14 Things You Must Do When Writing Your First Novel

So you’ve decided to write a book. Congratulations! You’re about to embark on an incredible journey that will take you to places you never dreamed were possible, both literally and figuratively. 

Now that you’ve got the passion for writing a novel, it’s time to make some good habits and start planning your strategy for success. Here’s a list of 36 things I wish I’d known before starting my first novel:

Takeaways
1. Outline your plot to provide a clear roadmap.
2. Develop well-rounded characters with depth.
3. Establish a writing routine for consistency.
4. Craft a captivating opening to hook readers.
5. Create a detailed setting to immerse readers.
6. Show, don’t tell, to engage readers’ senses.
7. Build tension and conflict to drive the plot.
8. Develop realistic dialogue that reflects characters.
9. Edit and revise for clarity and polish.
10. Seek feedback to gain valuable perspectives.
11. Read widely to expand your storytelling skills.
12. Stay patient and persistent throughout the process.
13. Embrace rejection as part of the journey.
14. Celebrate your milestones and accomplishments.

Realize That You May Be In It For The Long Haul

You might be in it for the long haul, so you might as well make sure that you have everything covered. This includes:

Patience. This is one of the most important qualities a writer needs to have. You may not be able to write your novel in a matter of months or even years it might take several decades! Keep that in mind when starting on your project.

Persistence. As with patience, persistence is also very important when writing anything especially if it involves the art or creative fields like writing or music (or both). Once again, don’t expect your first novel attempt to turn out perfect; instead, keep trying until you get it right!

Discipline and commitment are two more things that every good writer needs when starting on their first book project (and even after!). 

You can’t just sit down at the keyboard and expect amazing things to flow out automatically; you need these two qualities as much as anything else mentioned here so far!

Enhancing your writing skills is a continuous journey. Explore our guide on 12 Secrets to Becoming a Better Writer to uncover valuable insights and techniques that can propel your writing to new heights.

You Will Not Fall In Love With Every Word

Your first draft is not going to be perfect. And, if you’re like most writers, you may find that it is harder to love everything you write than you think. If that happens — and it will — don’t worry about it! It’s normal.

You’re a human being and humans make mistakes (even when writing). But that doesn’t mean that your work can’t be good or even great! 

You just need to keep working until your book is as good as it can be by putting in the time, effort, and patience required for any creative project worth a damn.

You Are Allowed To Write Garbage

As a first-time novelist, you will find yourself writing things that are probably not going to make it into the final draft of your novel (if there is one). 

This is normal and necessary, and it’s important not to beat yourself up over it; every writer has written something they thought was great only to find out later that it wasn’t so great after all. It happens! 

The most important thing is knowing that these early chapters aren’t forever; they’re just a means of getting your story started. 

Once those first few chapters are done, you’ll have learned an invaluable lesson about writing and storytelling in general one which will inform all of your future writing endeavors: You’ve got this!

Starting your novel-writing journey? Embrace the lessons from our article on Learnings About Novel Writing From My First Attempt, where we share firsthand experiences and tips that could save you time and frustration.

Take A Writing Class

Find a class that suits your needs. If you’re looking for a general overview of the entire process of writing, including finding inspiration and building characters, try an online course like this one from The New School. 

If you have specific questions about grammar or style, look into a local college course like “Writing Fiction: Plotting & Structure” at Brandeis University or “Crafting Fiction” at the University of Pennsylvania. 

If you want to focus specifically on dialogue and characterization, check out Stanford’s “Writing Fiction” class with Professor Richard Powers (author). 

The best place to begin is by researching different classes offered in your area and if there isn’t anything that fits what you’re looking for exactly, try checking out online classes that offer similar services as well!

Once you’ve found an appropriate class or online tutorial (or even if yours wasn’t quite right), take some time to think through why it might be helpful before signing up these things can be expensive!

Figure Out How You Want To Tell Your Story

Have you ever seen the movie It’s a Wonderful Life? In this classic Christmas film, George Bailey is tormented by the power of his imagination. 

“I’ve made a big mistake!” he cries out at one point, as he envisions how his life could have been different if he hadn’t been born in Bedford Falls.

George Bailey’s story haunted me for years after I first saw it as a child. It wasn’t until recently that I realized why: 

I want to create my alternate realities through writing fiction a way of telling stories that allow me to mess with time and change things around so they can be better than before. 

But how do you figure out what story you want to tell when there are so many possibilities? And how do you know whether the right medium will help tell those stories?

Let’s start by figuring out what kinds of storytelling there are:

Feeling uncertain about your novel idea? Dive into our advice on How to Write a Novel Even Though You Have No Idea and discover strategies to transform your initial spark into a full-fledged narrative.

Read YA Books And Be Aware Of Trends In Your Genre

While reading YA books is a good idea for any writer, it’s especially important for those just starting. You can learn a lot about the genre and how to write in it by reading other authors’ work.

Additionally, if you’ve written a non-YA novel before and want to branch out into the world of young adult fiction, then this is an easy way to see what’s popular in that genre. This will help you understand what might resonate with readers and give you ideas for your writing.

Know How The Industry Works

When you’re writing your first novel, it’s important to know who you are and what you are doing. 

This means knowing your rights, what traditional publishing is and why self-publishing is a good idea for some people, who literary agents are, and how to find one (or more).

What book publishers do and where they can be found, how to book distributors work and why they matter, as well as whom to contact at a printing press if you want physical copies of your work printed up.

Productivity is key in novel writing. Unearth effective writing habits in our post about Writing Habits That Make Me Produce More Novels to boost your output and stay motivated throughout your creative journey.

Be Confident Enough To Ask For Help

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Well, I have news for you: that’s a load of crap.

Sure, it helps to have connections and friends in high places when trying to get your book published or marketed but those things only come from having confidence enough to ask for help. 

You need to be able to look at people who are good at what they do and ask them how they got there. 

The same goes for people who are worse than you: if they managed to publish their books or novels, then maybe there are some things about how they did it that could be replicated in your writing process!

You should also consider seeking out feedback from other writers whose work inspires yours (and vice versa). 

There may come a time in which another writer will offer some insight on something within your manuscript that perhaps hadn’t been considered before or even just encourage by saying that yes indeedy-doodly-doozie this story is going places kid!

Make Time To Write And permit Yourself To Write Badly

It’s important to permit yourself to write badly.

You should make time to write and not worry about the quality of your writing. The first draft doesn’t need to be perfect. 

It’s just important that you get your story down so you can begin the revision process later, which is when you’ll start polishing up your writing craft and making sure it’s as good as possible.

Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, and punctuation in this early stage. That stuff will come later during editing (and a lot more). For now, just focus on getting all of your ideas written down before they escape from your head!

Start With A Character Who’s Been Left Out Of The Narrative Before And Make That Character The Protagonist

If you’re writing a novel for the first time, start with a character who’s been left out of the narrative before and make that character the protagonist.

The reason for this is simple: if you’re telling your story for the first time, it’s best to avoid making anyone else in it too perfect. This will help them feel more relatable and believable to readers. 

You don’t want someone who can do everything perfectly; if they can do everything perfectly, then why would they need your story? Instead, try making them struggle at something (whether they succeed or fail). 

It will show that they are not invincible and therefore allow readers to relate more easily to them than if their abilities were flawless. If you can have multiple characters struggle in different ways even better!

Find Beta Readers You Trust, Who Are Not Afraid To Tear Your Work Apart

Beta readers are the people who read your first draft and give you feedback. They’re not friends, family, teachers, or editors (unless they are). No matter how much you love them or trust their opinion, they should be able to tell you when something is wrong with your manuscript. 

This doesn’t mean they have to rip it apart but they should at least tell you what they don’t like about it.

Criticism from beta readers can be an invaluable tool for improving your novel before sending it off to agents and publishers. But if there is any part of their criticism that makes no sense at all… well… maybe backup up a bit and try again!

Finding the balance between writing and editing is crucial. Explore our insights on Stop Writing Your Novel Longer Than It Takes to Read One to streamline your writing process and avoid getting stuck in perpetual revisions.

You Can Write A Book!

So, you can write a book! This is your first step to becoming an author. You might be thinking: “I have no idea how to write a book.” 

Or maybe you have been writing for years but have never thought of yourself as an author because there is so much competition in today’s market with self-publishing and eBooks.

But the truth is this:

You are an author if you want to be one. Even if it’s just for fun or for your enjoyment, it doesn’t matter because YOU ARE WRITING A BOOK!

Conclusion

I hope these tips helped you feel a little more confident about your first novel. If you’ve got this far and still feel like it’s not for you, that’s completely fine! Writing is hard and scary, but writing your first book can be even harder when you think about how much work goes into it. 

But don’t let anyone tell you that it’s too late you should never stop writing because of age or experience level. If anything, I hope that reading through my journey has inspired some of those thoughts in your mind: maybe reading YA books will help get those words flowing again. 

Or maybe taking a class at Barnes & Noble would be perfect timing before diving back into the world of fiction?

Further Reading

Explore these additional resources to enhance your novel writing journey:

Now Novel – How to Write a First Novel Guide Short Description: Get expert guidance on crafting your debut novel with actionable tips and insights from experienced authors.

SelfPublishing.com – How to Write a Novel Short Description: Delve into a comprehensive guide to novel writing, covering essential techniques and strategies for aspiring authors.

Indeed Career Advice – Novel Writing Tips Short Description: Discover valuable advice on novel writing to help you refine your skills and navigate the creative process effectively.

FAQs

What are some key tips for starting my first novel?

Starting your first novel can be daunting. Begin by outlining your plot, developing strong characters, and setting a writing routine that suits your lifestyle.

How can I overcome writer’s block during the novel writing process?

Writer’s block is common. Take breaks, try freewriting, or switch to a different scene to overcome creative roadblocks and keep your ideas flowing.

What’s the importance of creating a compelling setting in my novel?

Creating a vivid setting enhances reader immersion. Describe the environment using sensory details to make your story world come alive.

How can I maintain consistency in my novel’s tone and style?

Consistency is key. Before you start writing, establish the tone and style you want for your novel, and refer back to it as you write to maintain a cohesive narrative.

What’s the best way to approach editing and revising my completed novel?

Editing is crucial for polishing your work. Take a break after finishing the first draft, then review your manuscript for plot inconsistencies, grammar errors, and pacing issues.