How many years have you talked about writing a novel We all postpone it, blaming our busy schedules and making various excuses.
Here are some simple tips to get that novel started.
1. Read
Read as many other books as you can get your hands on. Reading other novels is like studying, you are learning how to create a narrative, invent interesting characters, and discovering what draws you in as a reader.
You will also begin form ideas for your own book, reading other works will inspire your own creativity.
2. Write
Sounds blatantly obvious, however sometimes it’s harder than it sounds. Writing is like building up muscle, you have to exercise and it’ll get stronger. Sitting down to write is a commitment, make sure you try and schedule an hour in the day to write. You’d be amazed at how the creative juices begin to flow once you start writing.
Hunter S Thompson used to begin his writing sessions by typing the first few pages of ‘The Great Gatsby’ by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald.
3. Write About What You Know
You have your own distinct voice, views, and experience, so make sure you harness that to the best of your ability. Draw from people you’ve met while traveling, characters in your past, and childhood memories. Writing about what you’ve already gone through makes it more authentic to readers.
4. Draw The Reader In
Your opening sentence has to draw the reader in, it has to make them want to read on. One of the most difficult things is writing an opening line that also perfectly encapsulates the entire story. Eg.
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)
“All children, except one, grow up.”
J.M. Barrie: Peter Pan (1911)
If you grab the readers attention from the very first sentence, you’ve successfully hooked them in.
5. Stay Motivated
You will inevitably suffer from unproductive days or writer’s block, keep persevering. Even if you can only write one page, that is good. If you’re having creative difficulties, sign up for a creative writing class, they’ll give you a new perspective and loads of ideas. And remember every writer gets rejected, James Joyce’s ‘A Portrait of the Artist’ was rejected by publishers at first, stay positive and keep going.
