This Is How You're Going To Finish Your Novel

Do you keep thinking about that novel that you want to write, but you haven't been able to sit down and make a plan about how you're going to write it? 

Well, you're in luck, that's exactly what you're about to do now. 

Let's break writing your novel down into seven easy-to-accomplish steps. 

Step One: What's It About?

• Do you have a general idea of what you want your novel to be about? Start writing down this idea either in a blank document or in a notebook. Make notes of the settings, characters, plot points, and anything else you can think of that you might want to include in your novel. 
• This doesn't have to be perfect or make any sense at all yet really, you can even have an entire page dedicated to different names you think you want to include. The whole point of this step is to start the brainstorming process and to give you a dedicated space to put all your thoughts and ideas when it comes to your novel. 

Step Two: Outline and Who is Who  

• Once you have all the ideas about your novel written down it's time to start putting them in order. The best way to do this is going to be with an outline - which is just a scary term to some writers, but honestly, it just means putting things into a resemblance of order. 
• Now is also the time to flip to a new page (or scroll) and make a page dedicated to your main character, not just all the thoughts and ideas you had about them. Be more direct this time around with their personalities, motivations, backstories, goals, and conflicts. Or simply - who are they, what do they want, and what or who is standing in their way?

Step Three: Schedule Time 

• Now that you've got a plan about what you're going to write it's time to find out the more important part. WHEN are you going to write? 
• Set Realistic Goals: You can't go from zero to 10,000 words every day of the week when you're just starting. You'll only be setting yourself up to fail. Set aside an hour or so each day or just a few days a week and work up to writing at a pace and a schedule that works with your life and your other commitments. 
• Build a Routine: Have a dedicated space and a dedicated time set aside to work on your novel. The best way to build the habit of writing is consistency and having a dedicated space to write will make it so you don't have to waste the time that you could spend writing in finding the right height to have your laptop at the right angle, the couch cushion with the most back support, or where in the house you won't be bothered by the other inhabitants. 

Step Four: Time To Write 

• When it's time to write make sure that it's time to write. Put the phone down, your emails can wait, and so can any other tasks. Show up to your writing space as if you were showing up for work, becuase it's time to put in the work. 
• At this stage don't worry about perfection. This is the time for taking all of those notes and that outline you made and expanding it into the length of a novel one word at a time. There will be plenty of time later for you to go and change things around and polish it up. 
• Don't let self-doubt or that annoying inner critic stop you from writing. There will be days you can't bring yourself to write, or days when you're not going to feel like anything you wrote was good enough, but you need to push through these days. Take a break if you need to, maybe spend a day relaxing, or reading, but get back to it. 

Step Five: Revise and Refine 

• Now that you've got that first draft down on paper - congratulations! You've completed that hardest part about writing. Unfortunately, your journey isn't over yet, but you've earned a rest. 
• Before you begin the editing process it's time to get some distance from your work so that you'll be able to look it over with a clear mind. Give it a week or two minimum, but ideally, you should wait a month before coming back to edit. 
• The easiest way to edit is to print out your novel and go to town with a red pen and maybe a highlighter or two. By printing it out you're going to be able to read your manuscript as a whole without being tempted to start fixing things right away. You need to look over the story as a whole so that you can edit it most effectively. 

Step Six: Feedback and Polish 

• Now that you've fixed up your manuscript as much as you can, it's time to get a second opinion becuase, unfortunately, it doesn't matter how far we step away from our work, we're never going to be able to look at it entirely unobjectively. 
• Share your writing with beta readers, critique partners, a writing group, or a paid feedback service. Constructive feedback from an outside view is going to help you spot things in your novel that you might have glanced right over unintentionally. They will be able to tell you if something in your work isn't working quite well and what you might be able to do to fix it. 
• This feedback and criticisms are not there to hurt you, you may be given feedback that you don't like, but as with all things, it's just someone else's opinion and if you truly don't want to change it they aren't forcing you to. 
• When you've finished this step you might have to go back to the previous one and make revisions to your work again before receiving updated feedback. Repeat this as many times as you believe necessary to polish up your work, but be careful not to overdo it. There does come a point when your novel needs to be released to live its life. 

Step Seven: Celebrate! 

• Congratulations again! You should now have in your hand, or on your computer a finished and polished version of our novel! 
• Take a few moments to breathe and celebrate the amazing thing that you have accomplished, You have persevered where many before you have given up and it's a monumental moment in your life. 
• The next step is up to you. Do you plan on keeping this work for yourself? Tucked away in the draw where no one else will ever see it? Or do you plan to share it with the world? From here there are options such as self-publishing your novel or seeking traditional representation through a publishing company. 
• Whichever option you choose has to be the right one for you. there is no right or wrong answer here. 

Best of luck! 

I hope this step-by-step guide was able to give you a bit of peace of mind when it comes to writing your novel. 

Sure it can seem daunting from the start, but as you make your way through the steps it gets easier and easier. 

You can do this and I can't wait for you to accomplish all that you set your mind to. 

With love, 

B.K xo xo 

Want to write with me live? I'm now on Twitch! Come join me in some writing sprints most days at 10:00 pm EST

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