Writing a novel is challenging at the best of times. There are some techniques that will make this process a little easier. Not all techniques work for all people, so it's important to experiment with these and other techniques to find what works for you.
Some popular techniques are:
- Daydream. Imagine that you are truly in the place and time of your novel, and put yourself inside the scene you're creating. Pretend that you are the people in your novel. How would you react?
- Walk around with a journal, and use it frequently. When you hear an interesting bit of conversation, visit a stunning location, or otherwise see anything that you might want to eventually include in your novel. Real life can be a powerful inspiration for creative fiction.
- If applicable, draw maps and sketches to represent please and places in your novel. If you're not much of an artist, use the written word to describe what you want your readers to see. Make detailed character backgrounds, and keep them in a binder. That way, you can refer to them frequently while writing.
- If at all possible, read books or watch movies relating to the places and people you're writing about. If your story takes place in Paris, watch movies that take place in Paris. If you're writing a fantasy and having to create your own world, watch some fantasy movies to get a feel for fantastical worlds.
- Act it out. This may sound a little silly, and make you look a little eccentric, but it works. Take your daydreaming to the next level, get up, and truly participate in your scenes, at least as much as you can. You maybe don't want your neighbour seeing you prance around the living room shouting out lines, but for discovering what works and what doesn't, sometimes acting is the way to go.
Use whatever gets you writing. There is no such thing as a technique that is too amateur, or just for poets, or science fiction writers, or whatever. If a technique helps you write, then it's the right technique for you.
Writing a really good novel takes work. It can be a difficult and frustrating process, and it’s easy to get stuck at a particular point. It is important to keep the creative juices flowing. Though there are many ways in which to re-energize yourself and get that novel finished, I find five tips to be of particular use.
Make Writing a Habit
I am most wide awake in the morning, so I try to write as much as possible before lunch. And I do this every day, so it’s become a habit for me. If you want to write and finish a novel, you have to sit down and write, and you have to make a habit of it. Consistency is the key to success in many endeavors, including creative writing.
Pick the time of day when you are at your best; it doesn’t have to be the morning. Try to be as energized as possible, so eat something, and maybe go for a walk. The fresh air may help to kick start your creativity. Then sit down and write, hopefully for an hour or more. However, if you can only manage fifteen minutes, then don’t feel too bad about it. Fifteen minutes is better than nothing.
Play Some Appropriate Music
Music is a wonderful way to stir my own creativity, and it’s the same for many writers. Try choosing music appropriate to whatever it is that you’re writing. If you’re trying to compose a medieval novel, perhaps some folk or bardic music might suffice. Use upbeat music for those scenes that have a little more action. Choose music that you enjoy, and your writing will benefit from it.
If there are lyrics in the music you play, make sure you’re not listening to your favorite. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be tempted to sing along instead of writing. If you must listen to music with lyrics, use something that you can tune out, if necessary.
Take Advantage of Plot-Storming
Plot-storming is exactly like brainstorming, except that you’re focusing on the plot of your novel. If you’re unsure about where your plot’s going, what your characters should be doing, or how to formulate your story, take a break from writing, and try plot-storming. Take a paper and pen, sit down where you can be alone and quiet for a time, and get to work.
When I plot-storm, I use bubbles. I write down key thing I’d like to see happen in my novel, draw little bubbles around them, and then try to figure out how to connect these things. When I’ve done that, I collect my notes and write myself a decent plot summary. It’s okay for this plot to change over time, but having a general idea of where my story is going makes the writing of it just that much easier.
Switch off the Television While Writing
In my experience, having the television on while trying to write is not only a distraction, but it actually stifles creativity. Most of the shows on TV these days don’t do much to promote creative thinking, so you’re better off without the distraction.
If you really feel you must use television as background noise, at least choose a high quality show or movie that actually stands a chance of enhancing your creativity rather than shutting it down completely.
Reading to Write Creatively
Read. This final tip is as simple as that. Read everything you can get your hands on, no matter the genre. Read fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, letters, or anything else you come across. You will be amazed at the inspiration that can be found in the written words of others. Besides, it gives you something to do while facing writer’s block.
Writing a novel can be a long and arduous path, and getting started is not always easy. But, with a little perseverance and patience, and armed with the basics of writing a novel, you can finish your own great work of fiction.
It seems everyone wants to be a writer these days. From children to teenagers to adults, many people have this dream of someday writing and publishing a great work. Being a professional writer is not an easy path, and getting started can be more difficult still. Every writer, including myself, started with a dream of becoming a professional, but not all achieve this dream.
Why Do You Want to be a Writer?
This is by far the most important question when it comes to deciding to pursue a career in professional writing. If the answer is money, glory, or fame, then you’re better off finding another vocation. The money for the majority of writers isn’t stellar, at least from my point of view. Certainly, unless you’re a bestselling author, the money isn’t any more than what most careers would pay.
As for glory … the majority of writers will never achieve any kind of fame or glory. Becoming a household name is a dream that all writers and authors have, but few will ever actually attain. For many, writing is a thankless job. Accolades are few and far between.
Why would anyone want to be a writer? For the joy, of course. For the pure love of writing. To really do well when it comes to professional writing, you have to have a passion for it. I do. I love to write, I feel compelled to write. This compulsion drives me to write every day, whether it’s a chapter in a novel, an article that I’m paid for, or simple an entry in my journal. I have to write even if I’m encountering writer’s block.
If you love to write, if you need to write as much as you need to breathe fresh air, then perhaps writing is the career for you.
What Do You Want to Write?
Many aspiring writers would like to publish a novel. This is a wonderful goal, especially if you have a passion for fiction writing. However, for those who wish to write as a full-time job, focusing exclusively on fiction writing may not be the best way to make a living.
If you really want to make money, and use your writing skills at the same time, then consider freelance writing. You can get started on the Internet. There are many sites out there that will pay you to write, either through upfront payments for your articles, or residual earnings. Here are my two favourites:
- HubPages (pays through revenue sharing)
- Constant Content (paid per purchased article)
There are others, such as Demand Studios, Associated Content, and WiseGeek. For most of them, you write short articles, and get paid through whatever method that site offers. There is a considerable amount of money to be made, assuming you write well, and you diversify when it comes to subject matter. Don’t limit yourself to only one site, but give them all a try and see which ones you like.
There is also money to be made in ghostwriting, short stories, editorials, e-books, and non-fiction books. Explore all these possibilities. This is not to say that you shouldn’t also write a novel. It simply means that if you want to eventually have a full-time income from your writing, you may have to get a little more creative.
To have a career as a professional writer, you have to write. This may sound like I’m telling you that you have to breathe to live, but it’s a point that bears mentioning. There are many people who would love to make money from writing, but they simply do not ever get started. Find ways to motivate yourself, have faith that you are a writer in your heart, and never give up.
If you truly want to be a professional writer, then you will find a way. I did. You can too.
We all learned the rules in school. Write in complete sentences. Don’t end a sentence with a preposition. These are the two most common rules that I’m asked about, usually by aspiring writers who have the voices of English teachers or professors still ringing in their ears.
When you’re writing fiction, and especially when you’re writing an entire novel, you want it to be believable. Let’s face it, very few people speak according to the rules of grammar. It would be difficult to create a truly enrapturing story if you insisted on being grammatically correct.
Using Complete Sentences When Novel Writing
Most high school students are taught not to use sentence fragments. I was taught not to use sentence fragments. And true, when writing a professional-sounding non-fiction work, it is a good idea to avoid sentence fragments, for the most part. But we’re not talking about non-fiction. We’re talking about the creativity inherent in writing a novel.
Novels are an expression of thoughts and feelings, both of the author and of the characters he or she creates. And these characters should at least strive to reflect reality to some extent, even in the most fantastical stories. In reality, very few people speak in full and complete sentences all of the time. And most people, myself included, think in sentence fragments.
This is not to say that you should go nuts and write a novel entirely composed of sentence fragments, for a novel written in such a way would cause most readers to choose another book. But if a sentence fragment sounds right, and it fits into the story you are weaving, then most novelists will tell you to go ahead and use it.
Can I End a Sentence in a Preposition When Writing a Novel?
If we were in a classroom, I would have to tell you that you must never end a sentence in a preposition (except, of course, for the exceptions to that rule). Creative writing tends to follow different rules than conventional writing. When people speak and think, they often end sentences in prepositions, especially the word ‘with.’ If a character thinks and speaks in a way that means you have to end sentences with prepositions, even if it’s totally unacceptable grammatically, then I’d tell you to go with it.
Most of the rules of grammar apply as strictly to creative writing as they do to other forms of writing. However, a novel should draw the reader in, and keep him or her captive until the end of the story. This can sometimes be best accomplished by employing a style of writing that may not be grammatically correct. It may not be easy for those just getting started to dismiss the strict rules of grammar, but it’s not called creative writing for nothing.
