The pandemic has forced all of us to stay inside our homes. This quarantine has brought out some innate skills in us. Also, a lot of us have developed specific new skills.
Some people have a habit of writing about their days. Also, some people maintain a journal stating all the important events in it. Journals are the best channels of expression as they give you a platform to pour your heart out.
Journals serve multiple purposes. A journal can be used to write about the events that take place during the day. Also, people can use journals to make to-do lists and note down any important information such as important dates, events, etc.
How Can Writing a Journal Prepare You to Write a Novel?
Writing a journal not only gives you a channel to put out your thoughts but also improves your writing abilities. Quarantine has brought out the best in all the writers. It has allowed them to explore and try their hands on writing.
A journal is the best way to showcase your writing skills. It makes you your judge. A journal can also be made creative, which gives a push to another talent too.
You can make your journal by writing something every day. This builds a flow in the tonality of your journal. This tonality will give you an idea of how to write a novel.
A lot of people note down their observations in a journal. These observations give rise to different types of thoughts, which can eventually turn into a feasible idea for a novel.
Journal writing can really help you understand your style of writing and into which genre your writing fits. This will help you get clarity on your niche, and then you can proceed with proper novel writing.
Understand Your Journal
Any journal would follow a particular tone. Also, it might give out the idea of a specific theme which the journal might have developed. It is imperative to find a tone or a theme before converting your journal into a novel.
Also, ask yourself the following questions:
- What kind of theme is given out while you are reading your journal?
- From a list of themes, which would make your novel marketable?
- Who are your target readers?
- Why would someone buy your book?
- Is your book a memoir or a self-help book?
- What else can you do with your journal?
A book writing template would help you to bring all your thoughts into order. Also, people love writing novels that talk about their anecdotes.
During the lockdown, you might have written things describing a particular incident. It can be a funny story or something that taught you a life value. Once you spot this incident, you are ready to capitalize on the opportunity.
Steps to Transform Your Quarantine Journal Into a Novel
Journals are mostly written by people to reflect upon their actions or to note something important. However, novels are primarily written to entertain and earn money. Therefore, we must find the synergies between these two.
If your quarantine journal is telling a story, it’s time to convert it into a good novel. Also, make sure to write clearly to avoid ambiguity. Some of the easy steps are:
1. Brainstorming
Go through your journals thoroughly. Then make a list of themes that cross your mind or are common to all your journals. Now reason with yourself and filter your results to only one theme, which will be used in your novel.
2. Connect The Dots
Your story must be very well written. Try connecting the dots between two different incidents. Repeat this process to weave a beautiful story.
Also, avoid writing the entire story at once. Pick up relevant points from your journal and then make a short story.
3. Decide on the Genre
Journals can be converted into different types of novels. It can be converted to a memoir or an autobiography. Therefore, it is essential to have a transparent thought process as to what you want your novel to be.
Also, it’s better to go with the kind of novel you would love to read as a reader. This way, you can effectively bring all your ideas on the plate.
4. Identify Your Target Reader Audience
It is crucial to know who your readers will be. This will help you in analyzing different personalities and groups people belong to. You can then target a particular set of audience who have the highest probability of reading that novel.
5. Understand the Demographics
It is vital to analyze the demographic situation of the place where you are planning to launch your novel. You must also formulate different goals and try to strive hard despite challenges.
6. Create a Flow of Operations
Once you have decided on getting the novel published, make sure to optimize all your processes. Also, create a chain of command. To avoid ambiguity, keeping a note of everything is the best way to get things synchronized.
7. Expert Review
Get your story reviewed by an expert before publishing it. Also, make sure to get proper copyrights to the book. Release it in the market once you receive a go-ahead from your editor.
8. Formatting
Formatting makes the text look uniform. Therefore, before launching the novel, make sure to get your book formatted by these experts who have expertise in the subject area.
Also, make sure to conduct proper research before writing your novel. This is because you must not write any information which has no base. Inaccurate or plagiarized information can land you into a certain amount of trouble.
Conclusion
Journals can be easily converted into a novel if they are written with the utmost care. Also, a journal that tells a journey can be easily transformed into a story that becomes engaging for the potential audience.
Question yourself on different aspects of your journal before starting with the book. It’s essential to have a plan before bringing things to action. Make sure to formulate a plan and then act accordingly.