Writing a novel can seem intimidating, even impossible. If you’re writing at a decent pace, you can probably bang out 500 words in one hour, but full length novels can be 70,000 words, with some genres like fantasy being 100,000 words or more! It’s certainly a lot of work, but it’s worth doing. Writing your own novel is an immensely rewarding process by which you can deepen your love for books and stories, and it gives a great sense of accomplishment. Plus, you can learn a lot about yourself along the way! If you’ve ever wanted to write a novel, here are thirteen tips on how to do it.
Tip number one: start simple, just an idea
Every book has to start somewhere. Instead of stressing about all of the work that you have to do, just start with an idea for a scene, a character, an ending or a beginning. Develop the story from there, bit by bit. Consider what you want to say, and also, what you would want to read, and you’ve already started something!
Tip number two: spend eight years of your life unsuccessfully pursuing a bachelors in engineering
This is important, because it helps you realize you should be writing a novel instead!
Tip number three: plotting vs. pantsing
Some writers, the plotters, like to plan out everything that happens in their story in advance, creating outlines for chapters and sometimes even entire scenes. Other writers discover the story as they write; they are commonly called pantsers because they write “by the seat of their pants.” Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, (most people are somewhere in between) what matters is that you’re getting the story down onto the page. Remember, there is no correct way to write a story!
Tip number four: figure out who your characters are
It helps to make a list for each character: what they want, what they need, what they’re afraid of, what they’re hiding from everyone else, how they will change along the story, a little backstory, and any quirks they might have. Once you’ve done this, you can put your characters in situations, and a story will start to present itself to you!
Tip number five: have a late night conversation with your friend about your book idea
This is important because in this conversation you’ll realize that your idea doesn’t actually make sense, which will be really embarrassing. The next morning, you’ll realize that the idea actually does make sense, you just didn’t explain it properly, and you’ll be very frustrated. This is a vital part of the creative process!
Tip number six: talk to yourself in the shower
Pretend you’re a famous author on a talk show talking about the themes of your novel. This is important because it will help you figure out your novel’s themes!
Tip number seven: get fixated on a song and listen to it obsessively
Imagine that it’s the song of a trailer for a movie adaptation of your book, and play the movie trailer over and over again in your mind while you procrastinate on other things. This is important because it helps you solve narrative issues with your book! I don’t know why it helps. It just does.
Tip number eight: think about a painful and confusing experience from high school (why did she do that why did she do that why did she do that) that you’ve been ignoring instead of moving on from, because how are you even supposed to move on from that?
Incorporating this into your book is important, as it will give you an emotional investment in your work, which you’re going to need because you’ll be writing this thing for months or even years! 😀
Tip number nine: consistency is key
Even if you’re only writing 100 words a week, consistency is everything, because with each passing week, it will get easier. Before you know it, you’ll have written 50,000 words! Don’t wait to be inspired, don’t wait until you want to write. Getting yourself used to writing even when you don’t feel like it is the best way to make progress regardless of how long the book is.
Tip number ten: reflect on how the film Twilight (2008) is massively misunderstood and is actually a cinematic masterpiece
This won’t really help you with your book. It’s just important to reflect on this every once in a while.
Tip number eleven: don’t tell people that you’re writing a novel unless you have to, and if you have to bring it up, act kind of shy about it
This is important because it makes you a good person!
Tip number twelve: go to your local park and stare at the ducks and water birds
The animals will tell you things. You just have to be able to see the patterns.
Tip number thirteen: stop being so mean to yourself >:(
I can hear the way you talk about yourself, and I don’t like it. Stop it.
And there you have it, that’s how you write a novel! It’s a long process, but don’t let that discourage you. Slow and steady wins the race. You have to write poorly before you can write well, so writing isn’t about instantly creating good work, it’s about having fun! Just sit down and start writing something, and always remember: most writing advice is completely pointless, the idea of “good writing” is a myth, and being a writer basically makes you a god.