Writing Tip 101: A Most Serious Guide to Writing Epic Novels
Forget restocking. Forget the games room, forget the Fruit Machine. The Neopoints you earn from those? Nothing. A mere pittance, compared to where the big bucks are.
What, you don’t know? I’ll tell you then. Novel-writing, that’s where the big money is.
Don’t believe me? It’s simple. Cook up some story everyone’s read before, switch the character species around a little (instead of, say, Usuls and pirates, try Ogrins and pirates), add in a few spiffy lines, and delectable descriptions, and voila.
You’re a Novelist, and you’re making big bucks. Bookshops across Neopia and Kreludor want to stock your books! The Space Faerie turns up at your book signings with a copy of your latest thriller. Dr Sloth shows up at all your press conferences, Mutant Grundos in tow. Fyora can’t wait for the seventh novel you’re written about origami Petpets. King Skarl never misses a book reading, not even for lunch.
You’re famous.
You’re rich.
But wait! Before you rush out to stock up on Quill and Ink, remember that almost anyone can whip up a fast tale. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will sell. To make the most Neopoints and fast, I suggest sticking with my favorite type of book to write: the Epic Novel. If written correctly, your new Epic Novel will become a bestseller in a matter of days! All you have to do is stick to these guidelines as studiously as possible, and you can hardly go wrong. *cough*
Let’s get started, shall we?
1. Plot
The first step to writing your Neopian bestseller is to ink out a basic plot. While that sounds tough, it really isn’t. In fact, it’s simple! Most Epic Novels will have a very similar plot that appeals to the mass Neopian market. If you’re new to novel-writing and this all sounds terribly confusing, go with one of the ‘hot’ plots I’ve listed out below. Sell every time, they do.
A favorite with authors is the tried-and-tested Saving Neopia From The Forces Of Evil. Most Neopian plots will deal with something like this. In this type of Epic Novel, the main character must battle legions of evil minions to save Neopia from an untimely end. (Oh no!) After all, who doesn’t love reading about the world being saved? If using this plot, the story MUST include a showdown between good and evil, MUST include an Epic Battle, and MUST end with the forces of evil being vanquished, battered and defeated (but alive, to plague Neopia in the future so you can write a sequel).
Another popular choice would be The Quest for a Rare, Powerful and Magical Object, with which your main character must use to save his/her friends, family and Neopia with. These Rare, Powerful and Magical Objects are usually used by evil villains to destroy/take over Neopia. On his quest to save the world, our hero often ends up thwarting the antagonist’s plans by using the Rare, Powerful and Magical Object to destroy him. Popular objects to use for Rare, Powerful and Magical Objects include enchanted Sparkshooters, cursed Amulets and vengeful Spell Scrolls full of dark magic.
Most experienced authors will use a combination of these two plotlines, with maybe even a side story thrown in.
