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How to Write a light Novel


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#850753



Joined: 15 Jan 2016
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 11:49 pm Reply with quote
For that you have to know more about creative writing technique. You know there are some creative writing technique. To get that details you can go through some online writing service. You have to develop the habit such as continuous reading. This will help you to increase your writing skills.
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#852560



Joined: 23 Feb 2016
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:08 pm Reply with quote
Hi! I'm Mary and i been trying to find out how can someone who is not in Japan publish a LV to Japan. I have completed my 1st vol of my light novel and because i find it good i would like to take the step and publish it. I am currently in London studying so travelling abroad to Japan and be there face-to - face with the publishers won't do.

Is there anyone familiar with such procedures?
The Steps i have to make?
The risks?
Will my copyrights be safe if i send it via pdf?
Which companies should i choose to send it? Which among them are the most trustworthy?

Many questions i know...but please someone "hear my cry" and reply back to me Razz

Thanks! Razz
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hyojodoji



Joined: 08 Jan 2010
Posts: 583
PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 11:58 pm Reply with quote
#852560 wrote:
Hi! I'm Mary and i been trying to find out how can someone who is not in Japan publish a LV to Japan. I have completed my 1st vol of my light novel and because i find it good i would like to take the step and publish it. I am currently in London studying so travelling abroad to Japan and be there face-to - face with the publishers won't do.

The usual way to become a professional writer of light novels is to win a prize at a light novel contest held by a publishing firm that publishes light novels.
Japanese light novel contests' guidelines for applicants usually say, 'The manuscript must be written in Japanese,' or something along those lines.
So, if you cannot write Japanese well, the first step which you should take is probably to learn Japanese to the level where you can write Japanese discourse extremely well and you can do 'marketing research' (say, 'What kind of light novels are popular now?', 'What kind of light novels does Imprint X prefer?' and the like).
There are people who read Japanese at Oxford or SOAS and still write bad Japanese. So it is not an easy thing to become fluent in Japanese to the level where you can write good Japanese.
There is a Taiwanese woman whose light novel was translated into Japanese and published by Kadokawa in Japan, but she won a prize at a Taiwanese light novel contest before the work's being translated, and Taiwan has an advantage that its otaku culture is developed well, probably over your country, in the first place.
 
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hyojodoji



Joined: 08 Jan 2010
Posts: 583
PostPosted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 7:31 am Reply with quote
#852560 wrote:
Which companies should i choose to send it?

hyojodoji wrote:
The usual way to become a professional writer of light novels is to win a prize at a light novel contest held by a publishing firm that publishes light novels.

And it is said that Japanese publishing firms do not welcome unsolicited manuscripts of light novels.
 
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KitsuneBella



Joined: 17 Feb 2016
Posts: 16
Location: Philadelphia, PA USA
PostPosted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:20 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Anime does not determine what light novels are, but light novels have been a strong influence on anime.


That can account for the vast number of anime that have been adapted from light novel series. Here is something to keep in mind too: do the writers of light novels think in their minds as their writing that their work will one day be adapted into an anime series. I'm not sure that happens. When I'm working on a story I write in a cinematic way with my descriptions of scenes taking on the feel of how I envision them to look on screen. I don't think that my stories will ever be bought by a Hollywood studio but it's a lovely thought.

Quote:
Light novels are written for teens. As far as I can tell they are the same as what we call young adult novels here in the US. Some of them might even be equivalent to juvenile novels. I remember that a lot of juvenile science fictions books that I read had illustrations, just like many light novels.


Some LNs are geared toward a younger teen audience. But not always. Those series within the yaoi/shounen-ai genre are more geared toward older teens (16 yrs or older) or 'new adult (18-25 yrs., college age roughly). I'm a lot older and I find some of these to be enjoyable and I can finish a 5 volume series in less than a week.

My advice coming from someone who is writing now is: just write. Think about the story you want to write, about the characters and the world you want to create for them to "run" in. And just get it all out. Don't worry so much about trying to fit into any kind of mold. Your story is going to be unique from everyone else's because it's going to be based on your experiences and your view of the world you are in. If you want to write your story for a particular niche or demographic, in this case for the YA market, read as much of it within the genre that interests you and one that fits the type of story you want to write. Read a bunch of different kinds of stories within the YA genre. Don't read just fantasies or sci-fi but mysteries, contemporiary pieces and so on. In this way you can get a feel for what already has been written about as well as get an idea on how other writers develop their story's world and their characters. Just know the genre and the themes and tropes/conventions within them. When you feel ready to write, just do it.

The most important thing is to write and write a lot every day. What I do is I carry a notebook around with me or my ipad and I take notes when I can about what I did and saw. I'll sit in starbucks with my latte and write. I'll try and listen for snippets of dialog around me and jot down carefully what is being said (sometimes a mental note would be better in that case Wink ). I've been writing since I was a teen as a means to vent my pain and frustration of being bullied at school. I believe that was the super power I had (and still can bring to bear when I need it): bending words to my will, thus the pen will always be mightier than the sword!
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Push Publication



Joined: 20 Dec 2016
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 7:57 am Reply with quote
I see a lot of different opinions here. But generally, Japanese publisher do not accept any kind of manuscript unless it is through a contest.

That being said, you can always try your luck elsewhere. Laughing
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Dave Marshall



Joined: 19 Jun 2017
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 3:30 am Reply with quote
first you need to know about subject of your novel. i start to write my own one recently.
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Dunk_Kong



Joined: 20 Jun 2017
Posts: 15
PostPosted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:44 am Reply with quote
Dave Marshall wrote:
first you need to know about subject of your novel. i start to write my own one recently.


Yup character, concept, art and story are the most important things for it.
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ryosha



Joined: 14 Sep 2017
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:11 am Reply with quote
Hi guys. you can call me Ryosha. I'm a beginner author and currently trying to write a LN even though I never took any special class or course in writing one. It would be great if you guys can have a visit to my page worldofryosha.wordpress.com and leave me some comments on my LN. Its a fantasy romance between a human girl and noble demon. i'm not a japanese and i'm not an english-native so your supports is much appreciate to improve myself. Very Happy [/url]
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VicsLab



Joined: 18 Sep 2014
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 9:05 am Reply with quote
dragoon119 wrote:
I have actually never seen a light novel written by an English-speaking author get published, so I would really like to see this happen. In any case, standard procedure for publishing applies: send off the manuscript to as many publishing houses as possible until one of them caves in and accepts. It’s really no more and no less than that. You have to put yourself out there.


This was a good article with some good advice. Fortunately, a year after this article came out in 2013, a publishing company was formed to focus on original English light novels. I founded Vic's Lab, LLC (https://www.vicslab.com/), which was the first U.S. company to do this. Here's an article about the company published here on the Anime News Network:
animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2017-07-03/vic-lab-announces-giveaway-and-new-upcoming-light-novels/.118378
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Dragon#897446



Joined: 21 Jun 2019
Posts: 2
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Fri Jun 21, 2019 10:25 am Reply with quote
I just wanted to say thank you for your post, I found it easy to understand , and informative.
I intend to make full use of the information you have provided me.
Respectfully
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kellyon



Joined: 09 Jan 2018
Posts: 34
Location: LA
PostPosted: Thu Apr 30, 2020 2:39 am Reply with quote
Read light novels and do what they do and don’t do what they don’t do. When Diana Gabaldon began writing her first novel, she thought “I’ve been reading novels my whole life, surely I’ll recognize it if I write one.”
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vanfanel



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 1239
PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2024 5:26 am Reply with quote
Shiratori-san wrote:
By the way, pardon my ignorance, what does MS stands for?


Sorry to reply ten years later... MS is short for manuscript.
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