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Once you believe you have written your manuscript, have a final read over the document and look at the story as a whole. Check that your structure is balanced and that your story has started in the correct place. Don’t risk not getting published by starting the story too early or by providing too much background information which can get a bit boring.

Your novel needs to evoke all the senses. Check if you have used a passive voice where an active voice would have made more of a stronger impact. In addition to this, check if your story can be saved by completely removing the first chapter and starting right at the action point!

When I am reading a book it really gets on my nerves when I finish the novel and I think back over the plot and there are some sections which have not been fully finished off. For example, the last book I read, the character’s aunty died and there was no closure, ie. No funeral and no grieving for their loss of a relative, etc.

It is important that you leave your reader feeling satisfied that the whole story has been told. If you leave any unintentional loose ends, like the one I mentioned above your reader will be dissatisfied and unlikely to read any of your books again.

In my previous post I mentioned some questions to ask yourself when you are reading through your manuscript to ensure that it is the best you can possibly get it so that you are more likely to get your book published.

Here are some more points to ensure you have covered when reading through your manuscript:

• Has your main character (also known as your protagonist) been changed throughout the course of the story? If your protagonist has not changed or grown by the end of your novel, your book will seem static and unconvincing.
• Even if your book is a fantasy, it still needs to make some sort of sense otherwise you will confuse the reader.
• Every action should have a consequence, with each event following on logically from what has happened before. Readers are not likely to believe a story which relies on coincidence.

Most editors and agents of publishing houses will not take you seriously if you do not have a complete manuscript. Publishing houses need to see proof of what you can write, they will not add you as an author on to their books if you only have an outline and sample of the work you intend to supply.

Once you feel you have written your manuscript to the best of you ability, it is advised that you put the document away for a couple of weeks and then come back to read it with a fresh pair of eyes. When reading the document again from start to finish – you should ensure you have done the following:

• Ensure that any minor characters or subplots in the book do not take the lime light from the main theme and the major characters.
• Portray your characters through their actions in order to develop them fully. It is important to not let them get out of character otherwise this will seem unconvincing.

One of my dreams, which I will realise before I am get old and die, is to write a book and get it published. I have carried out some research online to see if I can find some tips for myself and I have noted them here in case you find them helpful in your quest to become an author.

From my research I can tell that it takes two or three years to have your novel published from the date that you send it to the publisher to the time it could be published. Therefore it is important not to try and take advantage of what is happening here and now – because that could make your novel obsolete before the public have even had chance to read it. The best advice I can give to write the novel that you have in your head – don’t try to make it current, just make it a good and gripping read. The last thing you want to do is bore the person who will be reading your book!

From the author who brought the world American Psycho, Less than Zero, Glamorama, The Rules of Attraction and Lunar Park (as well as their cinematic spin-offs) comes a new novel, Imperial Bedrooms.

Bret Easton Ellis is back with a brand new offering, albeit continuing the thread from Less than Zero written twenty-five years ago when the author was still in college. Set to be released to the masses in June, Imperial Bedrooms picks up with Clay, Trent, Blair and co many years after the events depicted in the first novel.

If you want to know what Imperial Bedrooms is like, it’s pretty much along the same lines as the way literary critic Benjamin Alsup sees the rest of Ellis’ work:

“This is Ellis’s career-making insight: Fame and money and ass and murder make the world go round. True in 1985. True today.”

Despite the publishing industry’s concerns that digital technology (Google Books, e-book readers and the iPad) are taking over all forms of entertainment and culture, new statistics suggest that many loyal people are still remaining true to traditional forms such as books, CDs and DVDs.

According to a new survey by technology company Hewlett-Packard (HP), around 95 per cent of British consumers prefer reading old-fashioned books compared to their digital and online counterparts. The HP survey and others like it also found that:

• 70 per cent of UK people aged between 16 and 60 believe digital film and music will never replace the real thing – hard copies

• 75 per cent prefer to watch films on DVD than online

Excellent news for the publishing industry then – books have not been deserted!

According to the latest reports, Pope Benedict XVI has finished writing his second book, the follow-up to his bestselling Jesus of Nazareth. Expected to be released sometime in the next few months, the Vatican are describing it as:

“…dedicated to the Passion and the Resurrection (of Jesus), and starts where the first volume finished,”

The book has been written in the Pope’s native German and sent to publishers Manuel Herder as well as the Vatican Publishing House. The Vatican have explained the delay on the book’s release saying it will take time to translate it into many languages accurately. It also would have been completed sooner – early in 2010 – had the Pope not broken his wrist back in July 2009.

The children’s book that the late Boyzone star Stephen Gately finished shortly before his tragic death in Spain is set to go straight to the top of bestseller lists. Entitled Tree of Seasons, the book is 300 pages long and is a fantasy novel designed for children of all ages.

Due to Stephen’s immense popularity in Ireland, the book’s publishers Hodder & Stoughton are expecting the book to fly off the shelves. Around 15,000 copies have already been ordered in advance in the UK and Ireland, leading the publishers to say:

“We think it may be one of the biggest children’s titles this year.”

Tree of Seasons has been officially released today (May 13th).

Following a rather shocking piece of advice printed on the Zoo magazine agony uncle page, actor Danny Dyer has reportedly appointed lawyers to deal with the issue. Mr Dyer is quoted in Zoo magazine as responding to a letter about getting over an ex with:

“Of course, the other option is to cut your ex’s face, and then no one will want her.”

Speaking as soon as the outrage over the horrible comment reached a climax, Mr Dyer claimed that Zoo had misquoted him. The magazine, however, says they did not misquote him but that they also shouldn’t have printed the comment. They have also terminated Mr Dyer’s weekly advice column as a result.

Bauer Media, who publishes Zoo magazine, have apologised and hastily promised a sizeable donation to Women’s Aid.