How To Start Writing A Novel: A Guide For Newbies (Part 2)

I’m a newbie writer, and I’ve been working on my first novel for months now. It’s been fun and challenging, but it hasn’t always been easy.

When I started writing fiction, there were so many things that intimidated me: plot and character development, word count goals (ugh), timelines it all felt overwhelming!

However, after some trial-and-error (and research), I feel like I’ve found my footing in the world of fiction authorship. So here’s my advice for other aspiring novelists who want to get started:

How to Write a Novel for Beginners – YouTube

Key Takeaways
1. Continue the Novel: Building on the first part of the guide, Part 2 provides further steps and insights to help new writers continue their novel-writing journey.
2. Tips for Momentum: Learn how to maintain momentum and inspiration as you dive deeper into your novel, overcoming common challenges that may arise.
3. Character Development: Discover techniques for developing well-rounded characters that captivate readers and contribute to a compelling storyline.
4. Plot Refinement: Understand how to refine your plot, avoid common plot holes, and create a seamless narrative that keeps readers engaged.
5. Writing Tools: Explore recommended software tools that can enhance your writing process, from outlining and drafting to editing and finalizing your novel.

Table of Contents

Get Your Mindset Right

As you write your novel, there will be days when you feel like giving up. There will be days when you don’t have anything to say and it feels like a waste of time to sit down at the computer.

That’s normal! It happens to all writers, and even the most successful ones get stuck sometimes.

But here’s something that no one tells aspiring novelists: You don’t have to finish your first draft in two weeks or even two months (though we’ll talk more about how long it should take later). It can take years!

And remember: This is just the beginning your first story isn’t supposed to be perfect, just as much of an experiment as it is a learning experience.

So let go of any expectations about how long drafting should take and focus on simply getting words onto the page that’s where true creativity begins anyway!

Starting your journey as a novelist can be exciting and daunting at the same time. To ensure you’re on the right track, follow the steps outlined in our guide on How to Start Writing a Novel: A Guide for Newbies – Part 1, which provides essential insights for beginners.

Figure Out Your Setting

Setting

The time and place of a story are the first things that come to mind when you think about setting. But it’s not just about where your characters live, or when they live; setting can also be a character in itself.

In fact, it’s one of the most important characters in your novel. It can tell as much about who someone is and what they’re doing as anything else they do or say. Consider these examples:

The mood at the restaurant was cheerful, but Julia was feeling out of sorts tonight—she couldn’t stop thinking about her husband’s death two years ago on this very day…
“You were right,” said Jack as he sat across from his friend at their favorite coffee shop after working all day on an upcoming project together last week…

As you embark on your novel-writing adventure, remember that guidance is key. Our guide on Top 10 Tips for the Aspiring Novel Writer offers invaluable advice that can help you refine your skills and create captivating stories.

Plan Your Timeline

To make sure you stay on track with your writing and meet your goals, it’s important to plan your timeline.

Planning for writing time is just like planning for any other commitment in your life. Use a calendar and schedule regular times when you will be available for writing.

You can plan these sessions around other commitments or events (e.g., appointments, meetings), or make sure that there are no other commitments on those days so that you know exactly how much time is available for writing each day. For example:

“I will write from 8am-12pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”
“I will write after dinner each night until 10pm.”

Research Like A Madman/Madwoman

This is the most important part of writing a novel. Researching will help you to create an authentic and interesting story. It’s also a great way to learn about other people, places and things and can be fun!

When researching for your novel, make sure that everything is as accurate as possible and try not to rely on just one source of information; this way, if someone challenges what you’re saying or asking for proof, then you’ll have some backup.

Don’t let plot holes undermine your novel’s integrity. Discover effective strategies in our article on How to Avoid the 9 Most Common Plot Holes in Your Novel to ensure a seamless and engaging plotline that keeps readers hooked.

Create An Outline (Yes, You Need One)

An outline is your roadmap. It will help you stay on track, organize your ideas, focus on the important things, stay motivated and write faster. Using an outline also makes it easier for you to write with more confidence because you know where you’re going and how to get there.

The best part? If you work hard at creating a solid outline, it can act as a blueprint for writing an entire novel in just one month!

Create A Character Profile For Each Character

Now that you’re all warmed up, it’s time to get down to business.

Every story needs a cast of characters, and each one of them needs a full character profile.

This is like an outline for how your character will act throughout the story it includes their physical description and personality traits, their motivations or goals in life (what they want most), and any other notable details about them that might help you write them effectively in different scenes.

If you’re writing an epic fantasy novel where some of your characters are dragons or aliens from another planet, it would probably be best if they didn’t speak like humans (unless they were humans pretending to be dragons/aliens).

That said, even if your main character is human like most of us here on Earth today (bless our hearts), there are still plenty of ways we can give him or her distinctive speech patterns without sounding too weird.

Write A Killer First Line

Now that you’ve got the opening scene laid out and know where your novel is going, it’s time to start writing. You’re going to want to take advantage of a trick known as “hooking” your reader right away.

Start with something specific and concise. The first line of your novel should be able to stand alone as an entire paragraph in itself, without losing its meaning or context.

When you read it later on, this will help remind you where the story began and what happened in that first scene, or even why certain characters ended up together by chance (or by design).

Keep it surprising! It’s best not just for readers who may pick up one of your books after finishing another one but also for those who might flip through pages quickly while waiting at doctor’s appointments or sitting at airport gates between flights.

If someone is browsing through a bookstore shelf full of novels but sees yours first because there’s something about how it looks that catches their eye.

Then they’ll probably stop longer than they otherwise might have done if every other cover looked like all the others around them: plain white backgrounds with black text written across them typeface-wise similar enough that none stood out from any other except yours!

Maintaining inspiration throughout your writing journey is crucial. Learn how to infuse creativity into your work by exploring our insights on How to Stay Inspired as a Writer, helping you overcome writer’s block and keep your imagination flowing.

Start Writing

Write a first draft.
Write as much as you can and don’t be too concerned with grammar or spelling errors, because these things will be fixed in later drafts. Just get the story down on paper at this point.
Edit your first draft to make sure it has a beginning, middle and end (story arc). You should also look for any inconsistencies or holes in the plot that need to be addressed during this process (elements of foreshadowing or red herrings). Your novel is now ready for editing!

3 . Do another edit after you finish all three books in your series so that each book makes sense as both part of one larger story arc and also on its own merits (the individual work itself).

If there are any major problems here now’s when they’ll become obvious: lack of motivation for actions taken by characters; unclear characterization; lack of consistency in terms of tone/voice between different chapters; etc., etc., etc…

Be Consistent In Verb Tense And POV

The next step is to decide what tense you’re going to use when writing your novel. The most common tense used in fiction is the present tense (I am walking).

However, it’s not always the best choice you should only use present tense if you are writing from the perspective of your main character. If you want to write from another character’s point of view, then past or future tenses should be used instead (he was walking and he will walk).

Use Dialog Tags To Make Characters Stand Out

Now that you know the basics of dialogue, let’s talk about how to make your characters stand out. One way to do this is through dialog tags, also known as speech tags or action tags.

These are words that tell the reader who is speaking in a conversation between two or more characters. For example:

“It wasn’t much,” he said. “Just an old shoe.”

“I don’t care what it looks like,” she answered back fiercely. “I’m not taking it.”

Don’t Overwrite

As you’re writing your novel, it’s important not to overdo it. Don’t use flowery language or long words if they make the sentence difficult to read.

This can go both ways: don’t use small words when bigger ones would be more appropriate and don’t use big words that you don’t need just for effect.

Don’t be afraid of simple language! It’s fine to describe something as “black” instead of “ebony-hued,” as long as you know what each word means and what effect you want them to have on your reader (if any).

However, if you pick a word at random without understanding its meaning or purpose in context, then chances are good that either no one will understand what it means or worse yet everyone will misunderstand it!

Clarify Your Goals Before You Start Writing

While the first step to writing a novel is getting your story down on paper, it’s important to know what you want to achieve before you start. The more clear your goals are, the better your chance of achieving them.

Here are some examples:

You want to write a book that will sell millions of copies and make yourself rich.
You would like for people who read your book to feel empowered by its message.
You want this book to be published so that other writers can learn from it and read its advice.

Enhance your writing process with the right tools. Our guide on The 11 Most Important Software Tools I Use to Write My Novels introduces you to essential software that can streamline your novel-writing experience and boost your productivity.

Don’t Be Discouraged If Your First Draft Is Terrible

Don’t be discouraged if your first draft is terrible. It’s normal to have a bad first draft, and most writers will tell you that the second or third drafts are where everything comes together and they start to see their novel take shape.

It’s also common for people to worry about spelling mistakes and grammar errors, but don’t worry too much about those things right now–the point is just to get down on paper whatever comes into your mind!

And lastly, don’t worry about the quality of your writing or ideas at this stage. A lot of great novels were written by authors who weren’t necessarily “good writers.” In fact, many famous authors didn’t even think their work was any good until after they had completed it:

Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick in three months with little revision; JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter over seven years–during which time she got divorced;

Stephen King said he re-wrote Carrie so many times that he lost count; even Ernest Hemmingway re-wrote For Whom The Bell Tolls 38 times before he deemed it ready for publication!

Use Templates Instead Of Creating Lots Of Text By Hand

Writing a novel is like writing a book report. It’s not that you can’t do it without the template, but using a template will save you time and help you focus on what matters: the story itself.

The good news is that there are plenty of free templates available online. Some writers use Google Docs or Word to write their novels, while others prefer Scrivener or Celtx.

Each program has its own set of bells and whistles, but they all have something in common: they’re great tools for getting started on your first novel!

Focus On One Idea At A Time

As a writer, it’s easy to get distracted. If you’ve just started writing your novel and you’re feeling overwhelmed, focus on the task at hand. Don’t worry about what you will write next or how long it will take to finish the project.

Don’t worry about what other people are doing or how they’re doing it better than you are. Just focus on the work that’s right in front of you you can fix all those other things later!

Write A Detailed Outline

Jot down your ideas in one place.

Get some paper, a notebook or a computer file and start writing down all the ideas you have, no matter how small they may be. It’s important to keep track of these thoughts so that they don’t get lost in the shuffle.

Even if one idea leads to another, write both down so that they’re not forgotten. This step is an important part of establishing your story foundations and world building the more detailed it is now, the easier it will be later on when writing begins in earnest.

Write out an outline detailing each scene of the novel: what happens before it starts; what happens during; and what happens after (if applicable). Some authors use index cards for this purpose;

Others use Excel spreadsheets with checkboxes next to each scene title indicating whether or not there’s any dialogue within them (and if so how much). If possible include page numbers as well so that you can see how long a particular chapter is going to end up being once printed out!

Eliminate Distractions

Now that you’ve got a solid writing space, it’s time to eliminate distractions. We all know that the Internet can be great for research, but we don’t want to get sidetracked by checking our email or social media accounts.

Our best bet is to leave everything behind except our writing tools and a pen and paper. Keep yourself from looking at notifications by turning off your phone and unplugging your laptop (no WiFi!).

You can also use applications like Freedom that block access to certain websites for specific periods of time so you’re not tempted by online distractions when working on an important project like writing a novel. This app works on both Macs as well as PCs (Windows only).

Create A Vision Board (Or Many)

You might be wondering, “what is a vision board?” A vision board is a visual representation of your goals. This can be done in many ways: you could use Pinterest, or draw on your computer or desk, or even just make one out of old magazines and scrapbook paper.

Whatever way works for you! The point is that it helps keep the writing process at the forefront of your mind, which will keep you motivated and inspired throughout the writing process. It also keeps you focused on what matters most: completing your novel!

Conclusion

So there you have it. All the writing tips and techniques we’ve covered, in one place. We hope they help you take a step closer to becoming a better writer. Remember that these are just suggestions; you don’t have to follow them all, or even any of them!

The most important thing is that you find a method that works for you and stick with it until it does. Practice makes perfect, after all

FAQs

How do I overcome writer’s block when starting my novel?

Writer’s block can be frustrating, but trying different brainstorming techniques, taking breaks, and outlining your story can help unlock your creativity.

What’s the importance of setting goals before starting to write a novel?

Setting clear goals helps you stay focused and motivated throughout the writing process, giving your novel a sense of direction.

How can I develop compelling characters right from the start?

Focus on creating well-rounded characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and flaws to engage readers and drive your story forward.

Should I have a detailed outline before I start writing?

Having a basic outline can provide structure, but leaving room for organic plot developments can also lead to creative surprises.

What’s the best approach to finding my unique writing voice?

Experiment with different writing styles and genres until you discover a voice that feels authentic to you, as it will resonate with readers.

Costantine Edward

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.