7 Essential Steps You Need To Take for Writing Your First Novel

By: Trevor Johnson

Many people dream of writing their own book. But it remains a dream – maybe a few kind-of started pages gathering virtual dust on a computer somewhere and eventually consigned to the digital dustbin when an upgrade arrives.

So what can you do to make your dream of writing a novel come true? Here are some tips to help you.

1. Make an outline

You need a road map to follow if you are to stand any chance at all of writing your masterpiece. Start with the chapter headings and then a brief outline of what will happen in each chapter.

2. Flesh out your outline

Once you’ve got the direction of your novel worked out, it’s time to put a bit more detail together. Notice that I didn’t say start writing “for real” yet. Just add some meat to the chapter heading bones. Aim for around a dozen things that will happen in each chapter.

3. Define your main characters

What do they look like? How old are they? Are they male, female, animal or alien? Write a summary of each character – this will likely end up scattered across your book as each part of their character becomes relevant. But as the author, you need to know these details from day one.

4. Define your main locations

It doesn’t matter whether these exist in the real world or not. But these should be defined in the same way you’ve defined the major players. This crib sheet will help keep your mind on track when you’re actually writing your new novel.

5. Start writing

By now, your head should already have a very good idea of the novel you’re about to write. Set aside time each and every day to work on your novel. This can be short, ten to fifteen minute, bursts or it can be an hour or more with your hands almost tied to the keyboard. The important part is to do this every day, to help convince your unconscious mind that you’re serious. Don’t interrupt yourself with editing at this stage. That uses a different part of your brain and will kill your creativity.

6. Edit and polish your work

If possible, read your book out loud. This will raise the places where you literally stumble over your words and will bring out the parts of your book that don’t quite make sense. It’s actually quite a fun process once you get used to it!

7. Publish

Nowadays you don’t need a publisher unless you want one. You can publish your own work on sites like Amazon and indulge in your own publicity with a few press releases. The sky’s the limit – go for it!

About the Author

To learn how to write a novel in a month just click here.

(ArticlesBase SC #2497700)

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