How do I start writing a Novel?

You are defeniatly on the right track with the making an outline thing. I don't do that for every story, but I should because when I do it always turns out better. One thing you should do is make sure you know what your story is about, some things/events you want to include in the story and where you want the story to end up. Something else you could do to help you get started is make notes on your main characters, and maybe some of the flatter characters....maybe figure out where they are going to be in the story and what they're going to do! Good luck!!! :)

You need to keep some paper handy at all times to be able to write when thought of .Where it goes you can figure later.Enough time will go buy with your writing to put a book together.Provided you stay interested and with it. Good Luck

Basically, you start writing and when you have a full first draft then you can go back and do all the editing you need to do. I believe the problem here is that you need to forget about the formality and start to write. Afterwards you can do all the adjusting, putting in and taking out you need to do.

Writing any kind of story takes a lot of time and patience. It also helps if you have some kind of basic knowledge of the kind of novel you're writing. So for a teen romance novel, you might want to have read quite a few. Myself, I write a variety of stories, most ending up with a mix of all the various elements. For example, I might write an action/adventure, but since it takes place in another galaxy or on a spaceship, it would automatically fall under the category of science fiction. As for how to begin the process, I would suggest doing as you say you have. Write a basic outline of what you hope to have happen. Think of it as being that single paragraph to describe what occurs in the book that appears on each cover. This is a good way of doing it, since you'll eventually have to distill your story into a paragraph or two while seeking an agent and publisher. After you have that paragraph or two idea, think about how you want to see it occur. If you can, picture it as if you're watching a movie version of what you want to see happen. Sometimes, a writer will see their story in their mind as if on a movie screen even as they're writing the words. Outline a rough draft of what's going to go in each chapter, and how many chapters you want. Some teen romance novels are around 12-19 chapters, sometimes more. Most only have 5-10 pages in each chapter, depending on the popularity of the author and the manner in which it is written and printed. Once you have a rough draft, take a few days to forget about it, and do one of two things: either take the rough draft out and see if there's anything that fits in another part of the story. Say, a scene might be better in chapter two rather than chapter 13. The other thing you can do is try and write the same draft from memory, and in general, you're going to find a much better draft having been written the second time when you compare the two. As you begin writing the actual novel, make sure that you have a good understanding of not only the subject matter, but what the teens who read it would be knowledgeable of. For example, mentions of texting and other such endeavors on cell phones, how they are programming their iPods, etc., would be something that teens today would talk about with their friends; if your character is one of those people who talks with several people, perhaps a scene with them talking about some scandal, either real or made up, would be appropriate. And, as much as most teens will deny it, there is the fact that a great number are completely absorbed in their own little world. In my own experience, I've been barely two feet from getting off the bus in my town when a horde of teens barge past me. And we're not talking the ones that are just out of school; this could be a summer day at 10 in the morning, and you have up to five teens doing so. In essence, try and capture the existence of teenage life and, if need be, sensationalize it. Because fiction is supposed to be the escape of the mind from the every day drudge of living. Books or movies are supposed to be the doorway to other worlds which we can lose ourselves in. I wish you well in your endeavors. And if you do get frustrated when it comes to the publishing stage, take a look at your book, its length, and its content, and wonder why a reputable publisher wouldn't take it. I didn't do that. As writers, we tend to think our writings will change the world like every best-selling authors words seem to. But if every author in the world managed to do that, than the world would have very few people in it, because we'd be killing each other over whose philosophy was right. I grew frustrated, and went with a disreputable publisher who insists that I should purchase my own books to sell them. This would be more of a loss to me than a gain, so I am merely waiting for my contract to finish up, which is next July. All other books I'm working on, I will be sending only to reputable literary agents and publishers. Good luck, and if you ever need inspiration, I would recommend buying the book entitled How I Got Published. It is a compilation of a number of writers' experiences in getting that first sale. Among the names are Clive Cussler, J.A. Jance, and several other writers of some repute. I find the book to be very inspirational in the darker times.

Hi, research is very important. The more detail to the story...the better the story. Now, think about the unique roles your characters play in the story, where does your story take place, what conflict is happening within the story, how does the main character overcome obstacles, etc... There will be times when you run out of ideas, but don't fret. Jot down notes for future reference. See the story unfold within your mind and write the manuscript as it breathes new life. Example of a PROLOGUE (Beginning of story)... (1) At the lake is where the couple forgot about the rest of the world. Barefoot and sitting on the weathered pier with blue jeans cuffed just below their knees, they'd kick into the warm water, the playful splashes drawing the curious eyes of small minnow and... Prologue written by myself...

I'm actually trying to write a novel, and it's no easy thing. You can read tons of books on the best way to write a novel, but everyone has their own opinion. As for me, I just try to write organically, meaning that I don't make a plan or outline or anything. I have an idea for the beginning and the ending, and then I just write and see where the story takes me. Sometimes I'm surprised by the twists and turns. You should be researching all along the way. One thing you should avoid, though, is editing your work as you go. The first draft of any work is almost always going to be a piece of junk, but at least you have something down, something to work with. Remember that we are always our own worst critics. Good luck.

Well, I really advice you to decide the kind of story you want to write and also the background as well as reason why you're writing it. But it seems like you have all of them already. =) Cheers. And next step is realize the whole stories, so you will never get stuck in the middle of your own novel. =) Once you know the story, and once you confirm that it is originally yours, I suggest you to 'watch' in your imagination for couple of days, rather than writing it right away, so you will be more firmed about the overall story. once you get it, just simply write or type your ideas. =) Hope I can help.

whatever it is..... write a few sample chapters and approach a publisher or literary agent. Then you will know if your book is OK or not. Instead of writing a full manuscript, sending only a few chapters saves you a lot of time. You can get some information on this site: http://www.leadstartcorp.com In case you want to self-publish, you can go ahead with whatever you have in mind.

hi! you have to write your plot first then from that point on you can develop each of the major parts of your story. If you are yet unsure of your story, you may write the important parts so you can further write other events that you want to present in your story.

There is a fantastic book you should get hold of called How to write a novel in 30 days. It basically challenges you to write a certain number of words everyday without worrying too much about the content which you can polish up afterwards. Getting started and creating volume are 2 of the biggest hurdles and the advice in this book helps you get over them. once you have the basic novel on paper you can edit it to your heart's content. Good luck!

I am in process of writing my first book. It has been interesting, and a lot more work than I anticipated! Like you, I started with an idea, then an outline. Then I started writing the chapters. I found as I wrote that ideas would pop in as I mentally created the experience and became one of the characters. I would have to revise the outline to accomodate them. Towards the end, I realized that I couldn't get where I wanted to be without adding some detail farther back. That meant going back and revising. I am now on the last chapter, but already know I have some revising to do. I want to finish the rough draft first, then go back and pull it together. I am betting I will revise it two or three times before I'm happy with the whole thing. Good luck! I think the best way to start is just start writing. Once you see your idea on paper and put yourself in the situation as a character, you will see how to proceed from there.

Get inspiration and you can write anything. Once you are inspired, more words will come to your mind.

A good start is half the success.In fact,there is no beginging is agood start.Good work is beyond human thinking was logical.The more people look to undersstand it,the more good music.How to think on such a write .I wish you success!

writing is my favorite when i was in high school.i published several articles at that time.they are not novels.writing a novel is not a easy thing ,i think.you must have rich experiences.anyway,it's hard to start anything,i wish you good luck.

Hi getbrowser, I think the first thing is to have a broad picture of what you want to write about, including main characters, and locations. That's how I satrted, and three years, and many rewrites later, I finished the novel. However getting published, well that's another thing altogether.

I wrote tons of teenage romance novels that me and my friends feast upon. Ah, hopeless romantics. I agree about making an outline. As a journalist, it helped me a lot too. With a draft, you could always put a line like "Insert scene where the girl will meet the boy at the local diner". I do that because I feel that if I stick to writing contiguously, I cannot finish the story soon enough. I usually start with a very dramatic scene, something that makes the readers crave for more. The beginnings of novels are usually the reason why readers continue to read to the next pages. You don't have to describe everything about your character like when you were asked to introduce yourself at the start of classes. You have to be creative about your "introductions". Also, don't always state everything. Try to give them the right to think and wonder. Make them seek the answers. Make them search for more. You do not need to have your own signature style of writing. As a beginner, you could experiment with various types of plots, various kinds of characters, and various settings. It always makes writing very interesting. When I feel like giving up in the middle of the novel, I always think back the hardships I encountered while writing it. Friends anticipate a new story and they ask me almost everyday about it. It makes me guilty for thinking of giving up the thing. Just enjoy what you are writing. Be inspired. Be motivated.

I will be interested to see how people answer this one because I want to write too,, but haven't really done anything about it, except to write blogs etc. I would say (and I think this is what I am going to try) just write. Because for me, the biggest obstacle seems to be starting, because I am so perfectionist - I will never start anything if I can't do it right, or finish it if I think its going wrong, and I know thats a problem I have. So I am trying to write every day - this is one of the reasons I came onto mylot, to just start writing again and getting used to putting my ideas and views down. Another thing I am trying to do is to write about what I know. I feel I can have an authentic voice to my writing if I write from my own experience. That doesn't mean it has to be autobiographical but just taking things, feels, people and situations that ring true to you because you know them in some way. Do let us know when you have written something!!

Writing a novel needs encouragement and inspiration. You can hardly write something when you don't have anything to encourage and inspire you. But the inspiration begin within yourself by putting determination that you can be a great writer.

Research begins with the type of story you are writing. Is it fiction or nonfiction? For instance, if you are writing about a nonfictional place in the country, collect information on the landscape, the trees, the flowers, the types of berries, wildlife and so forth. If you're leaning toward a fictional place, let's say...a strange land where magic or other forces beyond the mundane are concerned, let your mind wander. And on another note, remember this... Nonfiction stories lean closer to what is REALLY real. Fiction stories wobble around in the realm of imagination.

I think you are on the right track. Whenever the inspiration arises, write down what you are feeling. It will very scattered at first, but then you can begin the process of peicing it all together. Good Luck to you!