How to start a novel - with writing coach Sarah Bullen
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- Опубліковано 16 кві 2022
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I do I start a novel. Now that's a question I'm not often asked. And the reason is there's nobody really thinks about how to start or what the process of writing a novel is. Because most often, when we feel the call to write a novel it's that we have a story to tell. We want to just be writing. We want to be a writer now.
Writers should ask that question, because I would love to answer that for many of you who come to me with 20,000 words written and your whole story told, and that's when I want to ask you, well, how did you start? And more than that, how did you think you were going to continue? Because starting the novel is really a process.
Identifying what it is you're writing. And I want to put it all the way back to the very first decision you make when you decide, I want to write a novel is to interrogate what novel. And by that very specifically, I mean, what genre on what shelf in the bookstore shop I'm going to stock your book on Amazon, in which two categories.
Or ideally one, am I going to list your novel? So the first decision an author makes is getting care on that. And I can't tell you how many writers come to me with a hundred thousand word book, and I've worked on it for five years and I go to them. I'm sorry. I'm not caring what the genre of the book is.
So please get this right at the very beginning. Know what you are writing. That's how you start. And then you start by thinking, well, in this realm, in this romance, in this crime, in this Young Adult and this medical thriller in this forensic crime novel, who are the character. And what are the, what is the world that they live in?
Cause that's very important. Dystopian fiction has different worlds to crime, to thriller, to romance. So what's the world I'm creating. And then who are the characters who are the people who are going to come alive in this book? And then what. Is my hero going to have to go on. And I can frame that very specifically because the basic understanding of a novel journey, is it a, we as reader of following a hero or heroine, or is it on an adventure that is going to challenge them, stretch them, demand everything of them, make them grow, make them Scrabble and, and, and grapple with life and with an issue.
So we starting with genre, we locating it in world. What is this world we want to create in the book, but then most importantly, you are the characters and on the fourth level, who's the hero, the single hero, because as much as we can have an ensemble cost, we as readers want to follow a individual's journey.
And that's how you start a book, how you continue a novel and how are you going to read it to continue reading a novel is you start to ask yourself, what is this adventure? Hero is going on, but in a very basic way, in a very linear way, what are the events and the people and the challenges that they are going to have to encounter that is going to ask them to become more of who they are.
And these events old, we ultimately are going to call your plot, these stack together one after the other, as the page turns more and more and more these things that happen to, or hero with them. In against them are the events that drive and become your plot. Those are the beginning building blocks of novel writing.
And then how you continue a novel is you make the time you make the commitment and the discipline to ensure you're sitting in front of that blank screen. That there is time in your diary to allow these characters and this plot that you already have thought of in your head on a point form on sticky notes, on an Excel spreadsheet, call an outline, whatever word you want to use, but this journey we're going to go on that you create the time and the space for those words to form on a page.
And that's not how you just start, but how you continue writing. And unless you have enough of a journey lined up for them to go on enough obstacles, trials, allies, enemies, foes, and that, unless you have enough of the. We are going to get to 20,000 words and tell your story. So we want that to stretch. We want your book to be long enough to be an 80,000 word journey.
And that's called plotting and that's called knowing characters and that's called understanding the genre. And that's called making the discipline and time to sit and actually write the game.
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If there is a story inside you and you want to write it - then you are in the right place. Sarah Bullen is an international writing coach and author mentor. She has worked with writers for over a decade to help you to write a book.
I have loads of video lessons and written ones.
Find me at
www.thewritingroom.co.za/
When you talk about identifying genre as the first step, right behind that is making sure you understand the word count conventions for the genre you’ve chosen - especially if it is your debut book.
It’s very telling if you go to a publisher and try to get them to publish your 100k Romance. It won’t go well.
Once you know the range of words you can shoot for, it will inform your entire writing process starting with the scope of the story you want to tell.
Outlining will go a long way in helping keep to the convention while telling a whole story and it would help with pacing too.
Getting off into the weeds now but really just thought I’d throw that word count admonition out there for other beginners. I was surprised when I read about that but then it also held true with the books I have on my shelves - for the most part.
Hello’
do you have time to coach a new writer?
I would like to write a decent short story and I need some help.
I've been puzzling over where to start and who is telling the story. A new angel given a task by God has always been what is happening but I've been hesitant, careful about the scope and consequences of such a presumptuous imagination. I had too many characters in the story.
Things are falling into place and I am starting to see each chapter as a short story.
The story is about this new angel being sent to a period of dangerous times to rescue people from a gilded cage of a city. Not sure how many stories it will take to finish.
With my use of time travel it gets confusing with possibilities which is an obstacle for Travis the angel to sift through in his quest to escort a soon to be prophet fifty years into the future to be his messenger.
I've changed my starting point several times now.
Hi Sarah. I don't have a problem starting a novel or even finishing one. 😮. The problem is getting it published by a traditional publisher. There are so many Vanity Publishers. Also, 99% of the editors are impossible to find or contact. How do you guys actually make a living when you push all of your suppliers away. 😅😅. I don't understand it. 😕. I have written a trilogy and am writing another 3 books simultaneously because I enjoy writing. I tried to offer the books to the publishing world and discovered that I can, get an ulcer running my own business with less stress than trying to actually publish a good story. 😢.
It sounds to me like you're trying to do too much all at once. If your books aren't marketable, then why write them? The Writers and Artists Yearbook is an excellent resource, both for debut writers and those who are more established. Also, Alyssa Matesic's UA-cam videos on all things publishing are superb. Check her out.
It is hard. That is the honest truth. Vanity publishing is no longer really that, we call it indie publishing and its a very real and solid way to publish.
you're the same woman that was in PBS castle?