15 Harsh Realities You Must Overcome When Writing Your First Novel

15. Coming Up With An Original Idea

Nickmiller Writing Dancing Gif This is the crux of it all when it comes to actually starting your first novel. You can be the most talented and well-informed literary genius out there, but without a solid idea you will never get off the ground. It can take a lot of false starts and retries before your idea takes shape. This is all part of the process that leads to the best idea being the one that you run with. Be sure to do plenty of research on your desired topic before you actually start the writing process. Even ideas for short stories need planning and organization otherwise the characterization and plot just falls flat. It is hard enough to tell a convincing story or narrative in person without and back-thought, so attempting to organize your thoughts for a potential 100 thousand word idea without planning is just not possible.

14. Good Characterization

Summit EntertainmentSummit EntertainmentAlthough there are many success stories of writers who have never had any formal or post-secondary training in writing or literature, it is a hard place to start from when writing your first novel. What is more, needing no training does not mean that you need no research when it comes to characterization. Having a great story is nothing without great characters that are believable. It is very easy to get caught up writing a fantastic plot or narrative without fully expanding your characters€™ histories. You know them in your own mind but the readers do not €“ tell them everything you can.

13. Don€™t Just Write About Yourself

ethangilsdorf.comDefinitely write about what you know, but do not just write down the narrative of your own life. Most of us have lives that are interesting to a few people; very few of us have lives that can be sensationalized into a novel that others will want to read. Even if you have a particular writing style that places less evidence on the narrative and more on the way it is written, you still need something worth talking about. Think about your audience: who will want to read this story other than just your close family and friends.
 
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Thomas is currently a postgraduate student of literature at the University of St. Andrews. He enjoys music and golf in his spare time when he isn't writing. Tom completed his first novel in the summer of 2013 which was published at the start of this year. Next year he is going to be working as a teacher in Dubai, continuing his research, and writing as much as possible. Follow on Twitter @Tom_Andrews91