by nissa_amas_katoj

Created on: December 13, 2008   Last Updated: December 31, 2008

Beginning to write a novel begins with a seed idea. This idea can be of a character, a situation, a setting, or even just a compelling image. The seed idea will be attractive enough that you keep coming back to it, adding details to it in your mind. After you have thought the idea through for a bit, you will want to write down this idea in a notebook.

Once you have the seed idea, the hard work begins. You will have to decide what genre your novel is going to be in. You may feel that your novel has mystery, romance, fantasy and many other elements, and this is true. But you have to pick one genre as the genre in which your novel will be published. If necessary, flip a coin!

Motivation is hard to maintain in writing a novel because the end is so far away, compared to writing a short story. It's easier to believe in yourself for the three days it might take you to write a short story than for the months it will take you to finish a novel.

To finish a novel, your writing must not be a hobby but a habit. It must be something you do every day. It's best if you do it the same time every day. I write best first thing in the morning, yet I am often distracted by other things that I may have to do at that time. I'm trying to work in a second writing session in the evening as part of my writing habit, so that morning distractions won't derail my efforts. But each writer is an individual. Look at what works best for you.

At some point in writing a novel you will look at your work and say 'This stinks!' Maybe at every point. You will be tempted to give up and try some other writing idea. The problem is that you will feel this way at some point about even your best writing work. I have a bunch of novel beginnings somewhere in my closet- all novels I began with high hopes, and gave up as hopelessly bad. Reading them over I see they were not bad at all, but sadly they are now too much a part of my past for me to finish them.

Give yourself permission to write a bad novel as long as you finish it. You can learn more about writing by finishing a bad novel than by writing a dozen novel beginnings and not completing them. Keep that in mind whenever you are tempted to give up.

Break your novel down into doable segments. If you have written a lot of short stories, think of each chapter as a short story. If you've written a lot of Helium articles, think of the sections of your story as a series of Helium articles. This will keep you from being overwhelmed by the project.

Find motivational strategies that work for you. Some writers keep a running track of their word count, perhaps posting updates on their blog. For other writers- and this is my problem- the more important thing is to keep working every day. Perhaps you might put a sticker on your calendar for each day you have written on your novel? (I'm off to buy some stickers as soon as I finish this article.)

Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint. But you can do it. I can do it. Little by little, day by day, the novel will take shape, and someday the day will come when you can write those wonderful words:

THE END.

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