When writing a novel where do you start?

One great piece of advice that helped me kickstart my writing is, 'write the gist of your entire novel in just one sentence'. Once I had this ready, working on plot points, character development, and writing the scenes was pretty much easier.

posted over 7 years ago

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user39269‭

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There is only one correct way to learn how to write and that is by trying out what works best for you.

The mistake most aspiring authors make is to think that there is some kind of standard procedure and that they need to learn it, but that is not true. People are vastly different, and no two authors work exactly alike.

So really, what you need at this point in your development as a writer is the courage to invest some time into trying out different ways to write. Plot one novel and then write it. Do not plot another novel and simply begin somewhere and keep writing until you reach the end.

Writing is like any other skill. You wouldn't expect to know how to swim the first time you got in the water. You wouldn't expect to be a perfect guitarist the first time you hold an instrument in your hand. You wouldn't expect to become the CEO or the US president right after finishing high school. You will have to allow yourself a period of learning, and in writing, as anywhere else, learning involves experimenting and discarding approaches that didn't work.

Expect to write a lot of failed novels, before you find out what works and finally accomplish a successful novel.

Writing is an endurance sport.

posted over 7 years ago

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System‭

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I think for some it is. As you write more, you'll find out what works best for you and your process. Personally before I start writing I like to plot a super rough outline and maybe make some character sheets for my major characters (e.g. protagonist, sidekick, antagonist, etc...) after that I write the whole first draft out by hand without editing. Its not until after I have a rough draft I go back to work on character development and other story elements.

At the end of the day, do what works best for you and your writing.

Hope this helps and happy writing :)

-- Trynda E. Adair

posted over 7 years ago

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Trynda E. Adair‭

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This sounds kind of basic. But I start at the beginning. Think of how the story needs to start. DO you need a certain amount of character development to tell the story? Where do the characters come from. I teach a class in report writing for law enforcement officers and one of the things I teach them is; start with why you were there. So if you character is going to steal a space ship and fly off to another galaxy, start with how he got to the place he stole the ship. Did he hitch hike? Parachute in? Maybe he stowed away in a service truck.

I also find it helps me get to the end if I already know how the story ends. My mind tends to ramble off in strange directions when I write fiction, so having a destination helps me stay focused.

posted over 7 years ago

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user26176‭

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At the heart of every novel (or almost every novel, at least) is someone who wants something and some form of opposition, internal or external, that stands in the way of their getting it. The novel is their quest to attain what they desire and how they either overcome or are overcome by the things that stand in their way, and the things that they either have to change or realize about themselves as they face the moment of crisis.

Your novel starts when you figure out who you character or characters are, what they want, what stands in the way of their getting it, and what moment of crisis they will be brought to -- usually a moment of moral crisis, a crisis of values -- before they get it or lose it.

Some writers seem to go on for a long time building worlds, imagining characters, and planning out plots without ever getting to these essential ingredients: desire, opposition, and crisis. Perhaps they will eventually find these things in all the rest of the planning, and perhaps they won't. But until they do, the novel has no heart, no spring, no motive force.

Find your desire, your opposition, and your crisis, and you have the indispensable ingredients you need to begin.

posted over 7 years ago

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Mark Baker‭

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