I have finished half of my novel, and there are tons of things that have been brought to my attention. Some have been mere advice, and some are things that I now swear by.
Please Note: While these tips may be very helpful, you need to realize that when writing a novel, everyone writes at a different pace and in a different way. Twist these around for yourself when needed.
Plus, these tips will work during any step of the writing process.
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Step One: You need an idea.
Simple enough, yet the task of thinking one up can be complex and irritating. What idea is going to work? I have tossed around hundreds of ideas, most of them seeming stupid and childish. They just didn't seem like they would be a good novel. And yet, those can be the best. Don't make my mistake and be sure to play around with ALL of the ideas you get before you decide they aren't good enough. Plus, write all of your ideas now. Yes, ALL of them. You can never have too many. They will most likely come in handy.
So, how do you get an idea? Well, inspiration can spark during the most random of times and places. Maybe you are just at a coffee shop or school, or maybe you are swimming at the beach. You never know. You could easily get an idea from a dream. Tons of authors do. Music is inspirational, as well as just daydreaming.
Step Two: MAKE SURE TO OUTLINE!!!!!
At first, I never outlined. And I ended up in a mixed up story that was going no where.
Outlining can be done in a few ways. Some people make a brief outline, while some make very detailed ones so that they know what is going to happen at all times.
Brief outlining can be helpful when you want a basic map of what will happen, and you want room to adjust your ideas without moving around everything. Detailed outlining can be helpful if you have a lot going on, but it is hard to add to the story at times, as well as to move scenes and plot points around.
When you have a lot going on, use notecards as you make an outline. Take each major point and write each one on a seperate card. Then you can move them around to see what might work. Write down other important things that might not be a main event and make them on a different colored card. That way, you have the main ideas seperate from the not so main ideas.
For example, say you are writing a mystery novel. If it is one of those about someone getting murdered and you have to find out who, use one colored notecard for the main events, and another for suspects. Add colors as you get more detailed, like one for clues and etc.
This technique can be used for any genre, and I have found that it is very helpful.
Step Three: Write the ending
It may (or may not) seem crazy. When you write the ending (as well as your entire story), you want it to be suspenseful and clever. One way authors do this is by planting important parts of the ending into the rest of the book, not making them too noticable. Plus, you know how each character is going to end up, so you can use that to lead the rest of your events along.
For an example, I will use the same story I mentioned in step two. There is one person who was the murderer. When you write the ending, lets say you find out who commited the murder. That person may be smart and cunning enough to escape detection for that long. Write how they were able to do that for easy-to-write clues.
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Tips
1.Write every day to make sure that you keep all ideas in your head. If your cell has a notepad in it, use that to keep track of ideas while you're on the go.
2.Jump around. Write the middle, and then part of a chapter a few dozen pages later.
3.Don't worry about length for now. You can worry about that later. Don't focus on trying to meet the 80,000 words right now. Focus on getting it written. There is a ton of time for that later.
4. There is no such thing as too much inspiration. I've heard of people thinking too much inspiration will mess up the ideas they have in their head, and I used to think that too. Write down all the inspiration you get, and you may or may not use it. If you don't, then it's there if you decide to write another novel later on, or if you don't get far in the novel you're writing.
5. Keep a notebook, and use it every day. Do freewrites, write poetry, write down each and every thought you have that involves your novel. It will come in handy. Taking a lot of notes will help you. Some writers fill up five, even ten notebooks.
6. This is probably the most important tip, in my opinion. If your story isn't going anywhere, don't give up completely. Put it aside instead of throwing it away or deleting it from your computer. Keep everything. Work on something else. Then, if you look through your old work later, you may get a new spark or idea, or even just motivation to write some more.
7. If you are unsure of what to do next, just take a break. This is sort of like what was mentioned in tip #6, except don't write/work on any novel at all for a while. Focus on short stories and poetry. Getting away from working on a novel brings a fresh perspective when you are ready to get back to work.
8. Just write. dont focus on editing 4 now Leave that for when you are finished. Of course, you shouldn't type like you're texting on purpose, because you'll have to waste time later going through and changing everything later when you could be focusing on more important things.
9. While advice and criticism should be welcomed, it shouldn't be while you are in the middle of writing a chapter. It can mix up your ideas and the thoughts in your head. Even being told to fix something gets rid of the vision in your head.
10. Be wary of posting your work online anywhere if you plan to publish it. Many publishers concider doing this a form of publication, and may not publish your work. Feel free to post short stories and poems, and if you are not planing on publishing, post your chapters. Also, another thing to be aware of is that if it available for everyone to see, someone may take your story and call it their own. This is not being parinoid, it is protecting your work.
11. Take your time. If you finish one of your first novels in a few months, it will probably not be very good. If you have written lots of novels, you might be able to write one that is brilliant in a short amount of time, and that's ok. In fact, I envy you if you are able to do that, and you probably don't need this column, but that would be my opinion. (:
12. Look back on what you have accomplished so far, and be proud that you have come that far.
13. If you find yourself struggling, a part of it may be writers block. Here is a link to another column I wrote that may help:
http://storywrite.com/column/show/886
14. Type out everything, and print it out every once in a while. Make sure it is double spaced, 12-14 font, courier or times new roman. If you plan to submit your manuscript, it has to be typed, and it sucks if you have to type EVERYTHING out later.
The bottom line is that writing a novel takes time, near constant inspiration, a good notebook and pen (as well as a computer), motivation, and relaxation once in a while. You also need a passion, as writing a novel isn't as easy as it may seem. Many start a novel, but only those dedicated to writing will finish.
Good luck.
ElizabethAnn
Novels are a challenge to write, but once you do, it is very rewarding. But how exactly do you finish it, and what other things should you concider?
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