C.B. Ward

When I told my friends and family that I had written a novel, the first question many of them asked was “how did you do it?” I told different people different things, so I compiled all of my suggestions here that may help you kickstart your writing journey.

1. Have an idea. Maybe it’s an idea that you’ve had since middle school. Maybe it’s a new idea based on a trope generator online. Or maybe it’s a mix of all the books you’ve wanted to write throughout your whole life. The idea doesn’t have to be 100% set in stone; it will get fleshed out during your plotting and writing. My first novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo (RIP) was based off of a college entrance essay. My novel I’m publishing in May (The Final Vendor) was based off of my experiences with the wedding industry.
2. Set realistic goals. If you are a high-powered consultant working 70 hours a week, then 2000 words per day may not be realistic. Or if you have kids in sports and a hectic schedule, then maybe you have to split up your word count throughout the day. Any word count is phenomenal: a lot of people take years to write their novel. I used to only write in November for NaNoWriMo and stuck to the 1667 words recommendation in order to achieve 50k words in a month. For The Final Vendor, I decided to write it over the span of 3 months in the summer, and that was admittedly difficult. I had to quit some of my hobbies to keep up with writing. I wrote in the evenings after work, and during the day on the weekends. If you’re only able to set 30 minutes a day, set that time specifically for writing. If you have breaks at work, block off “focus time” on your calendar. If you think you can wake up early and get words in before the chaos of the day, do it. Do what works for you.
3. Plotting and characters. I will go more in depth on my writing process in a later blog post, but finding character sheets online was extremely helpful. Then for plot, I used the Save the Cat Method at first, but changed to a plotting exercise for romance stories.
4. Just start writing! This is one of the biggest leaps you have to take. Once you start typing, or writing in a notebook, or voice dictating, it gets way easier to do. If you have a scene in your head that you’ve been mulling over for weeks, write it down, even if it’s not in chronological order. It is imperative to get the creative flow in your brain up and running, and you will get a feel for your personal writing style: what works or does not work with your writing set-up, what aspects are easier or harder, and what real life distractions you have. It does not have to be “good” or grammatically correct. Just write!

Let me know if you want me to elaborate on any of the points. Happy writing!