Writing Your First Novel? 5 Tips for Aspiring Novelists

If it’s your dream to write a novel, then you need these five tips for writers! Here, writer Kelly Kirkpatrick shares several inspiring pieces of advice for writing your first work of fiction…

“Many people aspire to write novels, but simply fail to get the ball rolling due to a ‘llack of time,’” she says. “Certainly, writing a novel is a time-consuming process that can end up taking its toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally.  It doesn’t have to be so painful, however, to write that novel you’ve been thinking about all these years.”

For more information on writing fiction, click on Is Life Like This?: A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months. And, here are five tips for aspiring writers… 

Writing Your First Novel? 5 Tips for Aspiring Novelists

The secret is not to get so hung up on the logistics that you prevent yourself from ever getting started.  These tips for writing fiction may make writing a novel easier than you think!

1. Know where you’re going.  Generally speaking, you should have an idea of what you want your book to be about.  This doesn’t mean that you absolutely have to stick to it 100%, but you need to have a general idea of what your book is going to be about.  Of course, your novel will go through many changes, so don’t place too many limitations on yourself and your writing.

2. Know your readership. This is extremely important, because it will seriously affect the style and manner in which the book is written.  If you are writing for young adults, your characters must be authentic and relevant.  Your use of vocabulary and language will vary depending on your audience as well.

3. Write about what you know.  It may sound very clichéd, but it is some of the best advice that every writer should take to heart.  Research can only get you so far and nothing is a substitute for real experience.  A young writer may have far less experience and insight than an older writer. Writing what you know most about will resonate more deeply with you and will show up in your novel.

4. Start your novel and keep up with it.  Stop making excuses for why you haven’t started the book and just jump in headfirst.  Start writing, and set writing goals for yourself each day.  Starting with 2,000 words a day can get your book going quite well if you keep at it every day.  Set aside some time write without worrying about anything except the story; watch as it begins to unfold before your eyes.

5. Don’t stop writing, even when you’re discouraged.  As important as it is to keep writing your novel every day, it is equally important that you don’t waste valuable time re-reading and poring over yesterday’s work.  There will be plenty of time to do that later when you begin revising.  If you spend a lot of time going back over what you’ve already written, you will have less time to get the actual writing done.  Revising and editing will be far more effective when you have a finished product to work with.

If you have any comments, questions, or novel writing tips, I welcome your feedback below!

Kelly Kilpatrick writes on the subject of distance learning universities.

Category: Books, Editing Tips, Fiction Writers, Revising & Rewriting Tips, Writers Voice & Style, Writing Tips