by Simon Wright

Created on: May 22, 2009

You'll be familiar with the old adage that every story should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Well, the same is also true for the process of writing a novel. The beginning is taken up with formulating your thoughts on the theme, plot and characters. The middle is the actual process of putting pen to paper. And the end is the process of editing your completed script and getting feedback so that you will hopefully then feel confident enough to seek a buyer for your novel.

In the beginning:

A mistake that some amateur writers make is to jump straight into the writing stage. It's an obvious temptation. You have maybe had that initial spark of inspiration and you want to strike whilst the iron is hot. However, most novels that begin in this fashion end prematurely, as the writer's inspiration dries up and they find that they don't know where the story is going.

Most successful novels are preceded, therefore, by a period of planning. The writer works through what themes and topics they want to explore in their proposed novel. They think also about the storyline. Of course, the plot doesn't need to be set in stone right from the outset and often the writer will have further sparks of inspiration that result in a deviation from the original plan. However, having a rough outline of how you expect the story to develop usually helps greatly when you actually get around to writing the first draft of your novel. It can also pay off to devote a little time to fleshing out your characters. Having a clear idea about their backgrounds and motivations will help ensure that they come across as authentic and that you are consistent in your representation of them.

Writing the first draft:

Probably the biggest danger that a writer faces, when setting out on the quest of writing a novel, is the possibility that the words will dry up. Whether you call this writer's block or just disillusionment with the novel, it can kill a novel and result in it being binned or filled away; left to get dusty on some shelf. It's vital, therefore, that you find the determination and self discipline to keep writing, even if or when it begins to feel more like a chore than a labour of love. The chances are that if you can stick with it through the bad days, you will come out on the other side reinvigorated and the novel will become a joy again.

How, though, can we increase our chances of persevering with our novel? Well, probably the most important bit of advice that I can impart is to make

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