Under Development: Writing That First Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Writing can be a daunting task, but it can be even more daunting for those who know they want to write, but just aren't sure how to start. What do you focus on first? Should you worry about how publishable the idea is? What's the fuss about query letters, and do you need to write one?

It can make you crazy.

Here’s my advice for anyone who's brave enough to pick up the pen and start writing. These elements can help you build a strong foundation on which you can develop your skills. They also applies to those who are still trying to get their writing legs under them.

Read a Lot

One of the best ways you can develop your writer's ear is to read widely, both in your genre and market and without. You'll start seeing (and hearing) how to put together sentences and what makes a great dramatic scene. It'll also familiarize you with your genre, let you see what else has been done, and make it easier to spot cliches. When you find a book that particularly wows you, analyze it and figure out why it appeals to you so much.

(Here’s more on analyzing our favorite books)

Write a Lot

The only way to practice writing skills is to write. Don't worry about how good or bad the work is, just get it down. You have to start somewhere, and while you skinned your knees learning to walk, you'll make mistakes and fall down as you learn to write. But every time you put words together, those words get better and you grow as a writer.

Now for the more specific stuff, because that's what you really want to know, right?

Grammar and Punctuation

Brush up on the proper usage of quotation marks and em dashes, learn how to use commas and semi-colons, know how to punctuate dialogue, etc. Writers break grammar rules all the time, but to do it well, you first have to know what those rules are. Make sure you're using your tools correctly so you don't develop bad habits that will be hard to break later.

(Here’s more on what you need to know about grammar)

Point of View

I'm a firm believer that understanding POV early on will help you eliminate 90% of the common problems new writers face. A strong POV helps you show, not tell, prevents infodumping and backstory, makes it easier to know what to describe so you don't have tons of exposition, and helps create goals and stakes to keep the plot moving. Study what makes a good first person or third person point of view, the differences between limited and omniscient third, and how past and present tense narrators work.

(Here’s more on understanding point of view)

Scene Structure

Knowing how scenes work provides structure not only for your stories, but for your leaning process. You have something specific you're trying to do, which gives you something you can check your progress against. Plus, scenes are the building blocks of a novel, so understanding those gives you the skill set to write good chapters and complete novels. Learn what goals are, why stakes are so important, and how to use both to create a plot that moves your story forward.

(Here’s more on basic scene structure)

Plotting and Story Structure

It's a lot easier to write a first novel with a framework to guide you—even if it’s the barest bones of structure. Plotting is one of the hardest aspects for new writers to figure out, and it’s common for their novels to wander aimlessly, or hit a wall about 100 pages in. Illustrating an idea through plot can be challenging even for veteran writers.

Story structure offers just enough plot turning points to keep you focused and give you a target to write toward. It’s a proven method for telling a story, so it takes some of the guesswork out on how best to tell that story. Depending on the type of writer you are determines how many point you like to have before starting a novel.

(Here’s more on basic story structure and plotting)

Why I Suggest These Things

Grammar, POV, structure, and plotting are all tools that build a novel. If these are weak, it won't matter how well you write on a sentence level, because you probably won't be able to tell a compelling story. It's also easier to polish a well-built novel so it reads well, than to build a story under a lot of too-pretty-to-edit words.

What Not to Worry About

Publishing

When you're learning your craft, it doesn't matter what you write about, because the goal is to learn, not publish. We all dream that our first novel will sell (and sell big), it's rare when that actually happens. Odds are your first novel will be your starter novel and where you'll develop your skills. Knowing that going in takes the pressure off. It's just practice, so if you make a mistake, it doesn't matter.

Beautiful Writing

Write the best you can, but trying to do too much at once is a good way to get overwhelmed. Don't worry about the writing quality while you’re still building your skills. The goal is to learn how to tell a story. Once you can do that, you can learn how to make that story read as smoothly as possible.

(Here’s more on well-written books vs. great stories)

Being Perfect

Only the rare few writers are perfect when they first put words to paper. And even those who have dozens of books on the shelf still write first drafts that can make your eyes bleed. Writing is revision, and chances are you'll edit just about everything you ever write. Don’t worry if your first attempts stink. That’s normal, and even seasoned writers write bad first drafts.

These things are by no means the only things new writers have to learn, but they're a great place to start. Trying to learn it all at once is a lot of information to process, but if you take it layers at a time, you'll build a strong foundation that will make the next steps easier to absorb.

Are you considering writing your first novel? What are you worried about? If you’re past the first novel, what do you wish you knew when you wrote your first novel?

For more help on plotting or writing a novel check out my Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure.

Go step-by-step through plotting and writing a novel. Learn how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration, develop the right characters, setting, plots and subplots, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Learn how to:

• Create compelling characters readers will love
• Choose the right point of view for your story
• Determine the conflicts that will drive your plot (and hook readers!)
• Find the best writing process for your writing style
• Create a solid plot from the spark of your idea

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure also helps you develop the critical elements for submitting and selling your novel once it’s finished. You’ll find exercises on how to:

• Craft your one-sentence pitch
• Create your summary hook blurb
• Develop a solid working synopsis And so much more!

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure is an easy-to-follow guide to writing your novel or fixing a novel that isn’t quite working. 

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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