A Few Things to Get you Started

I’ve written post on this subject a few times now, but i thought I’d address it again. I keep seeing people in various Facebook writing groups asking how to get started.

It can be overwhelming when you’re ready to put pen to paper for the first time, and you turn to the internet for some how-to information. At least I was overwhelmed. I, at one time, thought, how many of these do I read before I’m ready to give it a try?

As it turned out, I learned that the best way to improve your writing is to write. You can’t improve your writing if you never start.

Here are, in no particular order, things you need to have to keep you from getting overwhelmed ant to give you a starting point. My suggestions are by no means law, but they may give you at least a place to begin.

9 Things to Get you Writing Fast

1. Notebooks, pens, index cards- to write character names, to develop characters, jot book titles, chapter ideas, or anything else you may want to include in your book
2. A decent laptop with Word or an equivalent program. You need somewhere to type up and store your chapters
3. OneDrive– this free program I couldn’t live without. It’s cloud based, so, I bring up a Word document within the program and no matter what would happen to my laptop, my documents will be safe
4. Above average grammar skills and a grasp of sentence structure, sentence flow. I am a short story judge for a company. It’s alarming the number of poor quality submissions I receive that people write and enter. Some are not only dreadfully boring, they’re terribly written, borderline illiterate. Writing is an art form, and it’s my belief that if we want to be writers, we should strive to master the art. That brings me to the next bullet point
5. Invest in Grammarly Premium. Above all other paid programs for writers, Grammarly Premium is worth the ten dollars per month. It doesn’t catch everything, but it catches enough that it’s helped me to become a better writer. It’s a dynamite feeling ot know every piece of material you write is clean and polished. Nothing turns off readers and publishers more than poorly written, careless work without structure.
6. Knowledge of basic novel outlining. There are more styles and ways to outline than I can count, but check out a few. I’m sure you’ll find one that resonates with you. If you head over to the blog, there are several posts on how to outline. thetimeiswrite.com
7. Have an idea for a story and the genre’ you choose to write. People ask if they should stick to one genre’. You don’t have to, but if you’re just getting started, I suggest you choose a genre’ that you think you’d like to write in and stick with it. You’ll have a better chance of gaining a following.
8. This is one of my best pieces of advice for novel writing. GET TO KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS. You cannot write a character that your readers can either fall in love with or hate if you yourself don’t know anything about them. Picture describing someone you know well to someone, then describing a person you met once. See what I mean? Don’t begin writing until you know your character deeply.

Last but not least:

9. Find a writing space that fits you. You don’t need an office, but you need a place or places that fit you. for example, I have trouble concentrating on my writing with the tv going or when my husband is having a phone conversation. I don’t have a secluded and comfortable space in my home just yet, so, whenever I can, I sit on the back patio or I go to a local park to write. That’s my favorite way to write.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you need more in-depth information and tips, CLICK HERE to head on over to the blog. There are articles, many are step by step and go in-depth on how to write a novel.

Good luck and if you need one on one help, I’m also a WRITING LIFE COACH. Reach out to me. I can help you to get started.

Happy Writing! Gina