Writing a Novel

This has been something I've been trying to do for a while. Writing a novel is no way a small task. It takes years to perfect and complete a novel and even then, you have to find a publisher to pick up your work. Unlike with blogging, writing a novel does not grant instant feedback. Once you post something, people can see it instantly. When you're writing a novel, you're mostly relying on yourself and a few select others for feedback. You have to spend an immense amount of time changing things and removing them based on what you think is good. I haven't completed a full scale novel yet, and honestly I'm not that close but I can share my insight on what I think would be helpful in writing a novel.

1) Find somebody who will read your drafts. Consider this person a beta tester. They're going to be the one to read your crappy drafts and tell you whats wrong with it and what isn't. This is someone who you'll trust with your ideas and who won't go and run off to write their own novel with your plot points. They'll encourage you to keep writing and you'll have someone who is looking forward to what you're writing.

2)Don't start from the beginning. Unless of course, you really want to. Start from the scene that pops into your head. There is no rule that says that you have to start from the beginning before you get to the climax. You can work backwards, and still send it to your beta reader who will be happy to read it. Just make sure you fill them in on what happens prior to that event in the story.

3) Write everyday. This is something that I'm struggling with right now. Nobody has time to write every single day. You know your schedule. If you have ten minutes to kill before you go out, then just write then. It doesn't have to focus on your novel either. Even blogging will help you strengthen your writing skills.

4) Get a blog. Getting a blog will create a fan base. With a fan base, it'll be much easier to get a publisher's attention.

5) Decide whether or not you want to self publish. Do you want to go through an agent, or avoid the hassle and publish it yourself? I'm no expert in publishing, therefore you must do your research on which is the better option for you.

Those were just some quick tips that have helped me in my writing journey. I hope they'll be of use to you. As always, thank you for reading!!