Novel Writing Tips

Since I am an aspiring novelist, this last week I read Get That Novel Started! (And Keep It Going ‘Til You Finish) by Donna Levin and it was full of wonderful tips that I want to share for those of you who want to start a novel but don’t know where to start.

My favorite tip that was one of the most helpful was to begin by just writing ten minutes a day. The reason is simple; it will get you writing daily. I have made so much progress in my novel from just writing at least ten minutes and it feels so good!

This next tip that has just made my characters come alive is to write a biography about your main characters. Include so much about who your character is that it is not even possible to include half of the information in your novel. There are lots of great questions to consider in the book like “Who are the most important people in the characters life?” or “What is the biggest problem she faces?” (69). Here are some other ideas:

Another majorly helpful suggestion was to outline the book in chapters and write in detail what happens in each chapter. This exercise helps with envisioning the book as a whole and helps with transitions and moving you forward in your writing.

This helpful tip is about “relying more on scenes and less on narration” (106). Levin says, “scenes are the bricks of your novel” (106). This tip also means more showing and less telling.

The book is also full of wonderful inspirational quotes like, “The more you want to be a writer, the more likely you will succeed” (38). So get that novel started! I know I have! :)

Note: The added images are related to the concepts in the book but not from the book.