Novels-How to Get Started

I envision that this blog will be home of a variety of resources to help aspiring writers really hone their craft, and to have a sense of structure to writing. I can now diagnose myself as having been what some people refer to in novel writing as a ‘pantser’ which is defined as someone who likes ‘to fly by the seat of their pants and write without a roadmap’. For me this method has always been great for starting a project, but more often that not, I have found that it leads me to a dead end. I find myself wondering where I was heading, and not sure which way to direct things from the point that my thoughts run out. This has always lead to an abandoned project for me. Although some people are quite happy at ‘pantsing’ I think having some method to one’s madness, and some sense of direction from the outset will set writers up for the greatest success. With this in mind, this article is offered as a means to help you set out upon a new writing project, starting at the very beginning. If you are mid way through a project, or finding yourself at a dead end I hope you can find some inspiration here too. However if you’re looking for the nitty gritty stuff that you might need as a life line at those critical mid to end of project moments – keep checking in, as I have lots to share about this later on. Specifically here we will look at: Idea generation Setting out your main plot points Building Character Exercises to keep the words flowing Idea Generation Your novel cannot start without the idea – obvious I know. I often wonder though if the seeking of the perfect idea is actually the reason that many writers do not begin the writing process at all, or hold off for far longer than is necessary. Do not let idea, or the lack of hold you back. Firstly, I must add the caveat here, that if you believe you are a writer in your heart, then offer yourself your entire lifetime to hone your craft. Be prepared to write badly and perhaps to bin ideas, or change them as you evolve. If you can find a sense of emotional detachment to projects (at the beginning at least) then you will write far more often and far more efficiently. Often the idea if the thing that comes first, but if not it’s time to get inspired. Take time out of your week to watch a movie you would not normally watch, from a genre that may not usually appeal. Ideas are formed in unexpected places. I hate the news, but irregularly checking in for the purpose of sensationalism (rather than a bleak view of the world) can be a good place to find simple ideas to build upon. People watch, and ear wig. Sometimes the observation of the human condition is all we need to find a character we want to share with the world. There are also some useful idea generation tools that can be easily accessed via that hand held device that we rely so heavily upon (not a cynic at all – I promise). Brainstormer is one I particularly like, it’s also wonderful to fuel the writing of short stories. Plot Points Setting out some basic points within the plot will be like giving yourself landmarks to reach, and help to keep you from hitting any walls – or as little of them as possible during the writing process. Setting out some basic points within the plot will be like giving yourself landmarks to reach, and help to keep you from hitting any walls – or as little of them as possible during the writing process. What I am setting out here is not new or original, but if you haven’t come across it yet, it will be the most imperative foundation to your understanding of story writing in multiple forms from short story, to novel to play writing;

1. Stasis – this is the base reality of the tale. The normal everyday life of your protagonist. This could be one chapter or one line, but it will work as the ‘once upon a time’ of the story.

2. Trigger – Something out of the control of the protagonist. Sometimes referred to as the inciting incident. Something that is about to pull them out of the everyday and into some kind of quest, or journey.

3. The Quest – In the case of a horrible trigger, the quest may be trying to get back to the ‘stasis’ of normality to the characters that we briefly see at the beginning. The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a beautiful example of this kind of quest. Otherwise perhaps the incident leaves the protagonist needing to make some big life decisions and learn some hard lessons. It may be hard – I find it so, but the best stories are pretty mean to the protagonist. My favourite quote on story writing is ‘put interesting people in difficult situations.’

4. Surprise – there must be a reasonable amount of obstacles along the way of the quest. It doesn’t have to be action for the sake of action, a lot of our real life conflict and personal obstacles are in our own minds – we can relate to the psychology of this.

5. Critical Choice – the choice made at the largest obstacle of the story heading for the climax, another method I will go into next week is the Save the Cat Writes a Novel method, and this refers to the critical decision as ‘bad guys close in’ or the ‘all is lost’ moment.

6. Climax – the peak of action that leads to resolution or reversal.

7. Reversal – this is the scene or chapter taking you from the climax to the outcome of the choices and actions made at that point. This is the start of the answers to ‘what was it all for?’

8. Resolution – this is a new stasis, a new normal for our characters. Lessons are learnt, wisdom is gained. Bad guys are caught or over come in some way. Conflict is resolved. Knowing your characters well and having your plot points set out ahead of time will make writing this part much easier when you arrive here, possibly months or years after starting out. it will certainly minimise the sieving through small details to tie everything up to close the story.

This is a very simple outline, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Going back to ‘idea’ and keeping a flow to your writing – try not to get too bogged down with being different to these age old structures, or trying to find a completely unique idea. Stressing over this at the outset can clam you up completely – it is important to start writing and to keep writing when tackling your first ever novel. The fun of playing with classical devices can come in the editing process much later on. Building Character For me this has been one of the hardest things to try and master. To make a character, who we all know is not real, to seem, well – real. There are many exercises to help hone this skill. Here are some simple start points to consider and put into practice. Seeing how different personalities react to different situations is what will begin to bring characters to life. Think about the people you know well. What would your brother or sister do if someone was overtly rude and offensive to them for no reason? Now think of someone in your life that would do the complete opposite to the sibling (or family member if you have no siblings). What life events take place to make someone confident and articulate in the face of confrontation? What events makes a person shy away from such moments. Start with writing a character profile answering some questions like these:

1. Name

2. Place of Birth

3. Job

4. Favourite food

5. Pet hates

6. Unusual quirks

7. Favourite body part

8. Most hated body part

9. Glass half full or half empty?

10. A traumatic childhood event OR the happiest holiday memory

Knowing your characters inside out will mean that your back story flows easily onto the page, readers will feel like they know them and can predict or attempt to predict how they will behave in certain situations as we do with our own friends and family. Photographs can also help us to picture our characters in our mind when describing then – this can be done with a simple google images search, weird but useful. Writing Exercises to get You Started Take one of the characters you have developed. Put them in a restaurant where they are served the wrong meal. What do they do? What do they say? Setting – where do you see your story being set? Find an image of the place online and write down a description of it using all 5 senses. Write a scene where your hero/protagonist is in an argument in a loved one. What do they say? Free write – what did you do yesterday? This will get your pen to paper no matter what is going on inside you. This is not an exhaustive list, but one meant to get pen to paper. You will discover your process as you go. I like to write in notebook form first and then type it up. There’s something easier about pen to paper than tapping at a keyboard. You might like to just get tapping. The most important thing is to write often – it is a muscle that must be trained, a skill that takes time and practice. Good luck.

During times when ideas are quieter, I surrender to the logical side of my brain and use it as a time to plan and research. Perhaps Nanowrimo has given you some insights in your own energy and creative fluctuations across a full calendar month? Knowing your patterns will help you plan your writing windows more productively. Also, at the end of such an intense spell of writing it’s important to give the work some space. Let it sit quietly on your desktop for a week or two. After that, there are a few options. The first thing to do whether we feel like it or not is read it. I always thought I hated editing, but I now really enjoy it and see it as an opportunity to really carve what’s in front of me like a stonemason taking chisel to rock. The raw material is there now it’s time to make it beautiful. This can be time consuming, so you might wish to split your time between editing and adding – the ratio will depend on how much more you have to write, and at what speed you want to write it. Nanowrimo is wonderful, but it is about raw, carefree throwing language to the page, writing at that speed and intensity is probably not maintainable by most- certainly not me. So be kind with the goals you set yourself, work them around a realistic timescale in accordance with your other life commitments as they sit right now. If on this first read over you hate what you’ve written, it is not an ‘all is lost’ moment. Give it more space while you reflect on what needs changing.

if you are feeling lost and unsure of where the story is now heading you can strip things back and do some writing exercises to get the creative juices flowing again, to build and deepen your knowledge of your characters, to really envision of your setting- then the plot will naturally start to reveal itself. I have a free writer’s exercise pack for anyone signing up to my newsletter. Linked at the bottom of this article.