Writing Your First Novel

You've always wanted to be the next big novelist, but you have no idea where to start. Very few people can just sit down in one sitting and write a full-length novel. We all have hectic lives and many things that pull us away from our writing. We have families, jobs, chores, school involvement - the list can go on forever. Yet, a writer must write. This is just a fact of life.

Writers are creative personalities with the desire to write. A writer of fiction might speak of a specific character speaking to them. While people that aren't in the profession might not understand, fellow writers feel their pain. Characters often urge a writer on, occasionally to the point of tormenting the writer as well as inspire. Ignoring or procrastinating a writer's need can lead to emotional fallout. What writers and other artists refer to as "the Muse" is relentless in its inability to let one sleep at night, and keeps one from paying full attention to important demands with the thoughtfulness we would otherwise give them.

But how does a writer find the time to write the next incredible novel in between their day-to-day stresses? First of all, set priorities! We can't ignore our families or our jobs, but we can prioritize. Write when children are asleep or at school. Set a daily schedule to allow yourself a few hours to write. Plan play dates for your children or get a neighbor to babysit for a few hours and take that time to write. If you think you can manage without vacuuming for a day, take a little of your housekeeping time to write. It's amazing how much a person can get done in just a few hours a day of peace and quiet.

Get a notebook and try to flesh out your chapters. That way you've got notes to follow on those days that you're staring at a blank screen trying to figure out what comes next. As you consult your notes, more ideas will come. Being organized is a must. A five-subject notebook works best. You can dedicated a subject to your characters. Give them personalities and make notes on what place they have in your story.

Why not write your synopsis first? That way you have your entire work more or less plotted - beginning, middle, and end. This will help to keep you focused, and keep you from going off on tangents that waste time.

Keep a small notebook with you at all times. Everywhere you go, you're introduced to people, conversations, and various other things that will spark ideas in your mind. Use this notebook to jot down ideas as they come.

Do your research for the novel on a specific day each week. Your writing time is valuable. Don't waste time researching when you are supposed to be writing.

Having your own space to write and concentrate is the most important. Quiet is necessary as the Muse influences and inspires. Any outside noise and confusion will chase off your muse quickly. Establish your own space where no one will bother you. Instill boundaraies so that your family knows that this is your space and you're not to be bothered. If you can't establish your own space at home, try going to the local library.

Do you know what fosters your muse? Some writers must have absolute solitude without a single background noise. Others need music or television on in the background, but this is purely an individual choice and varies from writer to writer. There is no right or wrong. Whatever makes you more productive is definitely the way to go.

Last, but definitely not least - never give up. Life is always going to threaten to get in the way of your novel. Having confidence in yourself and your abilities is necessary for a novel to be completed. Keep the Muse alive and the Muse will help to guide you to your goal. First novels are published in spite of all the naysayers out there who say it's almost impossible. The next first novelist could very well be you!