My Novel Writing Tip

Hi,

I wanted to share some of my shortcuts that I have discovered while writing my first novel. I should mention first that they are not really "short cuts" per se; they are more helpful hints that ease the process of coming up with a 400 page manuscript. As you might have guessed, this is a lot of writing and there is no easy way around it. Most novelists require a year or more to put together a full-length novel that is ready to be submitted. Unless you can devote eight-plus hours a day to writing, you need to be looking at the completion of a novel as a long-term goal. Do not be intimidated by taking on a project of such a large size.

The secret of finishing a novel is to write--a lot. You don't need to write everyday, but you do need to be disciplined and strive to consistently devote a few solid hours to your project each week. If you are scatterbrained like I am, this is much more difficult than it sounds. My secret is to just write whatever I am thinking about. Even if it is seemingly not related to the novel I am working on, I write it down.

This is important for two reasons. One: it allows me to focus my energy and get back to the novel with a fully recharged mental battery. And two: it is often material that I can use for later chapters. I am a big fan of tying in multiple plot lines into a single story. Getting these "independent" ideas down on paper sometimes gives me a clear look of where I want my story to go. Of course, this is only true for a small portion of the ideas I scribbled down when I should have been working on the novel, but for the couple ideas that do work, I am able to put in twists and turns that nobody--including myself--expected. This keeps my writing fresh and exciting for me, and hopefully for my readers.