How to Start Writing a Fiction Novel
Where and how you want to write is important. Would you rather write at home or a coffee shop? Write in a notebook or a computer?
By Elaine Ewertz
So you’ve decided you want to write a book. It’s something you’ve always dreamed of doing but maybe you’ve doubted yourself or just haven’t had the time. The good news is, you can write a book. That doesn’t mean it will be easy; it just means it is possible if you decide to make the time and commit to it. It helps if you actually like to write. If you don’t, you probably won’t get very far. Sorry for the tough love but it’s true!
If you’re saying, “Yes! I want to write a book; it’s been my dream forever and I don’t care how much work is involved,” then you’re ready.
It is a lot of work but it’s a joyful process and is incredibly rewarding. When you get into that state of flow—losing track of time because you’re immersed in your story and the characters—eventually your stomach is growling and you realize you’ve been sitting at your computer for hours. Do this long and consistently enough and before you know it, you’ll be holding your very own novel in your hands. If this sounds good to you, read on.
Before I give you the steps to get started, think about what you are going to use to write—meaning, your laptop, pen and paper, ancient scroll and fountain pen. . .If you are using a computer, I recommend the program Scrivener. You can opt for a free 30-day trial to decide if you like it before you buy. When I wrote my first two books, I used Microsoft Word and I do not recommend that. There’s nothing wrong with Word, but it’s not made for novel writing. If I wanted to go back and make a change or find something, it was a lot of scrolling. Scrivener is amazing because it is made precisely for novel writing. Your chapters are organized and accessed easily from a side menu; you can make notes for each chapter. It will save you a lot of time and keep you organized.
Here are 3 steps to start writing a novel. This does not go into the entire process from start to finish. There is much more to think about—whether you will self-publish or query agents to go the traditional route, marketing, building a following on social media, just to name a few—but the purpose of this article is just to get you started. After all, you can’t publish or sell a book that doesn’t exist. Keep in mind, this is assuming you want to write a fiction novel. The process is different for other kinds of books.
So here we go. . .
1. Have an idea.
Your idea for your novel should be something that excites you or something you are curious about.
Any kind of idea will do, whether it’s a message you want to get out into the world, an idea for an interesting character, or a scene that’s been dancing around in your head. Often, a novel starts with a tiny seed. Mine started with a scene I imagined late at night when I couldn’t sleep: a woman is in bed and she hears a knock at the door. She looks through the peephole and sees a scary face looking back at her.
That’s it.
That’s where it started and now I have a four-book series on Amazon. (Yes, that is shameless self-promotion, but I also want to inspire you and show that it’s possible) This is very important: Choose an idea that you will want to write about every single day. Make sure it is something that excites you, something you feel passionate about, or something you are curious about (you can geek out and do research for your novel and learn something new). Bonus points if you can find something that satisfies all three.
Write down your idea. Ask:
· Who?
· What?
· Where?
· When?
· Why?
What comes to mind? Are you picturing a character, a setting, an event taking place? Is it taking place in the present or in the past or future? What is the emotion behind the scene? How does your character feel about what is happening? What does your character want? Why does your character want this?
Start there and just write. Get words on the paper (or screen). It doesn’t matter how silly it sounds or if none of it makes sense right now. Keep going and it will come together. The magical thing I’ve found about writing is that the story takes on a life of its own.
2. Outline (or not)
Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Whether or not you create an outline for your story depends on your personality. Did you often get off track with writing papers for school? Do you feel like you need to be better organized in general? If so, outlining might be super helpful for you. However, it can be helpful for anyone, especially if this is your first book. You can always change the outline as needed, but having one will help to keep you on track.
There are two common terms in the writing community: pantser and plotter. A pantser is a writer who writes by the seat of their pants while a plotter is one who creates an outline and plots out their story.
When I started writing my first novel, I didn’t really outline and I found myself lost: the book kept going on forever! It was a mess. At the very least, figure out the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Keep in mind the basic story you are trying to tell. It shouldn’t be too complicated. If you’ve made an outline but still find yourself lost in the process, sometimes the best thing is to simplify the story. Remove a subplot. Keep it simple. If you’re confused, your reader will be confused as well.
Basically, the only way to know if outlining is right for you is to try it. See if it helps. If you find you write better without one, then let go and have fun!
3. Set Aside Time
Schedule your writing time like you would anything else. Make it a priority.
Set aside time each day to write, even if it’s just 30 minutes. If you have kids, it can be hard to find any time for yourself so some writers set their alarms to get up earlier. If you’re a morning person, get up a little earlier to write. If you feel more alert at night, set aside some time after dinner, after the kids go bed, whenever you can make it work. It’s OK if you can’t make time every day. The important thing is you try and prioritize it as much as you can.
Tip: If you sit down and your mind is blank or you just don’t feel like writing that day, set a timer and tell yourself you will write until the timer goes off. Set it for 10, 20, or 30 minutes. Often, you’ll find that you’ll want to keep writing.
Now you’re ready!
You’ve got your laptop or your notebook and you’re ready to go. You have an idea; it may be the tiniest seed of an idea but it’s something and you can work with that. Trust the process. Once you get going, the story will start to take shape and the characters will guide you. I know that sounds odd, but it’s true. When I write, I just sit down at my laptop and stay open and allow whatever needs to happen to happen. Trusting yourself and the process takes practice, so go easy on yourself. Starting is the hardest part. Staring at that blank screen can feel terrifying and fill you with self-doubt. So just push through it and write something. Then you’ll have something to work with and build upon. Finding the time may be challenging, but you will find it if you really want to write this novel. You’ve chosen something that fascinates you, something you are passionate about, something you are curious about, so you won’t be able to stop thinking about it until you can sit down and write again.
Bonus tip: A change in scenery can help you to feel more inspired. Go take a walk and get some fresh air. Take your laptop to your back porch and write. Go to a park. If you need a break, take a break. Giving your brain a rest from time to time is good and will allow new ideas to flow in.
Believe in yourself. You’ve got this. If you weren’t meant to write a novel, you wouldn’t have such a strong desire for it. You have a unique voice and point of view. Share it with the world.
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