WRITE NOW (3) – Making a
Start
Suppose you have
made the decision but don’t know where to start, what then? You can begin with
a plot outline, write a synopsis of the novel you imagine taking shape, set the
scene and broadly define the characters. Or you could just begin to write and see
what happens. It might be that you struggle with plot structure and this is
preventing you from moving forward. Sometimes you just have to start writing
and see where it leads. After a while you will begin to put shape to the work
so that by the time the first chapter is written a story is forming in your
mind and it is beginning to take shape on the page too. If you approach writing
in this way you will soon learn that characters take on their own personas, so
much so that you will feel them leading you into the narrative and dialogue.
Certain characters will act and speak in ways that are in keeping with who they
are becoming. This is both surprising and exciting.
Are you a
potential writer? Is ambition and discipline enough or do you have to have a
special talent too? How can you know? The only way to find out is to have a go.
But there will probably be some positive indications that give you that green
light signal. If you love reading that is a start. Few novelists despise
reading, most are lovers of literature. As one great writer has said, “If you
don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write.
Simple as that.” (Stephen King).
Do you have a
favourite book? Why do you love it? If it is because you find the premise of
the book interesting, its characters credible and the dialogue engaging this
indicates that you understand something of the craft of writing. Anyone can be
a writer but it takes something special to be a good writer and a touch of
genius to be a great writer. In the immortal words of Ernest Hemingway, “There
is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
Every author
works in a different way and any counsel I give is subjective and comes from my
own experience of what works for me. Bearing that in mind, my advice is that
you write every day, five days a week for as much time as you can realistically
spare. Aim to write at least a thousand words a day, with standard margins,
spacing and font size.[1]
Leave time free
from writing too, because you need to rest your mind and refresh yourself for
the task of writing. If you do this you will have the bones of a novel in
eighty days of writing. With a couple of days off each week, this amounts to
approximately a four month period. This is achievable. However, that does not
mean the work is finished. At this stage you might want to take a break of a
couple of months, at least. That gives the work time to ferment in your head.
Then you are ready to rewrite it. Yes, you will probably have to rewrite it at
least once again. This will take the same amount of time and effort. When you
have finished that take another break and then come back and polish it, making
sure it is word-perfect and print ready. At this stage let some people read it.
Friends and family can be a good place to start but you will need a more
critical appraisal. Find somebody who knows something about literature to read
it and give you constructive feedback. When you have gleaned all you can from
this it is time to revise the work in light of helpful comments received. Allow
several weeks for this.
You will have
gathered by now that writing a novel is likely to take at least a year of your
time. If you are willing to give that much of yourself without any guarantee
that it will ever be published you have what it takes to be a writer. Successful
writers do not lounge around waiting for inspiration, they write regularly. Writing
is about gritty determination as much (if not more) than inspiration. You must
add to that timeframe anything from three to twelve months after submission
(assuming a publisher will take a look) before you will have a decision.
Statistically, your work is more likely to be rejected than accepted.[2]
This can happen several times, lengthening the timeframe and adding to your
sense of frustration. There will be days when you wonder if it is worth it. The
writer will push through to the finish and this is more to do with perspiration
than inspiration. Writing is hard work.
Although writing
is a discipline it need not, necessarily be a chore. It does not have to be you
locked in your dungeon engaged in drudgery. I love writing. There should be a
sense of enjoyment and fulfilment. Nevertheless, it is something you do alone
and it can be lonely work. Find a time that suits you best. One person may rise
early and write for a couple of hours before breakfast when they feel most
mentally alert and creative. Another may emulate Balzac and write at night when
most people are asleep. Others may write during the day (office hours). It
depends on your circumstances and mental make-up. Just as you decide for
yourself when to write you might also want decide how much to write at each
session. This again depends on your personal make-up, preferences and the time
you have available. Some writers prefer to write in short bursts, while others
are better with more continuous stints. When and how much you write may vary
depending on your circumstances but you should try to write regularly,
preferably every day, with perhaps a day or two off each week.
You’re probably reading
this blog because you want to write, say, a novel. What is a novel? If you look
up the word novel (noun, not
adjective) in a dictionary you will find it described as a long written story
about imaginary people and events or an extended work in prose, either
fictitious or partly so, dealing with character, action, thought, etc.,
especially in the form of a story. A novel is usually about 80,000 – 120,000
words in length. It can be shorter (say 60,000 words, or longer, but not by
much, say, 130,000 words). This is a rough guide. Writing something of that
length is a major project and it will take a considerable amount of time and
effort. But if you are willing to invest that time and effort you will most
likely produce a novel. Whether it will be accepted for publication or become a
commercial success or not depends on a host of variable factors, which we will
discuss later. So, if you are ready to start the journey with me let’s get
going, and the best of luck in this wonderful adventure.
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