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HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL IN TWELVE STEPS (#One)
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STEP ONE: WHERE TO WRITE
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Space:
Before you start, make some space. I don’t care where your space is but if you
are seated, overlooking a beautiful view, chances are you are going to spend a
lot of valuable writing time enjoying that view. That said, you want your
writing space to be comfy, cosy and have room enough so you can spread out your
notes and your laptop or computer out. I have a large, old dining room table
but at the moment I prefer to work in a coffee shop that serves fab coffee and
tea (and iced chocolates when I need them… oh, and vanilla milkshakes). I try
to take some fruit with me, because that’s healthy.
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Noise:
Silence is golden, Lovelies (sometimes). Fix your noise issues: know how you
concentrate best. When I am at home, writing by myself, I like some sound, but
controlled sound. I like a cd or a dvd (not the news, because then I listen to
it and not the TV because then I watch it) playing in the room. This background
noise keeps me from listening to the birds tweeting, the neighbours shouting or
cars in the street (neighbourhood noise is not pretty when you are trying to
concentrate on your sentences, Lovelies). But that’s me – you may need noise.
You decide that; just make sure you have it covered.
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People:
Sort out your peeps. You may want to tell the world you are writing a novel.
That’s great – that’s your call. I would advise against it unless you
know the peeps you are talking to are going to be supportive. A word of
warning, sometimes even your best friends may doubt your abilities – that
doesn’t mean you should. However, if you tell everyone (or anyone outside your
nearest and dearest) there is pressure on you that you don’t need at the start.
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Exhibit
A: I had a very old and dear friend (I say had,
remember) and he said to me when I told him about my first novel… ‘Wow, you’ve
been working on that for ages… how long is it taking you to get that published?’ He was not supportive of me when the going was
tough. Your true friends should be
supportive but don’t test the friendship too soon. Make sure you are selective about
who you mention your ideas to, who reads your work, and when.
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Let’s
just say, in my humble experience, it’s better to keep the pressure off and
TELL NO ONE until you are sure you are okay if you don’t get the encouragement
you are hoping to receive.
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Your desk: Just make sure it’s the right height. Big is better. This process may
start out small (just your laptop), but as your story progresses you are going
to need a lot of space for notes, drafts, maybe even story boards… and other
stuff.
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Your
chair: I can’t stress this enough. Get an office chair! I like one that is
padded, comfy and swivel. Make sure it is the right height (and adjustable) for
you. Trust me; your back is going to thank you one day.
