While we're on the subject of newbie authors, here's a piece I wrote for Freelance Writers International several weeks ago. It was fun, in a way, to distill this complex, lengthy process into a short article.
How to Write a Novel
by Trudy W. Schuett
If you ask five novelists how to go about writing a novel, you’ll get five different answers. There is not really any “right” way to do it. It’s probably a good idea to read several articles or books, mostly to get a feel for the process. Here’s a warning, though – some aspiring novelists find themselves replacing the actual writing with reading and talking about it, and never get to the point where they sit down to work.
I start out with a rough idea of some kind of plot, and work from there. I’ve tried the outline method, and found it so restrictive it kept me from working on the book. For me, the outline became an extra bit of nagging paperwork to do, most often after I’d put in a session on the writing. So I eventually abandoned that idea.
Another thing I do at the beginning, or any other time a character presents him or herself, is to interview the character. While I’m doing something else, say a long drive, or housework, I imagine myself talking to the character in the setting where they’d appear, and have them tell me why they should be in the book. This is helpful for not only developing the character, but firming up details of the setting. I can “watch” them move around in the living room or office, and see if they’re comfortable there.
I also find that process helpful when I get stuck, and the story doesn’t seem to move forward. I ask the characters what they’d like to do next, and the answers are sometimes surprising!
I can’t say enough about how important it is to sit down and do it! At first, you’re really training yourself to do a little bit of work every day, or whenever it is that you’ve blocked out the time for writing. When I was just starting out, I had to consider the rest of the family, and when I could manage the time. I found myself with a few hours here and there, so I started thinking in terms of scenes. I could conceivably finish a scene in the time I had, saving each scene as a separate file. Every now and again I’d put them all together in order, so I could see how much progress I’d made.
Another thing you need to do is check your facts. Accuracy in reporting is almost more important in a novel than in non-fiction. If you’re setting your story in a place where you’ve never been, make sure you don’t have it raining at the wrong time of year, or upscale characters living in a suburb the locals know to be a low-rent district. Also keep your time setting logically-oriented. The present is where many newbie authors have trouble, especially if the book has taken some years to complete. It can be distracting for the reader to be using, for example, a technology not in wide use anymore. Little details like this can be a jarring pothole in the road of an otherwise smooth ride.
Don’t worry about whether it’s any good or not, and resist the impulse to show partially-completed work to friends or colleagues. Wait until it’s finished, and then choose the person for this first reading carefully. Pick somebody who does some reading, and that you know would critique it honestly, without any personal agenda. Submitting to a critique group is often more confusing than helpful.
On the other hand, it is important that somebody else read it first, before you either start submitting to a traditional publisher or begin the self-publishing process. I’m sometimes asked to provide cover blurbs or reviews for other writers, and because of the ease and speed of publishing these days, I have come across books that aren’t finished. They appear to be in second or third draft, but not ready for the world. Here is a list of the most common mistakes I see:
Spelling errors and typos
Illogical plot sequencing
Characters acting out of character
Too many, too-short chapters
Anachronisms
Making the reader work to understand the story
The one element no author can do without is passion. If you’ve got a story that wants to be told, it will get out somehow, never mind the details! There is always room for another good storyteller, so you’ve got nothing to lose by giving it a try.