Want to write a novel? Don’t be a dilettante.
How many times have you started (but not finished) a novel? How many times have you had a great idea that never made it on to the page?
It’s not enough to say, “I’m going to write a novel.” You have to actually sit down and write it. But how, exactly, does one do that? How do you get past dilettantism, to action? How do you go from desire to commitment? The secret is investment.
Did you know that you’re more likely to commit to a new habit if you have made an initial investment, even a small one? When you make an investment, it signals to your brain that this endeavor is something you’re serious about. Most of us have a natural desire to want a return on our investment of time, effort, and money.
Gretchen Rubin, author of Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits, writes on her blog:
…for many people, paying for something makes them more likely to do it. If they pay for a work-out with a trainer, they’re more likely to go, rather than spend the money on nothing. For some (though not all) Obligers, having to pay is a form of external accountability. For them, therefore, late fees, penalties, paying for a class, hiring professionals, etc. can be very important for sticking to a good habit.
That’s one reason a writing class can finally give you the motivation you need to really commit to your novel.
Enrolling in a novel writing class requires you to take action. It requires you to make a social promise, therefore creating external accountability. And yes, it requires you to spend a little money. That combination — action, accountability, and monetary investment — all add up to one thing: commitment.
Of course, a writing class offers more than that. It will also help you gain expertise. It will give you a framework, a foundation. How can you choose the right point of view for your novel if you don’t understand the nuances of omniscient and limited third person? How can you structure a novel to create suspense if you don’t know the difference between plot and structure? How can you make the most of your theme when you don’t have a handle on the objective correlative? How can you create complex characters if you’re not fully aware of the various methods of character revelation?
So yes, a writing class will help you be a better writer. It will provide you with the tools of the trade. It will introduce you to the language of narrative craft.
Beyond that, it will provide community, feedback and moral support. It will push you to get the words on the page, and the words you get on the page will likely be better than if you were trying to do it alone. It will help you understand what’s working in your novel and what isn’t. It will help you get past what Patricia Highsmith calls “the snags,” those moments in your novel when something isn’t adding up, when the plot begins to fall apart, when the idea with which you started doesn’t seem so sound.
The snags are when the dilettante gives up. And they’re when the real writer keeps on pushing through and gets to something deeper, something better, something more profound.
Oh, and yes, something finished.
So here’s my pitch: if you really want to write a novel, don’t spin your wheels. Don’t start but not finish. Don’t put it off any longer. Don’t be a dilettante. Get real and get writing. Oh, and yeah, take this class.
Michelle Richmond is the New York Times bestselling author of four novels, including most recently Golden State, and two award-winning story collections. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Believer, Salon, The The Oxford American, Playboy, and elsewhere. She helps writers tell their stories through Bay Area Book Doctor. She is also the founder and publisher of Fiction Attic Press.
