Novel Writing: Lessons From a Newbie

Novel Writing: Lessons From a Newbie

I am attempting to write a novel. It's something I've wanted to do for years, my adult self sorely missing the joy of creative writing at school, so I'm giving it a go. The thought was daunting at first, but actually, now that I've settled into the process, it is the most wonderful experience. It is pure creative expression, a chance to pour out ideas and concepts onto paper with an immense freedom not allowed in other forms of writing. The great thing about a novel is, anything can happen. What happens is in your hands. Here are some lessons I've picked up as a complete beginner to fiction writing.

1. Don't Over-Plan

I first attempted the idea of a novel last year, but made one crucial mistake: I sat down, word processor in front of me, cursor ticking patiently... and rather than get stuck in to writing, I planned. I planned and planned: Storyline, character profiles, locations, the whole lot. The result was that, before long, I was so bogged down in tedious details that I was completely put off the idea of writing the bloody thing. I closed the laptop and never came back to it. Until this year. This time, I had a loose concept rattling in my head, but got stuck straight into writing. A few weeks later, I am 10,000 words in and loving every second.

2. You Can Edit! 

A key part of any fiction writing is the complexity and interwoven nature of its structure. With almost any fiction text, seeds are planted early on which develop later. Preparations are set up for plot twists or diversions. So, when taking the Don't Over-Plan approach, it is easy to be a little frightened that your story will run dry without a basis of seeds early on, with which to grow and develop. Not so. Remember: you can always go back and edit. Now, a decent chunk into my writing, I am finding myself spotting opportunity for plot development, and flicking back to the early beginnings to add a detail, or tweak what somebody said or what an environment looked like. It's never too late.

3. Write What You Know

Characters are tricky for me. I have always been good at observing people, seeing their interesting behaviour and the way they act socially, but can't say I'm an expert in seeing things through the eyes of others. Every writer will have things they are good at, and things they struggle with: Visualising places; painting realistic social situations; developing themes. So write to your strengths. Without giving too much away, one of the lead characters in my work-in-progress is an extremely dry, cold woman. Autistic, almost. And this is undeniably a direct result of my own difficulty portraying people realistically. I'm far from cold myself, but a character of that nature is easier to create. And, admittedly, a lot more fun.

4. Tell a Story You Love

Something which is all too easy to forget when setting out to write a 40- or 50,000 word novel is this. You are not just planning to write 50,000 words. You are also going to read them. As we write, we are telling the story to ourselves. And particularly if you take my patented Don't Over-Plan approach, you really are experiencing the story as it develops. So you need to be writing a story you enjoy, as a reader as well as a storyteller. If you are writing sci-fi/fantasy, come up with a concept that really excites you. If it's more along the lines of romance or personal drama, build characters you identify with and enjoy spending time with. Your characters and the places you create will become very real to you, as you spend large amounts of time with them. You need to enjoy the places, and enjoy your characters. This is vital. Write what you would read.

5. Always Carry a Notebook

This is an old cliché of every genre of writing, but there's a lot to be said for it. The number of times I've been walking in the park, or on the train home from work, and a lightbulb has flicked on in my head, I've been very glad of the notepad app on my phone, where I can jot quick ideas and thoughts to develop into the text next time I'm working on it.

I hope these little tips help anyone thinking of giving fiction a go. And to anybody who isn't, I think you probably should be. It's a wonderful release, the pinnacle of creative indulgence. Give it a try. Don't over-plan it. Just sit down, gather some ideas of a concept, and start writing. You might be amazed.

Written by

Jamie Bellinger