# When should you start your first novel? (1 Viewer)



## mandax (Jun 30, 2010)

I've always thought that I'd wait for later in life (when I'm done with school, etc.) before I even attempt to start the novel I have in mind.  I assume I'm not good enough to start now.  However, a friend of mine of the same age wrote an entire YA novel already and is working on her next.  She submitted the novel for a competition and did pretty well.  It's inspired me to think about working on my own ideas, but is it worth it?  Will it be, at the very least, really good practice?  Would I have the will to completely rewrite it if I feel my skill level hadn't been up to par?

When did you all start writing your first novel, or when do you plan to?


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## Ilasir Maroa (Jun 30, 2010)

You'll never get better if you don't practice.  Start now and see where it takes you.


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## caelum (Jun 30, 2010)

That's a very good question and one I've thought about to great length.  A large part of me was afraid to start a novel-lengthed project at too young an age because frankly, I didn't think I would be good enough yet.  Good is too vague a word, though.  Didn't think I'd have read enough books, wrote enough, and been mature enough is more accurate.  Didn't think I'd have had enough worldly experiences to, myself, paint a believable world with characters that behaved like real people.  But I don't think you need to be, say, older than thirty.  I think you'll know when you're ready.

As for my own experiences, I did lots of short stories before I moved up to a novel-lengthed project, and to date have only written one novel which I'm presently trying to get published. (I'm 22) It depends on your style, too, because my project took extensive planning and development whereas a more spontaneous kind of story is probably easier to pound off.  I literally had mine in beta planning stages for going on two years before I started the first chapter.

And practice is always necessary for anything.  Learn by doing is what I believe.


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## mandax (Jun 30, 2010)

Ilasir Maroa, I keep telling myself that, especially because I'm really excited about my ideas, but I still can't help but have my doubts.  But I know, you're right -- practicing is the only way I'll get any better, and maybe because I'm enthusiastic about this, I'll stick to it and write more than I ever have before.

But caelum, I share many of the same concerns, namely that I haven't experienced enough in my life yet.  Probably my best example is that I've never been in love.  Because of this, I feel like I can't put it in a novel yet because I won't be able to accurately portray what it's like.  My writing experience has been on and off since I was young (I'm 21 now), so I'm scared to take such a leap, but really, really anxious to.

It's something to think about.  :/


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## Loulou (Jun 30, 2010)

Hey Mandax,

I really don’t think there’s a right or wrong thing to do here.  It can’t hurt to write a novel; you can only learn by doing.  

I was about fourteen when I gave one a whirl – I don’t have it now but I imagine I’d smile and laugh at my young efforts.  I then tried again when I was twenty-eight and it’s not bad, with much room for improvement.  My latest two – one two years ago, one this year – were further lessons, and the latter the one I’m happy with.  

I’d say that perfecting the short story form is the best way to work up to such a challenge.  In the last three to four years this has been my passion, and only after minor publication success with a few pieces did I embark on the great beast that is the novel again.  And even then it was tough, involved six months of writing every day. 

Sharpen your metaphysical pencil, Mandax, and set off on the journey.


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## Sam (Jun 30, 2010)

I started my first novel when I was seventeen. It wasn't great, but it was very conducive towards making me a better writer. I just kept writing them thereafter. 

The novel is something that a lot of people seem to dread, but I love writing them. And, yes, like Louise said: It's months and months of continuous writing. It's a big challenge, but you're never "ready" to write a novel until you start writing it. 

Or, conversely, how do you you're not ready to write it?


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## garza (Jun 30, 2010)

I plan to start my first novel at the age of 95. I'll have an excuse for not finishing it, because I've long figured that I'll die at that age, shot by a jealous husband.


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## C.M.C. (Jun 30, 2010)

Before your second novel.

Seriously, there isn't a "right time" to do it.  One thing to keep in mind is that many writers (I won't say all, or even most, because it doesn't apply to everyone) will go through the process and write one or more novels before finishing anything worthy of submitting.  The only way you're ever going to get to that point is to write, so there's no reason not to start right away.


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## Eluixa (Jun 30, 2010)

Start. Why the heck not?


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## Killer Croc (Jul 1, 2010)

Eluixa said:


> Start. Why the heck not?



Yup, I agree.  I don't think age, situation, location, anything really matters.  Just get started.


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## JonathanBing (Jul 1, 2010)

The time to start your first novel is when you feel your skin is thick enough to withstand the procession of depressing rejections that will march in once you start submitting it.

I wrote my first one at 12.  But in those days, I knew nothing of agents, publishers and submissions.


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## Killer Croc (Jul 1, 2010)

JonathanBing said:


> The time to start your first novel is when you feel your skin is thick enough to withstand the procession of depressing rejections that will march in once you start submitting it.


 
I agree that it is important to be ready to be rejected, but I have to say...I don't think that this should affect when someone starts writing.  You've got to write the book before you start worrying about rejections and submissions.  I think writing the book is the hardest step, getting it published should be something that is thought of after.  If you worry about whether or not your book will be a success throughout the process of writing and developing it, you won't achieve much other than a stressful, unpleasant experience.  Not disagreeing with you, Jonathan, that a writer should understand and accept the rejections that will most follow submissions, I'm just saying that I don't think it should stop someone from starting their first novel.


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## Ilasir Maroa (Jul 1, 2010)

JonathanBing said:


> The time to start your first novel is when you feel your skin is thick enough to withstand the procession of depressing rejections that will march in once you start submitting it.
> 
> I wrote my first one at 12. But in those days, I knew nothing of agents, publishers and submissions.





How the heck will you get that thick skin if you never show anything around?


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## Sam (Jul 2, 2010)

NEVER worry about getting a book published when you're writing it. That's pointless and counter-productive. Write it, edit it, edit it again, and if you think it's good enough to show to a publisher, _then _start worry about getting it published. If it's not good enough, put it in a drawer and move on to your next novel.


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## Non Serviam (Jul 2, 2010)

Eluixa said:


> Start. Why the heck not?


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## JonathanBing (Jul 2, 2010)

You are correct, all of you.  For some reason, I read the title of this thread as "When should you_ submit_ your first novel.  My apologies.



> NEVER worry about getting a book published when you're writing  it. That's pointless and counter-productive.



Unless your object is to be published.


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## Sam (Jul 2, 2010)

JonathanBing said:


> Unless your object is to be published.



Even if it is, worrying about getting published before you even put fingers to keyboard is pointless.


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## thewordsmith (Jul 2, 2010)

You know, I've been brewing this question every since you first posted. My initial, knee-jerk reaction was to offer a snarky response to the effect that there is no timeline, "Do Not Open 'Til ..." label on writing. So I refrained from responding until now. But, the truth is, there is no timeline for creativity.

Note:
Beethoven was only 13 when he gave his first public performance.

Van Cliburn the great piano virtuoso was 12 when he won his first piano competition but had been playing publicly for several years prior to that time.

Jascha Heifitz, another magically gifted violin great, while there is some contradiction about when he was born, thus how old he was when he first performed publicly was, inarguably, a brilliant violinist at a very young age. Born in Lithuania, he played in public before he was 5 years old; at about the age of 6, he performed Mendelssohn's Concerto in Kovno, Russia and gave his first public concert in St. Petersburg in 1911 – at about 11 or 12 years old. Then, 1912, he went to Berlin where he gave his first concert there.

But perhaps you want to know about authors? 

While Christopher Paolini's Eragon trilogy does not rank high on my list of good reading, that, I suppose, is a matter of taste. And there is no dispute Paolini was a highly precocious youngster. Home schooled, he completed high school at 15 and immediately began work on the first book of his trilogy, Eragon, which was published by his parents' publishing company when Christopher was 19. Not to disparage the fact that the initial publication was certainly a vanity publication, a few months later, it was picked up by Alfred Knopf Publishing and the rest, if you'll pardon my saying so, is history.

And Paolini is not even the youngest best selling author. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes was only 13 year old when she wrote "In the Forests of the Night" which was picked up by Delacorte Press in 1999 when she was age 14. It was subsequently picked up by Random House. Atwater-Rhodes has, since that time, published nine more novels.

And, bear in mind, at the other end of the spectrum, Grandma Moses didn't begin painting until she was into her seventies!

So ... should you wait? Well, only you can really answer that question but, my question to you is ... Why? If you feel compelled to write now, why wait? You may possibly be sitting on a smouldering coal which, if nurtured and fed, will burst into a brilliant flame or, conversely, you may simply smother that fire which may have been destined to light the world!


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## JonathanBing (Jul 2, 2010)

Sam W said:


> Even if it is, worrying about getting published before you even put fingers to keyboard is pointless.


 
Not if you want to produce a publishable novel.


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## Sam (Jul 2, 2010)

JonathanBing said:


> Not if you want to produce a publishable novel.


 
This person is writing their _first _novel. Most people's first novels are never good enough to be published. So, I stick by my original comment. Worrying about it now is pointless. Worrying about it halfway through is pointless. The only time to worry about it is when you pull out Mr Red Pen.


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## mandax (Jul 2, 2010)

Thank you for all of your input.  I definitely think I'll at least delve into the planning stages of the novel because I'm pretty excited about it, and I'm assuming that's a good sign.  But I'll probably take LouLou's advice, too, and work on short stories.  But I see what you all mean ... it's not as if writing will be detrimental in any way.  At the very least, I'll learn from it!


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## Killer Croc (Jul 2, 2010)

JonathanBing said:


> Not if you want to produce a publishable novel.


 
Not worrying about whether the book will be published when it's finished should have absolutely no effect on the quality nor the level of skill of the writing.  If someone is writing a book and are relatively serious about it, then they will attempt to make it as good as possible.  If they want it to be a "publishable novel," how would it help to be ready for the "procession of depressing rejections"?  Looking at your previous posts in other threads, I would guess that you had an individually negative experience trying to get your book published so far and have created a general stereotype for the process.

@mandax: I completely know what you mean about not being sure whether you should wait until later, when you have more experience, to try to get it published.  After all, what if you look back on it and say, "I could have done a better job than that"?  But in my opinion, it's better to just do it.  I think you'll always have that feeling, and always wonder if it would have been better if you wrote it when you were older and more experienced.


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## mandax (Jul 2, 2010)

Killer Croc, you're probably right about me always wondering if I could have done a better job.  I guess worst-case scenario is that I finish the novel and decide to write it over again.  I think I can handle that.


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## thewordsmith (Jul 2, 2010)

mandax said:


> Thank you for all of your input. I definitely think I'll at least delve into the planning stages of the novel because I'm pretty excited about it, and I'm assuming that's a good sign. But I'll probably take LouLou's advice, too, and work on short stories.



Just as a side note, some people truly excel in the short story while others totally suck at it but are superb with full length novels. Still, others are equally at home in either form. So, I guess my last word of advice here would be find your ... well, I was going to say comfort zone but that would not be quite right. If you get too comfortable, you are not trying yourself enough. So, find the medium where you feel at home. And, if you are at home anywhere ... either in shorts, novels, and anywhere in-between, take off your hat and stay awhile. Enjoy the atmosphere and write.  And good luck.


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## mandax (Jul 3, 2010)

thewordsmith said:


> Just as a side note, some people truly excel in the short story while others totally suck at it but are superb with full length novels. Still, others are equally at home in either form. So, I guess my last word of advice here would be find your ... well, I was going to say comfort zone but that would not be quite right. If you get too comfortable, you are not trying yourself enough. So, find the medium where you feel at home. And, if you are at home anywhere ... either in shorts, novels, and anywhere in-between, take off your hat and stay awhile. Enjoy the atmosphere and write.  And good luck.


 
Interesting.  It would be a great relief to discover that I have a natural ability to crank out reasonably good novels.  One can only hope.  But if I really do find that I enjoy writing novels, I'll definitely stick to it.  Thanks.


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## Sam (Jul 3, 2010)

I don't think short stories are a good gauge of how well you'll write a novel. I never wrote any short literature until a few years ago, and had six novels under my belt at that point. Nothing other than novel-writing can prepare you for novel-writing. It's a challenge, and it's not for everyone, but my advice is to just wade right in to your elbows in it. That's the only way you'll ever find out if you're ready.


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## Killer Croc (Jul 3, 2010)

mandax said:


> Killer Croc, you're probably right about me always wondering if I could have done a better job.  I guess worst-case scenario is that I finish the novel and decide to write it over again.  I think I can handle that.



In that case I wish you only the best in your future writing endeavors


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## thewordsmith (Jul 12, 2010)

> Originally posted by *Sam W*: I don't think short stories are a good gauge of how well you'll write a novel. I never wrote any short literature until a few years ago, and had six novels under my belt at that point. Nothing other than novel-writing can prepare you for novel-writing. It's a challenge, and it's not for everyone, but my advice is to just wade right in to your elbows in it. That's the only way you'll ever find out if you're ready.


 
Zackly my point! But some people do have a natural affinity for one form or another. And some have the mental flexability to excel in either short stories or novels, depending upon the story they need/want to tell.


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## Kat (Jul 14, 2010)

mandax said:


> Killer Croc, you're probably right about me always wondering if I could have done a better job.  I guess worst-case scenario is that I finish the novel and decide to write it over again.  I think I can handle that.


 
That's right where I am. Actually it's my second novel but finished it, edited it and still not happy. So I'm going to write it again. It's a learning experience. And I've got all the plot lines and characters built and ready to go. 

So just go for it and have fun.


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## Sam (Jul 14, 2010)

Kat said:


> That's right where I am. Actually it's my second novel but finished it, edited it and still not happy. So I'm going to write it again. It's a learning experience. And I've got all the plot lines and characters built and ready to go.
> 
> So just go for it and have fun.



I wrote my first novel four times, the last one being my most recent novel. This is the only one I'm happy with. Don't be afraid of rewriting. A good author knows when something is worth editing and when to start again from scratch.


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## rachelthorn (Jul 17, 2010)

There isn't a right or wrong time to start writing a novel. It all depends on if you are prepared to put forth the effort. I started writing my first novel at 14 but then I stopped in the middle of it and threw it away. I just wasn't focused and didn't want to take the time to perfect my craft because I was more worried about other things at that time. Now that I am older and have more writing experience under my belt, I can truly say that the novel I am working on now is my first novel because I'm going to finish it, not write it half-ass or stop in the middle of it and chunk it. 

I also believe that you are your own worst critic. I know I am. I've had people telling my writing is good but thats not good enough for me. I actually want constructive criticism because that is what makes you a better writer.


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