by Scott Beggs

Created on: January 20, 2007   Last Updated: May 14, 2007

Article after article exist on the simple ways to get published after finishing a novel. These tips, of course, only serve to frustrate the population of us who haven't actually gotten to that stage yet. The cursor blinks impatiently on a half-empty (or half-full) page, the main character stands around looking at her watch waiting for the next thing to happen, and we're on the couch watching the latest episode of Scrubs and thinking about how great it would be to finish that book we were working on.

Many don't even reach page one, so if you have, congratulations. Novel writing is one of those tasks in life that everyone sees to plan to do or have a great idea for or just need to find the time for. The vast majority of people who say they plan on writing a novel will never even sit down to their desktop to put pen to paper. So, if you've taken the first step by writing a page or two, then this guide should help get you the rest of the way through.

1. Read

A lot. Reading inspires writers to get their ideas down on paper. It also shows that, despite appearance, finishing a book is possible. It can spark new ideas, make you question your concept or storyline, but most of all, it offers continual practice for spotting good and bad writing.

2. Write

At this point, the guide seems fairly simplistic, but I promise it will get more detailed. However, the most important parts of writing are the simplest. Reading is fundamental, but it's not enough to finish your book. After all, there is a huge audience of readers out there who will never be writers. You can be that exception to the rule if you sit down and practice the craft. You don't have to work on your book you can jot down short stories, random thoughts, complete gibberish but you have to practice creating. Just like a marathon runner, training is paramount to a writer. After all, who could run fifty miles at once without ever having even run one?

3. Make Time and Set Goals

An hour or two a day should do it. Once you're Hemmingway you can devote an entire day to writing, but for just starting out, keep it simple. Take the weekends off to get you away from your writing if you must. Most people with a passion for writing never work hard enough at it to realize that it's a chore at times. So work for a set time every day for five days a week.

Goals work like magic for the writer. Standing in front of the abyss of a two-hundred page story is daunting, but writing a chapter is much easier. Plus, the best part about goals is

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>