I’m going to level with you: writing a novel is hard. It takes time, effort and perseverance. Most of all, it takes an understanding that you’ll have to put the work in before anything will come out of your fingertips.
But just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible, so let’s be clear: it does not take a degree in English Literature or Creative Writing to write a novel.
In fact, there are many people who write books without ever having taken one class on the subject! What it does take is practice and lots of it but luckily there are plenty of ways for you to hone your craft without having much formal training under your belt (yet).
You don’t need me telling you how important reading is when it comes to being an author; however what many aspiring writers don’t realize is that writing short stories can be just as beneficial as reading them was when they were younger (or even still today).
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Accessible for All: Writing a novel doesn’t require pre-existing expertise; it’s about dedication and passion. |
| 2. Overcoming Doubt: Challenges and self-doubt are normal, but they shouldn’t hinder you from pursuing your writing aspirations. |
| 3. Learning through Writing: Writing itself is a valuable learning process that can help you improve and grow as a novelist. |
| 4. Creative Freedom: Don’t let the misconception of needing specific knowledge limit your creativity or deter you from telling your story. |
| 5. Continuous Improvement: Embrace the journey of becoming a novelist, focusing on progress and development rather than perfection. |
Don’t Force It
You don’t have to analyze every single piece of your story. You also don’t have to know how it all fits together before you start writing. All you need to do is write!
And this is where I believe most people go wrong when trying to write a novel: they force the details first, then try and make everything fit into place after that.
But if you start with an initial spark and follow its path, then whatever happens will feel natural it won’t feel forced at all!
Embarking on the journey of becoming a novelist doesn’t require prior expertise; it’s about dedication and passion. Check out the Top 10 Tips for the Aspiring Novel Writer to gather insights that can guide your path in the world of storytelling.
Don’t Wait
The biggest mistake that most people make is waiting for the perfect time to start. Don’t wait for the best moment, don’t wait for any other situation, and certainly don’t wait because you don’t know how to write a novel.
You can start writing your novel right now. Even if it is just an outline or a few sentences on paper that is still something! You will always be able to improve on what you have already written. So why not take advantage of this?
Don’t let anything get in your way of creating something new and exciting!
Know yourself & your creative process
When you know yourself and your creative process, it’s much easier to see what type of writer you are. Are you the kind of writer who needs to write in silence? Or do you prefer to write with music on in the background?
Do you need time to organize your thoughts before settling down to write, or can you start writing as soon as your feet hit the floor in the morning?
Do some research about other writers’ processes, both successful ones and those who have achieved less.
What are their strengths and weaknesses? How long does it take them to finish a story? What motivates them as writers (for example: money or fame)? When are they most creative early morning or late at night, weekday mornings or weekends only?
Starting a novel can be daunting for newcomers, but fear not! Our comprehensive guide, How to Start Writing a Novel: A Guide for Newbies, provides step-by-step instructions and inspiration to help you take those initial writing steps.
Understand That Writing Is A Skill
Writing is a skill that can be learned. It’s not magic! You don’t need to have some innate talent, or be born with the ability to write. Writing is something you can practice and improve upon over time. If you like writing, then do it as often as possible.
There are no shortcuts here if you want to be any good at this craft, then it’s going to require hard work on your part.
And why should you bother? Because once you know how to write novels (or short stories or non-fiction books), that knowledge will open up many doors for yourself!
You will have access to more opportunities than somebody who doesn’t know how this stuff works because let me tell ya: there’s money in writing!
If done correctly (and published) then a novel could potentially earn its author millions of dollars over their lifetime not bad considering all they did was put their thoughts on paper using words they learned from reading other books by other authors!
Understand That You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know… Yet
You don’t need to know how to write a novel before you start writing one. In fact, the best way for you to learn what it takes to be a successful novelist is by doing just that: writing novels!
You may find yourself wondering who will read your novel if no one knows how difficult writing one really is. Well, there are people out there who have written books and had them published without knowing how difficult it is (or was).
There are also writers out there who have been paid by publishers and readers based on their work as an author.
You can be as good or bad as any of these writers; no matter what happens, your goal should always remain the same: write something good enough that someone wants to read it.
Your first draft might not turn out well at all this doesn’t mean that you can’t go back later on with edits in mind and fix everything up into something more readable!
Even if your first draft does turn out badly though… don’t worry about it too much because chances are there will still be some people interested in reading your work if they’re interested enough in getting through all those pages!
Writing a novel is an attainable goal for anyone with a passion for storytelling. Discover a wealth of practical advice in our article, 17 Tips for Anyone Wanting to Write a Novel, designed to empower and guide your creative journey.
Always Be Recruiting Your Writing Crew
Find your tribe: In order to finish anything, you need to surround yourself with other people who are doing the same thing and can support you. That doesn’t mean that everyone has to have the same goals as you.
Some people might be trying to get published but never will, or they may not want to be traditionally published at all. But if their goal is writing and if they view their work as art then they should be part of your writing crew.
If a writer feels like she has no one around her who understands what she’s going through, then even just one person could make all the difference in keeping her motivated and on track.
Find people who will support you: People can offer support in many different ways, including being there for encouragement when things aren’t going well; helping out with editing or proofreading; giving advice about marketing or publishing options;
Recommending good resources (like this article); offering feedback on drafts; and more! Having someone who believes in what you do can make all the difference between finishing something and letting it die before its time has come.
Find people who are like you: The best way I found my own tribe was by joining an online group called The Thousands Club a group whose members were all aspiring writers with similar goals as me (getting published).
We used Google Hangouts weekly during our meetings where we gave each other feedback on our writing projects while discussing strategies for success all while having fun!
Have Multiple Sources Of Feedback
You need to have multiple sources of feedback.
This doesn’t mean you need to ask your entire family, but you should be getting feedback from people who know what they’re talking about. This could include friends and family, writing groups and beta readers, editors, agents (the list goes on).
You can also get feedback on your work by looking at it as a reader would: Do the scenes feel organic? Is there enough conflict? You could even hire an editor or proofreader if you feel like your manuscript needs it (which it probably will).
Take A Deep Breath And Trust The Process
If you’re feeling a little shaky, take a deep breath and trust the process. Your book is going to be great, even if it’s not finished yet.
Your story has been with you for many years, so no matter what happens on this journey (good or bad), it’s worth celebrating that the ideas were there all along.
If your first book doesn’t sell well or get published at all, don’t worry about it. As long as you wrote something that made sense to yourself and felt good when writing it down that alone is success! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
The only thing that matters is how much joy and fulfillment your work has brought into your life over time not how commercially successful it ultimately becomes or whether other people love it just as much as they love their favorite books by other authors.
If you’ve ever wondered how to transition from a day job to becoming a novelist, you’re not alone. Explore the personal journey and insights shared in How I Ditched My Day Job and Got Off My Butt to Write a Novel, offering a motivating perspective on pursuing your writing dreams.
It’s Not A Contest
You see, writing is a process. It’s a skill. It’s a craft. And it can be your job, career, or calling if that’s what you want out of your life.
In fact, I would argue that if you don’t have some kind of desire to write (or create) something a story, or poem.
Or even just an idea you should reconsider whether being an author is right for you at this point in your life because it will be difficult to succeed as one without passion and dedication driving the work.
However! A lot of people think they need some divine spark within themselves before they can begin writing their novel(s). This isn’t true at all! If anything, writers are born through their own experiences with language itself:
Speaking sentences aloud helps us develop our ear for hearing rhythms; reading books teaches us sentence structure; watching movies gives us inspiration for plot ideas; listening to music helps us understand tone better…
You get the picture! But none of these things require any sort of special ability on its own.
They’re all just tools we can use to help ourselves become better writers over time by using them consistently enough so that eventually our muscles start remembering what movements should happen next when typing away furiously at our keyboards in order…
Get Real About Being An Author
If you dream of being an author, but find yourself paralyzed by the lack of information and support on how to become one, I have some bad news for you: there’s no magic pill for becoming an author. You can’t just write a book and expect it to sell.
No matter who says otherwise (and there are many people out there who want your money), the fact is that most books don’t make back their advance or even cover their costs. This is especially true if they’re self-published or even print on demand (POD).
The thing is, most writers aren’t really prepared for this reality and it tends to catch them off guard when they finally realize what it means to be an author rather than just a writer.
Make Sure People Are Reading Your Work Before You Submit It To Agents And Editors
Find people who are willing to read your work and give you feedback.
Ask friends, family members and co-workers if they would be willing to read your novel. If they say yes, send them the first 10 pages of your manuscript and ask them to give you feedback on it in one week’s time (or however long it takes).
It’s critical that these people have no stake in your writing career this means that they shouldn’t be relatives or a friend who only wants to help because they’re invested in seeing you succeed.
Instead, find someone who isn’t so close that they’ll feel uncomfortable telling you what needs improvement or someone who might want their name used as an endorsement!
Your Job Is To Write The Book, Not Sell It. That’s The Agent’s Job
An agent can help you with the writing process, but not with the writing itself. Agents can’t make your manuscript better or worse; they’re not editors.
In fact, if you have an agent and they suggest changes to your story that don’t feel right to you (or if they want to change things that are already working), that’s a big red flag and it could mean that this isn’t a good fit for either of you.
Agents are one of the most important players in getting published: They’re able to introduce your work directly to publishers (with whom they may already have relationships) and get them excited about what they see in your manuscript.
Having an agent isn’t necessary, but it sure helps!
Experience is a valuable teacher on the path to becoming a proficient novelist. Learn from the wisdom shared in 10 Things I’ve Learned About Novel Writing, a collection of insights that showcases how writing skills can be honed through practice and exploration.
Hone Your Craft On Short Stories
Short stories are a great way to hone your craft as a writer. They’re also a good way to get feedback, build your portfolio, get published and make money.
In fact, writing short stories is one of the best ways you can learn how to write novels and other longer works of fiction.
The skills required for both are similar: characterization, plotting and pacing are vital in both genres; while techniques like foreshadowing can be used in either form of storytelling (and sometimes even work better when applied to shorter works).
Conclusion
There are a lot of misconceptions about writing, especially when it comes to what it takes to write a novel. While there is no one way to write a book, there are some common traits that successful authors share in common.
If you want to be a writer then this post will help debunk the myth that you need to know how to write a novel so that you can get started on your own story today!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to explore myths and misconceptions related to writing:
Myths About Writing: Exploring Common Misconceptions Short Description: Uncover and dispel common myths that surround the writing process and gain valuable insights into the realities of being a writer.
Debunking the Self-Created Myths by New Medium Writers Short Description: Dive into an exploration of the myths that new Medium writers often develop and find out how to overcome them for a more productive writing journey.
Debunking Writing Myths: Write What You Know Short Description: Delve into the concept of “write what you know” and learn how to navigate and challenge this writing myth to create diverse and engaging stories.
FAQs
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Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.