If you have an idea for a novel and are trying to get organised, here are six things you should do before you begin.
Writing a novel requires a certain level of organisation. You’ve probably done a lot of research, made notes and drawn up a scene plan, but that may not be enough to make actually writing it any easier. For some, the pre-writing phase lasts a matter of days or weeks, while others may spend years building themselves up to it.
However long you’ve spent thinking about your novel, there comes a point where you have to sit down and write. As you get ready to pen your story, these six things will help you get fully prepared.
Get your notes together and put them in order
Notetaking can be a messy business. You may have made jottings on sheets of paper, typed ideas into a Word document or saved them on your phone, but your notes are probably spread about the place. The first thing you need to do is gather them all together.
Consolidating your notes in one file will make them more accessible, so you’ll have all the ideas and information you’ll need at your fingertips. Sort them in some kind of logical way to make things easier to find, that way you won’t interrupt the writing flow for too long as you hunt for the character profile or facts you need.
Brainstorm ideas
In order to keep your imagination fed while you’re writing, you should brainstorm ideas for your plot. You might, for example, have a particular scene on your mind, and brainstorming all the different ways it could play out may take your story in another direction.
The more brainstorming you do, the more creative your writing will be. This could be the genesis of a solid outline you could work from, or it could just be a way to shape the story in your mind and familiarise yourself with the world and characters.
Work out the chronology
Stories don’t have to be told in a linear fashion, and working out the chronology of your narrative before starting can help you make sense of where different scenes will sit. Knowing how act one, act two and act three will unfold gives your book some structure before you start.
It’s also worth putting your notes and brainstorming ideas in sequence order too. That makes it easier to find the relevant notes when you need them.
Create character outlines
Character profiles are a great way to get to know your characters before you start work. The more you know about their personalities and histories, the more realistic they will seem on the page. Detailed profiles for main characters and basic profiles for minor ones will also help you keep track of who everyone is and what their relationships are to each other.
There are plenty of character outlining templates available online, or you could come up with your own. Either way, flesh out your characters before you start writing, even if much of that information never makes it into the pages.
Do writing exercises
A good way of psyching yourself up for tackling a novel is to do writing exercises, especially if they can be made to relate to the story you have planned. This helps you turn your novel over in your head and experiment with it on the page.
Writing exercises are almost always quick and can be treated as a warm-up before you tackle a much bigger project. Pick a couple to do each day and get the creative juices flowing, they’ll also help with building the discipline needed to maintain a writing routine.
Talk it over
Do you have a fellow writer you can talk over your project with, or a trusted friend who loves to read? Find someone who will give you their honest opinion and talk over your plot with them. They may be able to pick up on plot holes you can’t see as the author, or characters they want to know more about.
Talking it over also introduces an element of accountability. If someone else knows you’re writing a novel, it’s going to feel very awkward if they ask you how it’s going and you don’t have any progress to report.
Writing a novel can be a really daunting task, but some of the anxiety can be removed by ensuring you’re as well-prepared as possible. If you follow these six tips, they should help you feel primed and ready to write. Best of luck!
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