Five Tips to Help You Start That Writing That Novel

Whether you have a fantastic idea that you are still waiting to put onto paper, or you’ve already started writing your first book, or you’re writing the fifth book in a series, writing never fails to challenge, frustrate, and fill a writer with joy. At least, I know that to be true for myself. 

It takes a drop of water to start a river. If you’re struggling with motivating yourself to write that novel you’ve been planning, I hope one of these points below is your drop of water.

1. Get on Pinterest & Make a Secret Board

I’m a visually oriented person, and was always classified as ‘a visual learner’ back in school. When I first started writing, I began writing a book by first writing down what each character looked like, what the setting was supposed to be, and that was that. 

But when I began using Pinterest to help me get inspiration for my books, writing felt like an entirely different ballgame. Having those images to consistently refer to helped me write with greater depth and richness. The characters and scenery felt more alive, and writing was suddenly a lot easier. Bonus: You can make a board on Pinterest private, so only you know what your next book will look like.

When you get started, ask yourself:

What does your main character look like?
What do they like to wear?
What kind of house/apartment/condominium do they live in?
What season is it?
What does the town/city they live in look like?
Is there a coffee shop/bar that they frequent? What does it look like?

2. Make An Outline

I know, I know. There are those mythical writers who write by the seed of their pants with no outline in sight. For some people, that absolutely works. Stephen King famously never uses outlines. 

But for the rest of us, at least having a rough guideline can be helpful. 

Who are you writing about?
What is your premise? 
Where does it all take place?
Why should a reader continue reading past the first few pages? Jot down the major plot points and events.

This leads to my next point…

3. Know What Comes Next

When you’re finished writing for the day, it can be helpful to know what you will be writing next. Let me give you a few reasons why this works.

First, it makes coming back to the page less daunting.

Second, it allows continuity of thought. Have you ever re-read something you wrote and thought it sounded a little clunky or disjointed? When you know what comes next, it allows for a smoother transition back into writing. 

Third, call it your mind, your subconscious, or your intuition… it keeps working long after you do. After you have put away your laptop for the day, your creative mind will continue working. Sleep on it, and come back the next day refreshed with a sleuth of new ideas.

4. Set Aside Time

How easy is it at the end of a long day to say: “You know what, I’ll write tomorrow. I’ll have less on my to-do list by then.”

I’m sure you know where I’m going with this. When tomorrow comes along, we inevitably have just as much on our plate, if not more, and we’ve perpetuated the bad habit of putting off writing… again. 

Inspiration doesn’t always hit us over the head (see my other blog post for more on this). Sometimes, we have to work for inspiration. 

If you’re busy or having trouble finding the time, schedule it. In advance. It doesn’t have to be hours upon hours. If you have fifteen minutes, schedule those fifteen minutes and guard that time from anything else.

Put your scheduled writing time in your day-planner, if you must. But keep scheduling writing into your life and keep yourself accountable.

5. Protect Your Joy

Last but not least, a word of caution. We can lose the joy of writing to the daily grind. 

Don’t forget why you started writing in the first place. Pay attention to the feeling that you get when you write – or whatever it was that made you fall in love with writing. 

If writing begins to feel like a chore, take a break. Remember why you’re writing, and write for yourself. Keep in mind that you don’t need to take every bit of writing advice out there. That’s all it is. Advice. 

Happy Writing!