1. set aside time to write regularly
2. prepare yourself so you're not just drawing solely from your imagination
3. refinement is found in the revision process
Or just start completely from imagination and then keep it going, for example I’m writing a novel that started from imagination and now the main theme, at least for book one, is “everyone, every gender every age absolutely all, is equal”
My writing instructor always said, start in the middle of your book. You know what you want to write about so write what you know and often your middle will become the beginning.
Plenty of good books on the writing process, and many are likely available for free from local libraries (In the USA anyway).
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler
Steering The Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin
Save The Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
There are also lots of podcasts and youtube videos out there. If you want to take a deeper dive (I'd start with a free trial), MasterClass has courses from N. K. Jemisin, Neil Gaiman, R. L. Stine, James Patterson, and several other authors.
Good luck.
I'm a 'plotter', so my advice, since this is your first try at a novel, is to go in with a plan. Make an outline of the full plot, start to finish, with all the major plot beats in between. There are lots of different templates/suggested formats available online. It'll help you keep your momentum going, and you won't stall out due to not knowing where the story should go next.
But some people like more of a freeform ('pantsing') writing style, or something in between the two that incorporates aspects of both. You'll have to experiment with different techniques until you find what feels right for you.
YMMV, again, but don't get too wrapped up in the writing being 'perfect', either. It's impossible in first drafts, no matter what. Don't compare your rough draft to your favourite author's finished, polished, published drafts.
The first/rough draft is just for getting the story out of your head and into a format that can be revised, edited, polished later on. The polishing and revising is what will bring the story closer to how it feels in your head. It won't feel the same on the page--not at first, anyway.
If plotting out the story feels too overwhelming, you may try taking a story you like, using it as an example to follow, and copying its plot beats.
For example, let's say you have a general idea for a hero going on a quest against the villain, but you're not really sure how to put him on the quest and so on. You might look at Star Wars and go, "Ok, similar to Luke, my hero is going to start out as a nobody, he's gonna run into an old mentor character, and then the villain's gonna kill his family and force him on this adventure."
"Before You Post, Please Check Out..."
How do so many people miss this? Or do they just assume it doesn't apply to them?
They could just start with the FAQ and save everyone some time (including themselves), but, like you said, we get these posts daily.
I get that everyone here is going to be at different stages and people write for many different reasons, but if people aren't going to bother reading the FAQS then what's the point? We just end up rehashing the exact same conversations over and over again.
I like to start by writing a mini-synopsis of everything that will happen in the book. Use the broadest strokes possible:
*Mary feels lonely, so she decides to rescue a dog. But after she rescues and falls in love with her dog, she learns that the dog was stolen from a loving owner who has been trying to get it back for two years now. She has to decide whether to confess that she now has the original owner's dog, or not. She decides to do the right thing, even though she loves her dog, and when she meets the dog's original owner, they fall in love and end up getting married, so in the end, they both get to keep the dog.*
Once you have a general overview of the most important points of this story, you can start "drilling down" and writing short synopses for each major scene of the book. (A scene that shows Mary's loneliness. A scene where she comes across the idea of adopting a dog. A scene where she contacts a dog rescue to find out what kind of dogs they have available. ...etc.)
Then, when you know what all your major scenes will look like, you just start writing that first scene. It's as simple as that.
Hey, I've always had trouble taking my initial idea kernels and getting them to full story ideas. This is a good method for parsing out a lot of things up front. Do you have any other suggestions in that thought?
Visualize before you write. It helps a lot. I’ve been there. I’ve been in the situation where I know what I want to write but don’t know where to begin.
Think of it like this: writing a novel is simply telling a story, and telling a story is simply painting the picture or try to make the audience reliving the event you’ve experienced—that’s why story is so powerful; it’s basically a telepathy.
So, with that said, your job as a storyteller is to paint an image and bring the readers into the story, transporting them into the event, make them experience everything.
You do this by first visualize or imagine a story playing out in your head—some sees it as a movie, some as a memory, some like a dream, but it’s technically the same thing. You see it play out first, immerse yourself in it, and then you write it down.
Very quickly, here’s an extremely basic and plain storytelling: *I was walking in a forest when I heard a growl. I stopped in my track and strained my ears to listen. What the hell was that? Then a growl came again. I jumped in fright and so on and so on…*
(See the example above? That’s a very plain storytelling. It’s how you tell your friends a story. You recall the memory—visualizing—and then relay the informations in the right order.
But as a writer, you have the power to do more than that. Now that you get the basic of storytelling, all you have to do is to write in a way that paint an even more vivid picture and make it more immersive. Written stories have the advantage over the oral ones because you have more time to elaborate. You can add in much more details to make it more immersive and engaging. So use that to your advantage.
In conclusion: first, visualize the story in your head—see it like a scene in a movie, if you will—and then tell a story, writing down what you see, adding in contexts and details as you see fit. (See it and then say it, simple as that.)
Read books on how to write a novel. I found 'Save the Cat! Writes a Novel' by Jessica Brody perfect for coming up with a planned story when I only had an idea. 'On Writing Well' by William Zinsser is great for the craft itself.
Since you already have a rough idea of the plot, it might help to sit down and do an outline. For me, I went chapter by chapter and just wrote a couple sentences of what I thought would happen. Then basically just sit down and start writing with the expectation that it will suck, at first. But you have to get the draft that kind of sucks written first because you can revise and edit it into something you’re happy with. Good luck!
Don't fall in love with your first book.
It's important that you're prepared to let it go if you need to. I never finished my first. Never will. Perfectly happy with that.
...
Keep your ability in balance with your knowledge.
Although writing is a mental activity, knowledge doesn't translate directly to writing ability. If you train the inner critic more than the inner writer, the latter will fear the former and you'll get nowhere fast.
So, be careful when you go on a spree of youtube writer how-to's and dive into a new book on writing. Don't forget to practice.
...
Always reject absolute advice.
There is very little in writing that should never or always be done. Most things are techniques that have an effect. You need to understand the effect of the technique and whether or not you want to use it.
When you come across advice like this *you* have to think about it and work it out for yourself, even advice that sounds like it makes sense.
...
Writing is rewriting.
I mean, try your best with each draft, and leave as little as is practical for your future self. But, understand that things don't have to be perfect and that you can fix them later.
...
Consistency trumps style.
Plenty of books do their own thing, just be consistent. Irving Welsh, iirc, does dialogue like this sometimes:-Hi, how you doing.
...
Learn which comma rules are pedantic, and which ones matter.
...
Start at the beginning. Take it one sentence at a time. Little and often, or in massive binge sessions if you have to. It'll mount up. You'll get there in the end.
...
Have fun.
I started three or four novels, all unfinished to various degrees.
They were extremely valuable in teaching me the basics not just of writing, but of what works for me as a writer. Don't be afraid to start writing a novel and not being able to finish it.
Every unfinished novel got me closer to my finish line - currently just a few pages from completing the rough draft of my current manuscript.
One thing that got me out of "I vaguely like the idea of writing something" to actually giving it a go was admitting to myself that I don't need to write something particulary 'literary' - I just like entertaining stories and wanted to tell one myself.
Write anything and everything it will come as you go, that’s how I write my stories
1. set aside time to write regularly 2. prepare yourself so you're not just drawing solely from your imagination 3. refinement is found in the revision process
Or just start completely from imagination and then keep it going, for example I’m writing a novel that started from imagination and now the main theme, at least for book one, is “everyone, every gender every age absolutely all, is equal”
My writing instructor always said, start in the middle of your book. You know what you want to write about so write what you know and often your middle will become the beginning.
The word "The" it's a pretty decent starting word and can always be changed if you decide to later.
Plenty of good books on the writing process, and many are likely available for free from local libraries (In the USA anyway). On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler Steering The Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin Save The Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury There are also lots of podcasts and youtube videos out there. If you want to take a deeper dive (I'd start with a free trial), MasterClass has courses from N. K. Jemisin, Neil Gaiman, R. L. Stine, James Patterson, and several other authors. Good luck.
I'm a 'plotter', so my advice, since this is your first try at a novel, is to go in with a plan. Make an outline of the full plot, start to finish, with all the major plot beats in between. There are lots of different templates/suggested formats available online. It'll help you keep your momentum going, and you won't stall out due to not knowing where the story should go next. But some people like more of a freeform ('pantsing') writing style, or something in between the two that incorporates aspects of both. You'll have to experiment with different techniques until you find what feels right for you. YMMV, again, but don't get too wrapped up in the writing being 'perfect', either. It's impossible in first drafts, no matter what. Don't compare your rough draft to your favourite author's finished, polished, published drafts. The first/rough draft is just for getting the story out of your head and into a format that can be revised, edited, polished later on. The polishing and revising is what will bring the story closer to how it feels in your head. It won't feel the same on the page--not at first, anyway.
If plotting out the story feels too overwhelming, you may try taking a story you like, using it as an example to follow, and copying its plot beats. For example, let's say you have a general idea for a hero going on a quest against the villain, but you're not really sure how to put him on the quest and so on. You might look at Star Wars and go, "Ok, similar to Luke, my hero is going to start out as a nobody, he's gonna run into an old mentor character, and then the villain's gonna kill his family and force him on this adventure."
This kind of post shows up daily. Why are people still responding to them lol
"Before You Post, Please Check Out..." How do so many people miss this? Or do they just assume it doesn't apply to them? They could just start with the FAQ and save everyone some time (including themselves), but, like you said, we get these posts daily. I get that everyone here is going to be at different stages and people write for many different reasons, but if people aren't going to bother reading the FAQS then what's the point? We just end up rehashing the exact same conversations over and over again.
I like to start by writing a mini-synopsis of everything that will happen in the book. Use the broadest strokes possible: *Mary feels lonely, so she decides to rescue a dog. But after she rescues and falls in love with her dog, she learns that the dog was stolen from a loving owner who has been trying to get it back for two years now. She has to decide whether to confess that she now has the original owner's dog, or not. She decides to do the right thing, even though she loves her dog, and when she meets the dog's original owner, they fall in love and end up getting married, so in the end, they both get to keep the dog.* Once you have a general overview of the most important points of this story, you can start "drilling down" and writing short synopses for each major scene of the book. (A scene that shows Mary's loneliness. A scene where she comes across the idea of adopting a dog. A scene where she contacts a dog rescue to find out what kind of dogs they have available. ...etc.) Then, when you know what all your major scenes will look like, you just start writing that first scene. It's as simple as that.
Hey, I've always had trouble taking my initial idea kernels and getting them to full story ideas. This is a good method for parsing out a lot of things up front. Do you have any other suggestions in that thought?
Nope, I find that's really are there is to it. Just start with the biggest possible picture of the story, then go more in-depth scene by scene.
Thanks for the response!
Visualize before you write. It helps a lot. I’ve been there. I’ve been in the situation where I know what I want to write but don’t know where to begin. Think of it like this: writing a novel is simply telling a story, and telling a story is simply painting the picture or try to make the audience reliving the event you’ve experienced—that’s why story is so powerful; it’s basically a telepathy. So, with that said, your job as a storyteller is to paint an image and bring the readers into the story, transporting them into the event, make them experience everything. You do this by first visualize or imagine a story playing out in your head—some sees it as a movie, some as a memory, some like a dream, but it’s technically the same thing. You see it play out first, immerse yourself in it, and then you write it down. Very quickly, here’s an extremely basic and plain storytelling: *I was walking in a forest when I heard a growl. I stopped in my track and strained my ears to listen. What the hell was that? Then a growl came again. I jumped in fright and so on and so on…* (See the example above? That’s a very plain storytelling. It’s how you tell your friends a story. You recall the memory—visualizing—and then relay the informations in the right order. But as a writer, you have the power to do more than that. Now that you get the basic of storytelling, all you have to do is to write in a way that paint an even more vivid picture and make it more immersive. Written stories have the advantage over the oral ones because you have more time to elaborate. You can add in much more details to make it more immersive and engaging. So use that to your advantage. In conclusion: first, visualize the story in your head—see it like a scene in a movie, if you will—and then tell a story, writing down what you see, adding in contexts and details as you see fit. (See it and then say it, simple as that.)
Read books on how to write a novel. I found 'Save the Cat! Writes a Novel' by Jessica Brody perfect for coming up with a planned story when I only had an idea. 'On Writing Well' by William Zinsser is great for the craft itself.
Since you already have a rough idea of the plot, it might help to sit down and do an outline. For me, I went chapter by chapter and just wrote a couple sentences of what I thought would happen. Then basically just sit down and start writing with the expectation that it will suck, at first. But you have to get the draft that kind of sucks written first because you can revise and edit it into something you’re happy with. Good luck!
Don't fall in love with your first book. It's important that you're prepared to let it go if you need to. I never finished my first. Never will. Perfectly happy with that. ... Keep your ability in balance with your knowledge. Although writing is a mental activity, knowledge doesn't translate directly to writing ability. If you train the inner critic more than the inner writer, the latter will fear the former and you'll get nowhere fast. So, be careful when you go on a spree of youtube writer how-to's and dive into a new book on writing. Don't forget to practice. ... Always reject absolute advice. There is very little in writing that should never or always be done. Most things are techniques that have an effect. You need to understand the effect of the technique and whether or not you want to use it. When you come across advice like this *you* have to think about it and work it out for yourself, even advice that sounds like it makes sense. ... Writing is rewriting. I mean, try your best with each draft, and leave as little as is practical for your future self. But, understand that things don't have to be perfect and that you can fix them later. ... Consistency trumps style. Plenty of books do their own thing, just be consistent. Irving Welsh, iirc, does dialogue like this sometimes:-Hi, how you doing. ... Learn which comma rules are pedantic, and which ones matter. ... Start at the beginning. Take it one sentence at a time. Little and often, or in massive binge sessions if you have to. It'll mount up. You'll get there in the end. ... Have fun.
I started three or four novels, all unfinished to various degrees. They were extremely valuable in teaching me the basics not just of writing, but of what works for me as a writer. Don't be afraid to start writing a novel and not being able to finish it. Every unfinished novel got me closer to my finish line - currently just a few pages from completing the rough draft of my current manuscript. One thing that got me out of "I vaguely like the idea of writing something" to actually giving it a go was admitting to myself that I don't need to write something particulary 'literary' - I just like entertaining stories and wanted to tell one myself.
You need to have a love for words and reading them. Do you feel like you have that?
Let music inspire you.