{"id":727,"date":"2015-07-23T17:13:44","date_gmt":"2015-07-23T07:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eviemcrae.com\/?p=727"},"modified":"2020-12-09T08:45:41","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T21:45:41","slug":"under-starters-orders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/butterfly.writefromsource.com\/?p=727","title":{"rendered":"Under starter’s orders"},"content":{"rendered":"

So there I was ready to write ‘the’ novel. The one I have been living with in my mind for so many years. <\/span><\/p>\n

I was excited, motivated, exhilarated \u2013 you name it \u2013 I was it! Until it hit me. <\/span>Writing a novel is actually quite a daunting process (no shit Sherlock I hear you say)!<\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t know why this revelation didn’t hit me before. I suppose because I had always written, whether it was poetry, short stories, or content for a website, I never had a problem with ideas or putting words onto a blank sheet of paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

A novel, however, is more like running a marathon. I had done lots of training in short bursts for much shorter races, but I hadn’t done any preparation for a marathon!<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that I was actually ‘serious’ and getting down to business as it were, it occurred to me that I hadn’t thought through a few of the vital elements … and what’s more… I couldn’t progress until I had the fundamentals clear in my mind. <\/span><\/p>\n

Take genre for example. I had the ‘story’ in my head, but how was I going to tell the story? Was this going to be a historical novel, something more philosophical or could I do both? Were there any rules I needed to know \u2013 even if it was so I could break them?<\/span><\/p>\n

As I trawled through websites looking for guidance and inspiration, I began ordering books left, right and centre to fast track my learning. I realised I had much to learn. At one point I even considered doing an MBA in creative writing but then I thought this may be too much distraction from the task in hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is from what I have read thus far, there are many ways to skin this particular cat. Therefore my approach is going to be a blend of inspired creativity, gleaned information and teachings from my favourite authors, and a pinch of gut instinct.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are considering writing a novel, here’s a couple of little pointers I have learned so far.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You can find a million jobs that need to be done, like tidying the bathroom cabinet, or picking fluff off socks, but you can only drink so many cups of procrastination coffee.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Understand what it is you want to write and why you want to write it.
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. What genre is your writing going to fit into?<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Actually writing down an outline, or even a story board, is a good idea when you are writing a novel. It helps you keep on track, but it can also help you identify where the weak elements are in your story.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Have you thought about character, settings and the plot itself?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Of course there are many questions you should be able to answer about your novel so over the next few posts I’ll expand on this planning phase a bit more. If nothing else it will give you a sense of what I have been wrestling with these last few weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Still, it’s early days \u2013 and at least now I realise I am actually at the starting line of a marathon and not a 100 meter sprint. Excitement, exhilaration and motivation are still there, but now they have made room for endurance, perseverance and commitment!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Send to Kindle<\/span><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    So there I was ready to write ‘the’ novel. The one I have been living with in my mind for so many years.  I was excited, motivated, exhilarated \u2013 you name it \u2013 I was it! Until it hit me. Writing a novel is actually quite a daunting process (no shit Sherlock I hear you say)! I … <\/p>\n

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