough to write a good story.

You do know I wrote that right?(AND made it up on the spot)

@xxxddd: Yeah, I'm aware. I was just speaking objectively. Or at least I think I was?

@TheCannon: @jobiwankenobi: @Jonny_Anonymous:

Here is part 1.

Is part 2 better?