How to Start Writing Your Novel
- 1). Set aside a quiet place and time.
This place might be in your house, but if your house is chaotic, take a laptop to a restaurant and sit in a quiet corner.
Steven King stated out writing in his laundry room. J.K. Rowling started out in a local cafe. The key is, do what works for you. Make sure you have what you need (a cup of water, for instance) so you don't have to get up. Let the phone answer itself. - 2). Glue your bottom to a chair.
Set a timer for an hour, (or what works for you,) and don't stop until it rings. Unless the house is on fire or your foot falls asleep, don't get up.
Family and friends may not understand this, especially if you're a generous, helpful person.
Ignore them. This is your writing time. - 3). Write, write, write.
Start writing about anything; the tree outside your window or your eccentric Uncle Bob. This will "loosen" your writing muscles; sort of like stretching before running. - 4). A few ways to start:
Keep a daily journal. You might want to mine it for ideas, and you might not. Sometimes you can slide from your journal-writing directly into your novel.
Use a story-starter. Books have been sold with story-starters, or click on the link below.
Describe your hero. Tell us everything about this person; from their hair color to their secret desire, to their most disgusting personal habit.
Outline a plot. Remember, a plot is two dogs and one bone, so you need a conflict. What problem needs to be overcome, and how will your hero overcome it? How will this ordeal change your hero?
Read. Especially read the kind of books you want to write. First, this will give you inspiration. Second, it will teach you what good writing is all about. - 5). Make mistakes.
Don't worry, you will; everyone makes miskates. Write quickly, getting your thoughts down. Come back later to fix the typos and grammar.
Expect to throw lots away. That's okay. Your readers probably don't want to know your hero's most disgusting habit anyway.
For some people, the very thought of their imnnermost thoughts being out there for others to read and criticize is enough to stop them from writing. Worry about that later. For now, just write.
Source...