How to Write a First Novel – 10 Simple Steps

As an aspiring soon-to-become author, you might already understand the complexity of launching your first novel. Nowadays, crafting a brilliant book, similar to dissertation writing, is not only about the ideas you have or the writing skills you possess.

Today, writers and authors are surrounded by options, opportunities, and many distractions. Today, becoming a highly successful novel author is truly possible, yet extremely challenging. Today, it is best to do your homework before attempting to begin writing!

For those simple reasons, in today’s post, I’m going to help you get your novel writing journey started by teaching you 10 simple steps for fiction writing success. Take some notes and do your best to apply it all!

Put the Fundamental Pieces Together – What, Why, How?

First, why do you want to publish a novel? Every author has his own definition of success – so what is yours?

• Do you feel that you’re meant to be a great fiction writer?
• Do you have a strong desire to make an impact on other people’s lives with your words?
• Are you doing it for the money? Is your book going to be affordable? Expensive?
• Are you doing it for the fame?

You need to understand the real reason why you made the decision of writing a novel in the first place. Once you connect the dots, the missing details will all fall into place and you’ll know what to write, how to write it, whether you’ll self-publish or not, and how success looks like.

Establish Optimistic Yet Realistic Goals

When you start writing a novel, you need to set realistic goals. Of course, every goal should be optimistic. The problem is that many beginners set high goals, they get attached to them, and when they see they can’t do it, their morale immediately drops.

In order to avoid self-sabotage, make sure you set a big goal (the mission) and split it into smaller ones (goals). Focus on goals consistently and their accomplishment will lead you towards the end of your mission (finish writing/publish successfully/become a best seller)

Keep Your Research in One Organized Place

The biggest trap in planning, writing, and launching a fiction book is the mess that might come with it. A novel supposes the plot, the characters, the twists, the secondary details, and so much more.

Never keep your ideas in your head – put them down somewhere you can find them. Organize your research and plans in order to avoid chaos. Each writer does it in its own way – some do it online, I prefer the old-fashioned ways (A4 papers, categories, and sections).

Focus on the Outline

To create an exceptional custom essay, you must focus on your outline. That’s where the real magic comes from – written planning.

When it comes to a novel, you need to double that focus and ensure that everything falls into place before you get started.

Do not start writing your book before you establish your destination!

Commit to Write Every Day

When I was a student, I decided to write a non-fiction book (self-help related) by the time I graduate. I’ve gathered all the tips and tricks I could possibly gather for free, I talked to numerous successful authors, and I did all my planning well.

The real problem was that deep down, I wasn’t ready to start writing, so I kept procrastinating even though I had it all. I was blocked.

I see this happening to so many promising writers, and I think the main reasons for it are confidence and commitment.

If you are confident, you can put words down right now. If you are frightened, you’ll always avoid. Once and if you gain your confidence, you MUST commit to writing a bit every day.

It really doesn’t matter how many pages you write – what matters is that you connect with the process daily and you turn it into a habit. If you write every day for a month, you’ll have no trouble finishing your novel in a successful fashion!

Get to the End of the Story Before Editing and Polishing

Do not stop and edit before you finish your story!

Write to build a flow. Use that flow to create momentum and use the momentum to be effective and productive each day. Once you finish your story, you can start fixing the little details!

Find Your Writing Retreat

Every writer should have a place where he or she can feel totally relaxed and “in the mood for writing”.

This place has to be special to you. It can be outside, inside, in the bed, or wherever. Every time you want to be productive, use this retreat to boost your productivity. If a spot becomes distracting, find another one!

Read and Study the Best Similar Novels

Even if your novel is completely original and unique, you should “study” the competition thoroughly. That means you should pick up some books and study other author’s techniques.

Pay attention to the details that matter to you the most. If you have problems at building character personalities, focus on that. If you don’t know how to end your novel, focus on the endings and the messages they send. Simply read and study the best similar novels if you recognize any, or just go for the best-sellers!

Develop a Marketing Strategy Before You Publish

Working for the best paper writing service in the UK taught me an important lesson that truly worth sharing.

To succeed in publishing, you must not only create a “book creation” plan but also a book promotion strategy.

• Who is your target audience?
• What communication channel are you going to use to engage your potential customers?
• Do you have a social media strategy?
• Are you familiar with SEO and its benefits?

Be Consistent and Resilient

As an academic, I understood that consistency and resilience are the keys to college success. Every assignment you write in college makes you want to avoid the next.

When you have to write a novel, which is way longer than any regular writing task, you’ll “lose many battles” with yourself. You shouldn’t allow small lost battles to distract you from winning the war. Consistency and resilience are absolutely key!

Takeaways

Nobody said it will be easy. In fact, there are so many liars who sell informational products that promise to offer the “magic pill” for success in writing.

Remember: practice is the key to turning work into art. Practice, practice, practice, and smarten your work every day. Stay emotionally committed to your goal and your novel will soon become a reality!