A Tip for Beginning Writers

You want to write a novel. An idea has been wandering in your mind for days, weeks, or even years and you finally decide to sit and write it. But, when you try to write the first sentence your mind goes blank and you don't know where to start. Frustrated, you begin to think you're not destined to become a writer after all.


Stop, back up, and start over. Everyone has a story to tell, and it will demand to be written sooner or later, but only when it’s ready. Experienced writers have a difficult time forcing the story from their mind to their fingertips; new writers find it almost impossible; and most important: no one gets it right in the first draft. My advice? Don't worry about it. Relax and let it happen naturally, one paragraph at a time. Literally, one paragraph at a time.


I suggest beginning with a scene. The 55 word contests found on writing sites are excellent practice for writing complete scenes. They usually give you a prompt, but you can always continue it on your writing program to suit yourself. They give you a boost in starting, take advantage of them. Then, write another. Before long you’ll have enough for a chapter. Don’t think in terms of chapter though, because then you’ll worry about keeping the action in order. Write the end first if you know how you want it to end. Write the battle from the middle of the story.



Don’t be afraid to make changes; as the story evolves, you’ll discover new ideas. Chances are you don’t have the story in sequential order in your head; you only have vague ideas of the characters or theme. Maybe all you know for sure is the setting, describe it by way of a scene. Write each scene on separate pages and title them by topic - not by the page number or proposed book title. Keep them simple and clear so you know exactly which scene you’re about to open in your writing program.


Instead of thinking in novel form, which is a huge undertaking; think of a paragraph scene. Keep it short and work on that paragraph until you can see and feel everything it contains. The point is to write as you see it in your mind, and only that small block that you see clearly. Don't try to expand it beyond what you are imagining. Novels begin with a single idea and go from there. A pleasant bonus of perfecting a paragraph or scene is you may find yourself suddenly on a roll and before you know it, a whole page is born.

The reason for writing a great paragraph is because as you learn to perfect it, the story begins to grow stronger in your mind. You will begin to see a character in the setting. Write freely and don't stop to count the spelling errors. For many writers, this will immediately stop the imagination from flowing.

Begin with writing down the basic idea. What kind of story will it be? What the character intends to accomplish in the end, and maybe a few of the obstacles he runs into. What kind of setting or world you will create. You already know the answers since you've been thinking of it for a while. Write naturally at this point, scribble or use chat-speak, don't attempt to use story format unless you're comfortable with it. You'll learn that later.

What you are doing is writing an informal outline for your eyes only. Depending on how extensive this outline is, it also helps to keep the story on track. You can look back and see if you've veered off the path. This helps you stay consistent and keeps events in sequential order. Adding character profiles can help too. For beginning writers, outlines help a lot in the technical department, but surprisingly, they get your fingers moving and your imagination wakes up .