© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

1. IT’S NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU MONEY

So write but don’t write with this outcome in mind….KARMA my friend without

expectations – BECAUSE IT’S THERE (as this strip so aptly puts it)

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

2. ONLY YOU CAN TELL THE STORY IN

YOUR HEAD But the story in your head shouldn’t be based on a formulae….

Terrorists

Cricket

Love Story College

Sex

# 1 on the

bestseller list

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

3. READ A LOT…SEEK INSPIRATION

But don’t be too inspired by one author– it shows in your style…(and you’ll always be

a me-too)

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

4. MAKE NOTES, CHARACTER SKETCHES, PLOT

OUTLINE, CHAPTER SUMMARIES, DOODLE…DOODLE And yes…get a good notebook and colored pencils

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

5. SEEK LOTS OF FEEDBACK

After writing the first chapter, first part, first draft, second draft, 18th draft…But do

consider where it’s coming from…

Who? What to take? Think about…

Friends What they feel about the story

What they liked or didn’t like

If you can get them to proof read –

that’s an add-on!

Suggestions to improve or

change – most probably

won’t help as they are not

writers

They like you

Writers Technical aspects – story construction,

characters, chapter length, redundant

text, grammar and tense

Consider what they write

– their suggestions will

stem from there

Publisher Everything – if you want to get

published

Nothing to think about

here…they decide.

Spouse THE most important person who would

give you impartial feedback

Again…if he/she is not a

writer then don’t consider

suggestions to improve,

just take the drawbacks

and work on them

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

6. DISCIPLINE AND ROUTINE

This is the key….I worked everyday for at least 3-4 hours (2-3 hours writing, 1-2 hours

reading/correcting and rewriting what I had written earlier)

If you

wanted to

be lonely,

this is the

time for

it….

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

7. SET GOALS AND MEET THEM

Its like any other job….the difference here is that this one demands you to be

creative…isn’t that FANTASTIC?

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

8.

EDIT/REWRITE/EDIT/REWRITE/EDIT/REWRITE Make it ready for publishers and agents – dramatically increases your chances of

being published…and makes the book MUCH, MUCH BETTER!

The novelist must be his own most harsh critic and also

his own most loving admirer and about both he must say

nothing.

~ Angus Wilson © S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

9. DON’T FORCE IT

You can’t make it deliberately funny or violent or romantic or sexy – it doesn’t work

that way and if it does then I would like to know how to do that!

“I will put a joke in every

page” ~ An author whose trilogy hasn’t

worked

“Put a long love story in

the next one” ~ A publisher I’m not going

back to

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

10. IT WILL COME TO YOU

That’s a promise – just give it enough time. The climax, the title, the character’s

dilemma and its solution, the perfect murder – PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE

makes all the difference….

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

© S I D D H A R T H T R I P A T H I

Siddharth Tripathi’s debut novel – The Virgins

is now available on Flipkart and other online

retailers. For more info, please visit

http://www.facebook.com/theVirginsNovel