Do you have an idea for a novel, but you’re not sure how to start writing it? Need some help getting your story ideas onto the page? You’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, I’ll explain how to start writing a novel once you have an idea for the general story.
(Note: This is the blog version of a video I posted to my YouTube channel. If you prefer watching fiction-writing advice over reading it, check out the video below.)
How to Start Writing a Novel, Based on an Idea
How do I start writing a novel once I have an idea? This is a common question among new fiction writers, and rightfully so. The idea of starting a book can seem daunting, especially for those who’ve never been through the process (and even for us veteran writers).
But don’t worry. I’ve got your back. In this blog post, and the accompanying video, I’ll share five of the techniques and strategies I use when I’m ready to start writing a novel from a general idea. These tips will help you get unstuck so you can start putting your story onto the page.
1. Start capturing your thoughts.
If you have an idea for a novel, I’m willing to bet you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it. Maybe you’ve even imagined specific scenes or events that take place in the story, or snippets of dialogue, or certain details relating to your main characters.
The question is, have you written them down anywhere? Have you captured them?
If not, now is the time to start. Like today.
Buy yourself a $9 notebook or create a new document on your computer, label it with the working title for your novel, and capture those ideas that keep racing through your head. Because take it from me — there’s a good chance you won’t remember them later.
You might think: “Oh, that’s a great idea for a scene, I’ll have to remember that for later.” But then real life comes at you with all of its hassles and responsibilities, and just like that you’ve forgotten that really awesome scene before you’ve even started writing your novel. I speak from experience.
Whenever I start a new novel, I go to my local drug store and buy a spiral-bound notebook. I write the book’s title on the cover. And I use it to capture any story-related thoughts or ideas that pass through my mind.
Sometimes I pick it up and just start writing a scene, even if that scene will end up somewhere toward the middle or end of the novel. The idea is to capture it all, so you can refer back to it later when you start writing your novel.
2. Think about your protagonist.
Have you spent some time thinking about your book’s protagonist? If not, you’ve got some work to do.
You can start writing a novel based on a general story idea you have in your head. But you won’t get very far until you’ve “fleshed out” your protagonist. After all, it’s their story you’re telling.
What is a protagonist, exactly? This word comes from the Greek for protos (meaning first in importance) and agonistes (meaning actor, or character in this case). So the protagonist is, quite literally, the most important character in your novel.
You don’t have to know the full story at this stage. You can figure some things out as you go along, working through it chapter by chapter. But you have to know some things about your protagonist, your most important character.
The more you know about your main character, the easier it will be to write their story. When you have a pretty good sense of who this person is, and what they want, you’ll be ready to start writing your novel.
One thing I like to do is create a character diary for my protagonist, and sometimes for other major characters. This idea is simple but powerful. You start writing some diary or journal entries in the voice and POV of your protagonist. Just let the words flow, stream-of-consciousness style. You channel their thoughts onto the page, like a spiritual medium. Then you step back and examine what they’ve said.
FYI: I’ve explained the character diary method in more detail here.
3. Look for the conflict.
Stories are all about conflict. This is true for all kinds of fiction, whether it’s a sci-fi novel or a romantic drama. You’ll have an easier time writing your novel if you develop conflict early on.
Think of one of your favorite novels. Chances are, there’s some kind of conflict at the heart of the story. Or maybe even multiple conflicts.
You have an idea for the novel, and you’re ready to start writing it. But does the story have conflict? Without conflict, there can be no drama. And without drama, readers will be less likely to keep turning the pages.
Think of it this way: Your character wants or needs something, but an obstacle arises. So your character attempts to overcome that obstacle. Then another (bigger) challenge presents itself, forcing your character to “rise above” yet again. And so you progress to the biggest challenge of all, which is the climax.
4. Aim for progress, not perfection.
First-time writers sometimes feel overwhelmed when they attempt to starting writing a novel. It can seem like a daunting task, at first.
These fears often stem from the belief that the story has to be perfect, as you’re putting it down on the page. Free yourself from that notion. The first draft is all about “getting it down,” getting the story onto the page. That’s your primary objective at this stage.
Once you’ve finished the novel, you can put it aside for a while — a week or two, at least. Then you come back for round two (and round three, and round four, or as many as it takes). This is when you polish the prose and trim the fat.
But during the first draft, don’t strive for perfection. Strive for progress. Focus on getting the story down.
5. Focus on the story instead of the plot.
Over the years, I’ve learned that many writers get hung up on plot, to the point they can’t even write the story. I call this “analysis paralysis.” You analyze the story structure to the point that it paralyzes your writing. This condition is especially common among first-time writers.
So, as with point #4 above, let me ease that burden for you. It’s okay to start writing a novel without a firm plot in mind or on paper. In fact, many writers work better this way. I happen to be one of them.
I typically develop a general idea of where my story is going, and who my characters are, and then I just move forward — scene by scene, chapter by chapter.
The point is, you don’t have to know the entire plot or storyline for your novel in advance. You can just start writing the story, based on the idea you have in mind.
You’ll need a protagonist to get started, and that character should have some kind of goal or objective. But that’s really all you need in the beginning. Add in some conflict, in the form of an antagonist and major obstacles, and you’re off to the races.
If you’re anything like, you’ll start generating scene and plot ideas while you’re writing. This is another reason why you should have a notebook on hand, to jot down those ideas as they emerge. But you don’t need to have the entire plot laid out to start writing a novel.
Now, don’t you feel better knowing that?