Writing Your First Novel
It begins with a few basic questions
I believe everyone has a story they want to tell. The problem is figuring out how to get it from brain to paper. Thinking about it can be overwhelming, especially if your intent is to pump out a full novel. It takes time, energy, and dedication. If you have a passion for writing and a desire to share your stories with the world, there’s no better feeling than getting your work published. This article is not intended to be a complete roadmap, but an insight into what to expect as you begin your journey.
How Do I begin?
Do I Outline My Ideas or Just Jump In?
How Do I Develop Characters?
Do I go with Traditional Publishing or Self-Publish?
These are all good questions which you must answer before taking on a writing project. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I’ll share with you my approach. I’ve used it to publish 4 fiction novels and I haven’t drifted very far from my original game plan. The model I use is very similar to the questions above, so I’ll address those on the assumption you are going to write a novel.
First, know that what you are about to do will take time and dedication. You will want to find a place to write. If you are experiencing doubt about whether you have the ability or are good enough, address those concerns before you begin and then move on. The answer to both questions is yes, you have the ability and yes, you are good enough. So what are the steps to getting started?
ONE
Write. Set aside time to do it every day. How much time you devote to it is entirely up to you, but write. Keep in mind you’re dealing with a first draft. Forget typos and grammar and anything else except getting words from your brain to the pages. For a novel you will write upwards of 80,000 words. Keep that goal in mind and let your thoughts flow.
TWO
Set a daily word count. Some authors find it helpful to set a daily word goal. Here’s a rough calculation: total words / months to finish = words per day. For example, if you wanted to spend no more than six months to complete an 80,000 word novel, you would use the following formula.
80000 / 180 = 444.44
So if you want to finish your book in six months, you’ll need to commit to writing about 450 words per day. Keep in mind, of course, this will produce your “first draft” only. Also, keep in mind that the 450 word daily count will fluctuate. Some days your thoughts will just flow onto the page, other days you may struggle. If you double your committed word count one day, you’ll have a little wiggle room for the next. You may get dinged on stats, but you will still be on track to complete your work on time.
Do I Outline My Ideas or Just Jump In?
There are supporters both for and against outlining. Does it help to outline? The consensus is yes. However, there are also those that take a different view. Let’s look at both camps.
Camp 1 - Yes indeed, you need to outline and here’s why.
1. It may take longer to complete your book without an outline. You may forget certain details from one chapter to another. Maybe a character trait changed without explanation between chapter one and chapter four. An outline can help keep that from happening.
2. An outline is like a roadmap. When writing, you don’t want to venture off course. An outline will keep you headed in the direction you’ve previously plotted.
3. With an outline, you can stay laser focused on the story and not have to worry about inconsistencies between characters, chapters or scenes. Without an outline, you may spend more time going back to verify things that happened earlier in the story than proceeding forward.
Camp 2 - We don’t need no stinkin’ outline and here’s why.
1. Outlines work fine for folks who know how to outline. They work fine for folks who have the discipline to stay on track. But outlines are only as affective as the person who uses them. Some people simply can’t handle or need that much structure.
2. Some people prefer to write without limitations. They want the freedom to make changes on-the-fly and are effective at doing so. Is this approach practical or advised? I think most would say not, but only you know how you operate. Only you can decide to outline or not.
Camp 2.5 - Split the difference (I know! I said two camps)
Yes, there is a middle ground. While creating an outline is most commonly done before writing, it is not by any means a hard rule. You can outline at any point in your writing process, even after. One example would be the writer who prefers full autonomy during the first draft. She wants the flexibility to let the characters dictate what happens in their worlds.
This “let the chips fall where they may mentality” is not without merit. Starting an outline during the rewrite gives the writer an opportunity to validate the first draft. People who are inherently against outlining may find this method more palatable than stifling the initial flexibility.
Another alternative is to write the complete first draft and outline afterwards. This method still allows the writer to document the path of the story, but with an eye for using it during the editing process instead of a dictated approach from the beginning. So who’s right? Everyone. The bottom line is you have to write the way you are most comfortable or you’ll spend more time fighting against yourself instead of getting your thoughts on paper. Outlines document the story structure. Constructing one before, during, or after a draft are all workable solutions.
How Do I Develop Characters?
There are many ways of doing this. I’ll touch on four of the methods I use. Before I begin, though, I’ll mention that I often develop a story around a character I’ve already created in my mind. For instance, with the protagonist in my novel, Rage Matters, I envisioned the opening scene and most of the first two chapters based on that character alone. It wasn’t until I got it all on paper that I formally documented her profile.
Step 1 - The Archetype
Define behaviors and emotions. Will the character be the hero, the villain, the mentor, or perhaps, the innocent one triggered into action by the villain?
Step 2 - Give Your Character a Name
I try to pick names that are easy to remember and spell, both for me and the reader (but mostly me) and then I decide if I want to get creative. For example, I once created a female character named Ro’ Howard. It was cute, easy to remember and easy to spell, but the apostrophe in the name drove my spell checker nuts. I try not to add words to spell/grammar dictionaries unless absolutely necessary, so I forged ahead without adding it. During the second round of edits, it became so distracting, I finally relented and renamed her. That, by-the-way, is a process I never want to do again.
Step 3 - Appearance and Age
Consider the role of the character, their occupation, the physical requirements. Does he need to be fast, brutal, forgiving? For instance, if your character is an ax murderer, you might not want to set his age at 105. If, however, your character is a female detective, you have a lot more leeway. Will her appearance be a hinderance or an asset? Is she or will she become pregnant? If yes, how will it impact her role?
This is when you should start building a Character Sheet. I use a program called Scrivener (See list below) for all of my writing and it has modifiable character sheets built in. Find a photo to represent your character and refer to it during scenes in which they’re featured. It will help to guide you.
Step 4 - Define the Race of Your Character
Consider the demographics of the area the story takes place in. Consider how much time your character will spend in certain locations. For example, I grew up in a small town in the American South. Train tracks literally separated the white and black sections of town. People from both ethnic groups were free to go onto either side of the tracks, but your welcome was determined by how much time you spent there and who you interacted with while there. Keep things like this in mind as you define your character. If you get stuck, there are many templates available online. And if you really get stuck, and you’re not using a writing app like Scrivener, head over to an online name generating site like this one.
Do I go with Traditional Publishing of Self-Publish?
Key Questions
What is the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing?
As the author, if you want to own the rights and royalties of your work, self-publishing is your choice. If you don’t care about that, or want easier access to the more prestigious awards, the traditional route would be the way to go, but. Read on.
Why would I not choose the traditional publishing route?
As a first-time author, unless you are a celebrity, star sports player, politician, or an established professional writer (think Stephen King) your chances of getting a traditional publishing contract are very limited.
But I hear about new authors getting picked up by publishing houses all the time. Why can’t I?
I’m not saying you can’t. But it is a tough road and takes a much more involved answer than I care to address in this article. I’ll summarize and you can take the info as a starting place to do your own research.
Traditional publishing houses spend thousands to bring a book to market. The process is incredibly involved and can be a years-long endeavor. You’ll likely be required to have readers lined up committed to purchase your book as soon as it comes out. You’ll need to get familiar with writing query letters, and pitching them at Agents. Prepare yourself mentally for rejection. Unless you’re on the list mentioned above, you will receive rejection letters. On the bright side, if you pick up a contract, you’ll spend far less money than you would if you go the self-published route.
And here’s a red flag - if a publisher offers you a contract “for a fee” it is likely NOT a traditional publisher and you should go into research mode and find out all you can about the company, or turn and run away.
So what are my odds with self-publishing?
There are no odds. Anyone can self-publish, but that in no way implies that everyone should. Unless you decide you want to take the bull by the horns and oversee the entire process, it may tempt you to go with a self-publishing company. Be forewarned, there are plenty of respectable self-publishing companies out there, but there are also one’s that are just waiting for the opportunity to scam new authors.
To bottom line it, there are steps to follow regardless of whether you choose the traditional path or self-publishing. There are pros and cons to both. Here’s a short list of things to consider.
Traditional Publishing
PRO: Prestige and Validation
PRO: No Up-Front Costs
PRO: More Recognizable Literary Prizes and Awards
CON: A Very Slow Process
CON: Loss of Creative Control
CON: The Publisher Owns the Rights to Your Book
Self-Publishing
Pro: Ownership. You keep all the rights
Pro: Faster to get to market
Pro: Niche books can get to market
Con: You own the entire process from finding an editor, cover designer, and marketing
Con: You likely won’t be considered for the prestigious awards of traditionally published works
Con: Self-publishing is expensive
Before You Go:
Here are some links to the more popular apps in use for writing. Some are online while others are stand-alone apps. The range is from standard note-taking/word processors to apps specifically designed with writers in mind.
Free Writing Software
Paid Writing Software
