Overwhelmed by the Writing Process?

Question

"The thing that struck me most about your Novel Writing Process is there is so much to think about! Everything you said makes perfect sense but it makes my head spin too. Part of me wants to ignore it all and just WRITE! Any advice?"

- Louise Harrison, Salisbury

Answer

The Novel Writing Process is my Step-by-Step Guide to How to Write a Novel. It was designed as a map to guide you through every step you need to take to write a successful novel.

If the map isn't working for you, Louise, bin it and do things your own way (the 8 steps suit me, but they won't suit everyone). What I suspect, though, is that you do need the map but are simply feeling overwhelmed right now (a not uncommon reaction to the long journey ahead).

You asked for advice, and I have a couple of suggestions which will hopefully help...

1. Stick with it

If the Process, and everything contained within it, scares you, I promise that it will eventually become second nature and you won't need to think about all the rules and techniques and instructions at all - you will just plan and write and revise your novel instinctually.

I remember the first time I ever drove a car and made a left turn. The process seemed impossibly complicated to me: check the mirror, indicate, brake, depress the clutch, shift down to second, lift the clutch, turn the wheel, accelerate. I thought I would never master it, although I soon did of course. Nowadays, I don't need to think about all the separate tasks involved - I simply turn left.

Stick with the process of writing a novel - either my own step-by-step guide or your own tailored version of it - and something that now seems mechanical and horribly complicated will soon become something you can do with your eyes shut.

2. If you want to write, WRITE!

Learning the craft of writing a novel isn't exactly glamourous. When most people think of a writer, they don't think of someone studying the 10 steps of plotting a novel, for example. That seems to make the creative process more of a science than the art that it should be.

There is no getting away from the science - if you want to become a proficient storyteller, you need to learn the "mathematics" of how stories are constructed (and that is what Novel Writing Help is all about).

But you need to practice the artistic, creative, free-spirited side of it, too, which is why my second piece of advice is to set aside an hour a day (or whatever) to "just write".

Forget about the novel writing "rules" during this hour. Forget about the novel writing process. Forget about writing well, even. Just write.

Hope that helps.

Harvey