by Bruno Somerset

Created on: December 17, 2008

Studies show that almost everyone has thought about writing a novel at some point in their lives, and ultimately we do all have a story inside us that only we can tell. But very few of these ambitions ever turn into a completed novel, let alone a published one. Here are a few guidelines that will help you get beyond thinking about writing your first novel and enable you to finally finish it.

1. Write what you read. If you read nothing but mysteries, it is unlikely that you would be inclined to write a romance or a western, and less likely that you would ever finish it. The genre you choose must interest you, because you will spend a great deal of time writing it. What you most like to read is a good indication of what you would most want to write, and what you would be best at, since you are familiar with the form and style of that particular genre.

2. Have a comfortable place to write, and set a time to write every day. These two aspects go hand in hand, because if you don't have a place to write that is organized and away free of distractions, you won't keep the appointment with yourself to write daily. For some people, the library or a coffeehouse work best, while others prefer a quiet room in the house. Wherever it is, make that the place you always go. As for the time of day, each person is different. Some write best in the morning, while others wouldn't dream of starting before 10 p.m.; this is often dictated by the demands of work and family. Whatever time works best for you, make an appointment with yourself to write at that same time every day. Consistency is crucial to completing a work the size and scope of a novel.

3. Start with and outline, a timeline, and character sketches. An outline is simply a tool to help you keep your story on track, and having a timeline before you start will save hours of correcting inconsistencies during the revision process. Write a character sketch with a full biography for every major character and for as many minor ones as possible. You need to know far more about your characters and their lives than you will ever tell your readers. For them to be three-dimensional, you need to understand everything you can about your characters.

4. Approach the project like you'd eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Sitting down with the idea of writing a 75,000 word, 300-page book is a daunting task even for an experienced novelist; it can be overwhelming for a novice. Look at it in terms of words per day or pages per day. The average

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