Write Your Novel Intuitively
When I helped a fellow writer with her novel recently, it made me realise that I want to help and support more writers. My first thought was to share the way that I wrote my first novel.
I wrote it intuitively.
In a nutshell, I began with a what-if situation and let it develop on its own.
This isn’t a new approach. It’s more commonly known as flying by the seat of your pants, or being a “pantser”.
What makes a writer a pantser? Generally, you don’t outline the entire novel before you begin writing.
Let me get one thing straight: I’m an advocate for whatever works.
However, after writing my story organically, I was in a state of wonderment over the way the storyline unfolded on its own. It was an enriching experience, and added an extra dimension to my internal writing culture. I could never have imagined devising a plot embedded with such intricacy.
You don’t need heightened psychic tendencies to use this approach. It’s about listening to your inner voice and being guided by it.
Here’s an example. I was in the middle of writing a scene and there was a line that I was stuck on. It didn’t make sense for the line to be included, but a voice, a feeling if you will, told me to leave it there. I marked it in red and I kept…
