# Advice you would give to someone attempting to write their first novel



## TomJMiller (Jun 27, 2015)

I am finally attempting to write my first novel.

Now say if you were able to go back in time and change the way you approached writing your first novel - what would you change? What should be learned and known before beginning to write it? Of course it will be a learning process, but what information do you think should be known from the start to avoid writing complete garbage?

I'm talking about structure, writing mechanics, whatever it may be.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## InstituteMan (Jun 27, 2015)

I would tell my younger self to write more short stories first to polish the mechanics of storytelling. I know other talented writers (many here) who didn't need that practice, but I did. Without the skills, every longish work I started petered out when I hit an obstacle I couldn't overcome.


----------



## Riptide (Jun 27, 2015)

Well, um... I loved my first book. Seriously adored it. I didn't care about anything. I learned how to write dialogue, tenses, POV all before hand and wrote to my hearts content. I wouldn't want to change that experience with what Ive learned now. Just write it I would say to have the experience.

But if it matters: stop being passive. Do: he ran rather than he was running. Change up my sentence structure, add all my senses, don't leave things hanging. Be clear when I write, ditch the ambiguity unless it's mystery. But there's so much more that just writing will bring to light


----------



## Transcender (Jun 27, 2015)

Write.

No, I'm just kidding--I have no idea, and that's obviously painful advice.

But if I do, with my limited knowledge, know anything at all, it would be to take your work less seriously than you might like. 

Additionally, someone once told me that the true value of writing lies within the _rewriting_, in things like condensing information, creating flow and so on. 

And finally, if you are successful, please,_ please_,_ *please*_ don't become an arrogant snob.


----------



## aggieamy (Jun 27, 2015)

YMMV but I would tell myself to outline.  Start with a detailed outline and don't assume all these random ideas in your head are going to come together like some sort of literary magic and form a well balanced story.


----------



## walker (Jun 27, 2015)

I think I'll wait until I write something good to give advice.

I will say that I enjoyed writing my first novel. It is my only novel. I wrote 2,000 words a night until I was finished. It was awful, and a lot of fun to read, for me. I doubt anybody else will ever read it. The experience was valuable, if for no other reason than to show me that I could finish something.


----------



## Transcender (Jun 27, 2015)

walker said:


> I think I'll wait until I write something good to give advice.
> 
> I will say that I enjoyed writing my first novel. It is my only novel. I wrote 2,000 words a night until I was finished. It was awful, and a lot of fun to read, for me. I doubt anybody else will ever read it. The experience was valuable, if for no other reason than to show me that I could finish something.



Is any of it on this site?


----------



## Sam (Jun 27, 2015)

aggieamy said:


> YMMV but I would tell myself to outline.  Start with a detailed outline and don't assume all these random ideas in your head are going to come together like some sort of literary magic and form a well balanced story.



What does 'YMMV' mean? 

You should never assume anything in writing, least of all that someone who doesn't outline cannot form a well-balanced story. 

Figure out whether or not planning is for you, Tom, and above all: stop taking it as life or death. So many people start novels expecting to write a brilliant one from the start. It doesn't work that way. Use it as a learning experience and, moreover, enjoy it.


----------



## Gamer_2k4 (Jun 27, 2015)

Sam said:


> What does 'YMMV' mean?



Your Mileage May Vary.  Basically, "This isn't always the case."


----------



## cinderblock (Jun 27, 2015)

My best and only advice for someone attempting to write their first story. 

Don't read anything about writing mechanics, technique, etc. Stop trying to prepare yourself or psyche yourself into starting, etc. 

Just do it.


----------



## Nippon Devil (Jun 27, 2015)

If I could go back in time and talk to myself I'd probably say something like this...

"Hey um... So when you decide to write your first book, you're going to be kinda nervous and afraid to screw up, right? And you're probably going to ask other people questions about writing your first book m'kay? Well, don't, because nobody 'really' knows what is going to make your readers like your book. Just kind of do what feels right, it's not the same for everyone."

But I'd only tell that to myself if they already knew the fundamentals of story writing.


----------



## Gamer_2k4 (Jun 27, 2015)

For anything of novel length, my best advice is to make sure what's in your head is the same thing you're putting on the paper.

I'm an outliner.  I planned, planned, and planned some more for two full years before I even started Chapter 1.  As I began writing, with grand ideas just itching to come out, my vision for the story started to change.  Characters who I thought would be important didn't get the screen time I had hoped, because there was so much I was trying to cram in.  The story began to be distilled down from its original scope, and somewhere in there, I lost what I was actually going for.  Characters and scenes came across as disjointed because the reader didn't have the context that I did (since that context was stuck in my head and never got written down).  In the end, I had a story 200,000 words long with the ideas of a story twice that length and the content of a story half that length.  And I had no clue.  I thought it was amazing.

It wasn't until I had beta readers go through the story and tell me "This makes no sense," that I even realized what I had done wrong.  Connections that I was sure where obvious were completely lacking.  Character that I was sure were deep and well-rounded came off as flat and unlikable.  The climax that I was sure was grandiose and game-changing was confusing and disappointing.  And the worst part? That was all after I had made a full, "thorough" edit of my story and knocked out 50,000 words.

Now it's back to the drawing board, and after years of chipping away, I think I'm gradually beginning to see the diamond I had always thought I had had.  After seven years, maybe this will be the one where I'm finally finished?


----------



## aggieamy (Jun 27, 2015)

aggieamy said:


> YMMV but I would tell myself to outline.  Start with a detailed outline and don't assume all these random ideas in your head are going to come together like some sort of literary magic and form a well balanced story.





Sam said:


> What does 'YMMV' mean?
> 
> You should never assume anything in writing, least of all that someone who doesn't outline cannot form a well-balanced story.



I must have missed something here but I was posting what I wish I had known when I started writing so I wrote to young clueless Amy with lots of ideas and more imagination than sense.  Amy can't write a story worth a darn without outlining!


----------



## walker (Jun 28, 2015)

Transcender said:


> Is any of it on this site?



No. I'm new here.


----------



## shadowwalker (Jun 28, 2015)

I would just say learn basic grammar. I couldn't tell you now what a past participle is or how to diagram a sentence - I've never had to explain that to anyone reading my stuff. But I know how to write a sentence and a paragraph that makes sense. Other than that, just write stuff, set it aside, write something else, re-read the first and revise, then write stuff, re-read the second and revise, rinse and repeat - many, many times. Eventually you'll come up with stuff that other people actually enjoy reading.


----------



## voltigeur (Jun 28, 2015)

I guess if I had a lessons learned conversation my advice would be:

Write the story you are passionate about.  This will be a rough road and your passion is what will get you through the discouraging times.




Don’t let anyone tell you what your creative process should be. We are all wired differently, the right process for you is the one that produces the best writing. Trust yourself. 

When you put something up for critique wear your big boy pants and be grateful to the people that risk hurting your feelings to help you get where you want to go. The person who strokes your ego and tells you your great when you are not; is not doing you any favors.

I think the most important thing that I have learned in the last 6 months is that Creating and Writing are two different things. When we have “writer’s block” it is actually a creativity block. When this happens turn off the editor and write the story no matter how bad it is. Truth is you cannot improve a blank page.



Writing is what happens in revision. This is where you compose the language, where you feel the correct rhythm, this where you put all the elements in their place. This is where you find your voice.  It’s not the fun part but it is where you become a writer. 
When I learned this I quit having blocks. 

Ok my 2 cents I’ll shut up.


----------



## Schrody (Jun 28, 2015)

Ahh, young grasshopper, you seek for an advice. 

Sit in this cozy chair, and listen.

Just kidding, I'm not an authority on writing, and you'll find better advices from our wiser and experienced (not necessarily older ) members, since everyone has a different story of how and why they started writing, and we all have different experiences, so read carefully, as every experience is valuable. Some of us are still learning things (actually, a writer learns through his whole life), some of us are already published, nevertheless, we all share the same goal, and you can learn from every "failure" and "success" story. 

There's a lot of things we (I) learned through the years, but I'll try to mention the most important ones: *Don't give up *on your story. Sure, your idea/draft is probably not the best in the world (first drafts are almost always blah, so don't worry about that one; that's why we edit ), but practice brings results, often not as fast as we would like, but you will get there. If you're tired of your story, put it down, give it a rest, start writing something new. When you come back you'll have a fresher outlook, and more enthusiasm. 

Another, almost cliche advice is *write*. Sounds simple, right? Well, writing is the hardest and most rewarding part. For a successful story, you need to establish a writing routine; it could be every day, every week, month... but every day works the best, giving you an "insider" look of your story. Write when you're tired, write when you're hungry, write when you don't have the time. Only hard work will bring you closer to your goal, and let's be honest: most of the success story doesn't happen over night. It's important to be realistic about your writing, knowing your boundaries, what could be better, and what couldn't. Maybe you'll found out you're not a writer material, and that's okay, but if you really want to succeed (and *success doesn't necessarily mean becoming a bestselling author*; first success is to finish your first draft, then editing, among which you'll write a lot of new material before getting published. Start with small things; success is applying your new knowledge, and recognizing it.), you'll have to work hard for it, like for everything in life.

*Read*, and expand your vocabulary.

*Research.* Your story will have more credibility, and you'll learn something new.

*Let your characters evolve*. Whether you start your story by writing every detail (popularly known as "plotting"), or an idea pops into your head and you face the blank screen (or a blank paper), you story will turn in another way, maybe even totally different than you thought it could. Let it. Let you characters evolve, let them drag you into their world, your hands merely a tool of narration. It happens to me quite often, and don't be scared - it's not a big deal, in fact, that might be the best thing ever happened to your story! Just go with the flow.

Those are the most important ones I can remember right now, and I'm sure your list will only get longer, the more you immerse in the world of writing.

Good luck, and welcome to the Forum!


----------



## Kyle R (Jun 28, 2015)

TomJMiller said:


> I am finally attempting to write my first novel.
> 
> Now say if you were able to go back in time and change the way you approached writing your first novel - what would you change? What should be learned and known before beginning to write it? Of course it will be a learning process, but what information do you think should be known from the start to avoid writing complete garbage?
> 
> ...



Don't worry about "writing complete garbage" or "structure" or "writing mechanics." Don't worry about what others will think of your writing, either.

First and foremost, write something that you'd love to read. 

Passion, in my opinion, is the writer's greatest ally.

Once you've written your novel, from beginning to end, _then_ we can talk about ways to improve it.

If you worry about the quality during the writing process, you risk hampering your creativity with doubt and second-guessing. Many writers abandon their stories because they're too concerned about whether or not they're writing "correctly" or even "good enough."

Write the story first. Worry about how good it is after. Because writing does not have to be a one-shot deal. Here's how I do it: I write the story from beginning to end. Then, I read it over. I find things that need changing. Then I rewrite. 

This, for me, is how a story is made: in steps. And the first step is to write out of passion. The _next_ step is to rewrite, with a focus on quality. But you're not at step two, yet. Focus on step one.

When you write without concern or worry, you give your creativity the most power.

This is something I wish someone had told my younger self. :encouragement:


----------



## shadowwalker (Jun 28, 2015)

voltigeur said:


> Don’t let anyone tell you what your creative process should be. We are all wired differently, the right process for you is the one that produces the best writing. Trust yourself.



This is, to me, very important. You will find people who will tell you you have to write This Way - and you try and try and try and never accomplish anything because it's not how your brain is wired. Try different things - feel free to experiment. Remember that people will swear by _what works for them_ - but they are not _you_. (It's why we have so many discussions on planning versus pantsing and editing-as-you-go versus multiple drafts, for examples.)


----------



## Newman (Jun 28, 2015)

TomJMiller said:


> I am finally attempting to write my first novel.
> 
> Now say if you were able to go back in time and change the way you approached writing your first novel - what would you change? What should be learned and known before beginning to write it? Of course it will be a learning process, but what information do you think should be known from the start to avoid writing complete garbage?
> 
> ...



Start with the assumption that the story delivers a message and try and determine accurately how that message is delivered.


----------



## Tettsuo (Jun 29, 2015)

Kyle R said:


> Don't worry about "writing complete garbage" or "structure" or "writing mechanics." Don't worry about what others will think of your writing, either.
> 
> First and foremost, write something that you'd love to read.
> 
> ...



Best advice you'll ever read right here.

Kyle's the man.


----------



## Terry D (Jun 29, 2015)

Read.

Read about writing. Read about anything. Read stuff you like, read stuff you don't like. Reading makes the ability to recognize a good sentence from a bad one innate. There is no more valuable skill for a writer than the ability to understand the flow of language. You can't learn that without reading.


----------



## shadowwalker (Jun 29, 2015)

Tettsuo said:


> Best advice you'll ever read right here.



For some. _Always _"for some".  For writers like myself, it would be the kiss of death.


----------



## Mesafalcon (Jun 29, 2015)

Just one thing

Its gonna take longer than you think.


----------



## bazz cargo (Jul 2, 2015)

Hi Tom,
writing takes place inside my mind, I can visualise myself as  a character within the story. I close my eyes and on the screen in my  imagination the whole thing plays out in fits and starts. Whatever you  have as a plot the real story is about people, emotional, flawed,  struggling people. 

Good luck
Bazz


----------



## Transcender (Jul 2, 2015)

One thing I've noticed in what I perceive as good writing, Tom, is attention to time, which creates flow. ('As soon as she opened the window, a bird fluttered inside.' 'The highway man, disatisfied with the pounds he was given, lunged at his victim with a knife. Jonathan then drew his flintlock and fired.") But this could be just a trait of older voices.

It's clear that there is a *wide spectrum *of literary devises that you can find and integrate into your own work. And I would be happy to discuss with you the ones you prefer—as a new writer myself, I feel there is much for us both to learn.


----------



## Gamer_2k4 (Jul 3, 2015)

Mesafalcon said:


> Just one thing
> 
> Its gonna take longer than you think.



Absolutely this.  You're going to think you're done a LOT before you actually get to the finished product.  I've thought, "this is ready to send off" twice so far, and each time afterward I was hit with a pretty heavy dose of reality.  Here's hoping the third time is the charm.



Transcender said:


> One thing I've noticed in what I perceive as good writing, Tom, is attention to time, which creates flow. ('As soon as she opened the window, a bird fluttered inside.' 'The highway man, disatisfied with the pounds he was given, lunged at his victim with a knife. Jonathan then drew his flintlock and fired.") But this could be just a trait of older voices.



This is a point that doesn't really get a lot of attention on this forum, and it's an excellent one.  We talk about pacing and flow, sure, but the heart of pacing is in the conservation of detail.  Sure, there's active voice, there's cutting out filler, etc., but knowing how much is enough is a skill in itself.

Reading my early drafts, I find a lot of my broken pacing comes from putting two people together, having them separate, and having them come back together for a later scene.  Same goes for putting a person in a place, having him leave, and making him return.  I've learned that simply reordering scenes can really have a positive impact on the flow and pacing of a story.


----------



## Transcender (Jul 3, 2015)

Gamer_2k4, I was mainly talking about the micro level. My skill in creating long distance flow is almost non-existent; in fact, it's one of my bigger flaws. So I can't offer much advise.

(But I know what not to do: string together smaller stories in hopes that they create flow on their own.)


----------



## Lydia14 (Jul 3, 2015)

I would say to use your first novel as a learning experience. The first novel I ever wrote (and its unfinished second draft) will never see the light of day because there was so much I didn't know about good storytelling. Your first novel is almost always a way for you to discover your style, what's important to you as a writer, and the types of characters you care the most about. But, it's rare that a first novel is actually good -- mine sure wasn't. I learned a massive amount about plot structure, developing character motivations, and subplots, and 3 years later, after learning so much, I'm almost ready to start again on something new. I would say writing is as much a science as it is an art -- it has to be compelling, but it also has to be technically sound so it works structurally. It's all a balancing act.


----------



## Pluralized (Jul 3, 2015)

I'd suggest to my younger self that the mechanics of writing didn't need to be perfect, spelling errors were okay, and the most important thing was to produce the story itself, even if ugly and in need of heavy editing. Produce, produce, produce, and make the story intriguing. Forget about the rest until you get it down. Really hard to do, especially if your inner editor is a testy little bitch.


----------



## EmmaSohan (Jul 3, 2015)

Write something you enjoy writing. And then . . . try to make it something you enjoy reading. If you don't enjoy reading something, don't get discouraged -- figure out how to fix it. (And people here can help.)


----------



## Arrakis (Jul 7, 2015)

The first novel is always the hardest. But after that, it's natural.

It ultimately depends on your mental makeup. Some people take baby steps by writing short stories as to get the hang of things, others are talented enough to just dive into the deep pool. I have a natural talent for writing, but despite this, I nevertheless took baby steps.

In mine personal opinion, the hardest part about mastering writing is just finding your own style.


----------



## denmark423 (Jul 8, 2015)

Just enjoy what you write. But, be ready to accept criticism, bad reviews/feedbacks, rejections and failure. It's all natural.


----------

