Time to Start that Novel

We all know there is one book idea that haunts our dreams. No better time than the present to start writing it.

“The secret to getting ahead, is getting started.”

Mark Twain

This quote stood out profoundly.

How much further along would I be if I just swallowed my fear and started that manuscript earlier?

Or what if I started building the author platform the moment I started planning it over a year ago?

I could’ve been so much further along if I moved out of my way and BELIEVED in my ability to create.

The time has passed already and there is no need to fret over it. Because NOW I am starting and I don’t plan to slow down.

I don’t want you to fret over the lost time but rather provide some guidance, encouragement and overall tips on how to get started with that novel.

Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

Making that thought into reality. Keep a notebook and pen handy for when creativity strikes.

The most utilized thing in my purse is my notebook and gel pen. Sure it looks simple and not much. But to me, it’s where my worlds come to life.

I collected this piece of advice from one my favorite podcasts, Write Now. The fabulous host, Sarah, suggested carrying a notebook with you at all times. At first thought, I was like hmm — seems a little excessive. However with the passing of each day, I cannot leave the house without my handy, dandy notebook. (Raise your hand if you’re a fellow Blue’s Clues fan!)

Anyways, creativity usually strikes me during the most mundane tasks of the day. When I am sitting at my desk answering emails at my day job, BOOM! An ingenious idea that will take my book from a zero to hero. If I didn’t have my notebook nearby, I would totally forget my stroke of genius.

Seriously it takes all of a minute to write down that simple idea and continue back to work. Sometimes, if time permitting, I will elaborate but usually a simple bullet point will jog my memory enough when I reference back to it.

Don’t you hate it when you finally sit down to write and your muse seems to be MIA?

Having your idea notebook handy as a quick guide for that writing session is the best thing since slice bread.

Any activity or thought can trigger an idea or plot twist. A song on the radio, a story from one of your favorite podcasts or my favorite is when my boss shares a funny joke that fits perfectly with my current project.

Next time you’re at the store buy a notebook (it can be as simple or fancy as you want), accompany it with your favorite pen and carry it everywhere with you. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

Create an outline.

Great you have a notebook full of ideas but now what? Time to create an effective outline.

Serious question, are you a panster or a planner?

Allow me to explain…a panster is someone who writes a book “flying off the seed of their pants.” Hence the name PANTSer, get it? Or are you a planner? You create a detailed outline that pretty much tells the story before even starting it.

Moment of truth, I only recently started outlining my novels. My first novel, was uh…interesting. When I finally hit that murky middle, I was completely lost and gave up on my story all together. Eventually I was re-inspired and started working on my novel once again. Before starting into a full on writing sprint, I bullet pointed the last half of my story and was able to finish it this past October.

With my current novel, I chose to outline it. Now I am no expert but here are some suggestion to help build an effective outline:

Character Profiles — get to know the characters in detail before starting on the adventure. This includes names, background, personality traits, physical features, fears, hobbies, favorite things in life, pretty much anything and everything. Getting to know characters in detail will help with development along with the growth of their inner self during the story. Feeling stuck? I suggest checking out Pinterest and/or Instagram to see if an image sparks an idea.

Theme — this is the why behind the story. What is the underlying message? This creates a deeper meaning for the novel and helps the reader feel apart of something bigger. As a writer, I’m taking the reader on a journey but I want to leave an everlasting impression once they finish reading my book.

PLOT CREATION: Problem, Climax, Solution — this is where the actual sequencing of the story is outlined. Also this will help develop the proper pacing for the novel. The story shouldn’t be too fast paced because the reader may get lost or confused. But going too slow, the reader may get bored and stop reading all together. That’s why I suggest building 1 or 2 strong plot builders to maintain pacing. The problem is what characters are facing in the story, the climax is the “adventure” they embark on to resolve the issue. The solution is the lesson learned or the final outcome of the problem. Need further clarification? Check out this blog post by Jerry Jenkins. He does a fantastic job of further explaining the plot without making it too complicated.

With an outline, I think you can be as detailed or vague as you prefer. My prefer method is bullet points — I jot down the general idea and will put in the details as I write.

Next, start writing.

Well now comes the fun part (in my opinion) the writing of the story. You have a notebook full of creative ideas and thoughts. A detailed outline on where to start, now it’s time to open that document and start typing.

In my experience the first couple of pages are painful to get onto paper. Once I feel the heartbeat and the rhythm of the story, it starts to flow more naturally. So do NOT become discouraged if you feel stuck after the first couple of paragraphs. Keep referencing back to the outline and let the story come from the heart.

Geez, I sound like some life coach or something.

All joking aside, there are different programs to write your story.

Admittedly I only use Microsoft Word. Call me old school but I prefer to go with something that feels comfortable and familiar to me. I’d like to branch out on different programs but haven’t taken the time to do so.

Briefly searching the web, I found an informative blog post from ReedsyBlog listing different softwares best for novel writing. Give it a read!

Just make sure to pick something that best suites you.

Additional tips to set you up for success.

The biggest advice that I can give to novice novelists is to write first, edit second.

It took me six months to write 8K words on my first novel because I was editing while I wrote my first draft. I’d write a paragraph, reread it, edit, revise and edit more. Which in theory, makes sense because you will save time in the long run by editing your manuscript as you write, correct? Wrong.

I would become discouraged and start second myself as a writer. Once I stopped editing and just focused on getting the words on the page, my writing process completely changed. Once again I found the love of storytelling and was eager to write.

Just a reminder that everyone’s first draft is garbage. That’s what editing and revising is for, it polishes the story. So I strongly encourage you just to write first, edit secondly once that first draft is complete.

Here are some additional tips that have helped me achieve success with writing a novel:

• Set a daily word goal and break it up throughout the day. This will depend on your goals, deadlines and over all productivity. My goal varies but I usually aim for 1,500 to 2,000 words a day. Some authors can sit down and type their word count in one sitting. That’s not me, so I break up my writing throughout the day. During my 15 minute breaks at work, I can usually type 300 words and I average around 600 words during my 45 minute lunch break. Leaving me approximately 500 words to finish at the end of the day. This is manageable. If word counts seem daunting, make a time goal and write for a certain amount of minutes. My sweet spot is usually 30 minutes but 15 minutes is still something compared to nothing.
• I am torn between the advice of writing everyday. It’s good because it holds you accountable. To be honest you won’t always be motivated to write so having the daily goal of writing develops a habit. But than again, on certain days I cannot force the words so I take a break and come back stronger, inspired and even more focused.
• Lastly, have fun and connect with other writers. The writing community on Twitter is very welcoming and encouraging. In fact, follow me on Twitter! I am pretty raw and real with my writing journey. Plus it’s reassuring to know that you are never alone on this creating endeavor and that every writer shares similar struggles.

Just write the words. Your heart knows what it wants to say and it will lead the story. Trust your ability and open that document.

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash

Just like Mark Twain said, “the secret to getting ahead, is getting started.” Think how much further along you would be on your manuscript if you started sooner. Like right now.

I am here to give you permission (but mostly encouragement) to begin that novel.

Because only you can tell that story.

Do you have any other writing tips?

What was your favorite suggestion from this article?

Are you finally going to take the leap and write that novel!?

Let’s chat in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!

Cordially,

The Novice Novelist