Matt Hayward - If you're in search of tips for writing a novel, here's your first tip: search for something more substantial. A tip here or there will not provide you with enough information to help you write a novel. You need more. Try an online co...
Matt Hayward - If you're in search of tips for writing a novel, here's your first tip: search for something more substantial. A tip here or there will not provide you with enough information to help you write a novel. You need more. Try an online course, for instance. Or seek out the guidance of a professional writer. Anything more substantial than a few quick tips.
With that said, a few solid tips by Matt Hayward can provide you with the motivation to get started and a rough idea of how to start. So here they are ...
1: Don't Start Until You Know These
Some writers love to outline the novel in its entirety before they write a single word. Other writers prefer to sketch out a few notes and jump right in. Either way, you choose to approach writing your novel before a single word goes on paper, you need to know these:
- Who the story is about
- The primary driving conflict of the story
- Who or what opposes the story's main character
- How it all turns out
If at a minimum, these four issues are clear in your mind, then you can feel somewhat comfortable in getting started on your novel.
2. Save Your Research For Later
Matt Hayward - It's easy to get caught up in researching every little aspect of your story, from settings to careers to how things work. Don't get bogged down in research. When you come to a section that requires research, mark it as such, and keep writing. You can come back later and fill in the blanks. Research can be a novel killer if you let it consume you.
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3: Don't Write A Novel, Write A Scene
The idea of writing a novel can be overwhelming. Don't let it overwhelm you. A novel isn't written all at once. It's written scene by scene. So approach it that way. Write one scene at a time. Don't worry about the rest of the story, just focus on getting that one scene completed.
4: Plan On Writing More Than A Single Draft
Matt Hayward says if you want to free yourself to write faster and better, then face the fact early on that you'll be doing several drafts. There's the first draft, written as fast as possible. There's the second draft, where you focus on the plot, making sure that everything works, tossing out extra scenes, adding in scenes that are missing. There's the third draft, in which you clean up your punctuation, make sure your sentences make sense, etc. Finally, there's the optional four draft, when you give the novel one more run through. Accept that you'll be writing more than a single draft and a huge load will come off your shoulders. Suddenly, you don't have to be perfect. You can write with joy and freedom!
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5: Write
Out of all the tipsfor writing a novel that I could offer, this is the only one that trulymatters. If you want to write a novel, you have to write. Not occasionally. Notonly when the muse strikes you. Not only when the rest of the family is out ofthe house. No, you have to write every day. Even if it's only for fifteenminutes. You must sit down and apply words to paper each and every day.
