Throughout grade school, I made several attempts to write novels. My most successful attempt was in high school; I managed to write the first 25,000 words of a fantasy novel in the span of two weeks. I was so proud of myself! Granted, I’ve looked back on that story, and it’s rife with rookie mistakes. But without writing those words, I never would have believed in myself enough to finish my first novel a few years later. And now, I’m at a point where finishing my projects isn’t a question–it’s a given.
Moreover, as I continue to finish first drafts and to revise them, I feel myself growing as a writer. Things that once required my constant attention, such as minimizing use of passive voice, now come as instinct. And yet, I can still feel so much room to grow.
What helped me get from having seven unfinished manuscripts in my writing folder to writing multiple first drafts a year? And how did I become a better writer in the process?
If you’re a fledgling novelist, whether you’re about to start your twelfth attempt at writing a novel or you’ve yet to write a word, these tips should help you finish your stories and see long-term development.
1. Form a Writing Habit
Start writing your first novel today.
You may not want to hear this. But there’s an incredibly simple way to become a better and more prolific writer. It has nothing to do with extensive plotting, watching writing lectures, or waking up at the perfect time every single day.
No, the trick is this: write. A lot.
I mentioned that I finished my first novel a few years out of high school. Well, that one was pretty bad, too. Of course, while I was writing it, I felt sure that it would see publication in no time. Accepting the truth about the quality of my novel didn’t come easy.
But without finishing that novel, I never would have finished the next one, the next one, nor the next one.
We’re creatures of habit. And if we sit down to write every single day, maybe at a certain time of day or after a certain activity, we’re going to find it a lot easier to see progress in the long term. Rather than writing 25,000 words in a two week burst, you’re going to see yourself accumulating 100,000+ words over the course of months and years.
And even if your work is “bad” in the beginning (such a broad and subjective qualifier), don’t get discouraged. No one needs to see that work. As with any other skill, you can’t expect to be a master straight away. You need time to exercise all your different writing muscles.
As Neil Gaiman says, “Assume that you have a million words inside you that are absolute rubbish and you need to get them out before you get to the good ones.”
So stop saying you’re in the “research phase” of your novel and write consistently. You can worry about constructing a fictional language for your fantasy race of not-elves later. You’ll get to those good words a lot sooner if you chip away at the bad ones every day. Even if you’re only writing a hundred words a day. Or fifty a night.
2. Read, Read, Read
Learn from the works that work.
In On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King writes, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Most of your development as a writer will come from writing. The second most beneficial activity is reading. If you can write and read consistently over time, you’re perhaps 90% percent of the way there. The other 10% is revision, feedback, and querying, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I can’t stress this enough. Read, read, read. Read anything and everything you can get your hands on. Get a library card. Visit used book stores. Ask friends for recommendations. Reread your old favorites. Not only will you grow your vocabulary and learn what makes a good story, but you’ll also learn what you like. You’ll mimic the voices of the authors you love before you find your own. That’s okay. Figure out what you enjoy, and write something that you would want to read. Chances are, someone else will too.
If you read slow, that’s also okay. The key here is consistency. Can you do fifty pages a day? No? What about ten? Five? If you can’t read every day, what if you read a whole book every Sunday? Find a way to fit it into your schedule. Make the time, and you will be rewarded.
3. Revise and Reflect
Get ready for some criticism.
When you’ve formed a consistent habit of reading and writing, it’s time to work some new muscles. They’re related to the ones you’ve already exercised, but they’re also surprisingly different. Go through your first drafts a couple months after you’ve written them. How would you improve them now that you’ve grown as a writer? Don’t be afraid to say that you’d rip them up and start from scratch. Writing a bad novel gives you key information on what does and doesn’t work, so be honest.
Once you’ve done some editing on your own, show your work to friends and other writers. Form or join a writing group. Others will have perspectives on your writing that you would never have expected, not if you guessed at them for a hundred years. These perspectives are extraordinarily beneficial, even when they’re harsh.
However, be careful not to let others’ advice discourage you. Even well-meaning advice can be detrimental. Other writers have a tendency to say, “If it were me, I would have written it like this…” They didn’t write it. You did. Mitigate their advice through the lens of the story you’re trying to tell. But before you dismiss their advice, ask yourself if you’re being honest or stubborn.
4. Believe in Yourself
You will finish your first novel.
As Syrio tells Arya in George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, “The man who fears losing has already lost.”
Forming any good and healthy habit is hard. Fitness, dietary, and financial habits all come to mind. Think of the healthy habits you’ve successfully formed, and think of how many times you failed on your way there. Writing is no different. You’re going to trip and stumble and fall and spend six months on the worst novel anyone’s ever seen, and maybe you’ll stop writing for a while.
Don’t give up. You’re still a writer.
Very intentionally, I chose not to use the words “aspiring writer” in the title of this article. If you enjoy writing, what else do you need to consider yourself a writer? Don’t be afraid to assign yourself that label, especially if it helps you feel more legitimate in your work. You don’t need to wait until you quit your day job to be a writer.
In fact, I would argue that everyone should be a writer. Articulating one’s thoughts in a more permanent medium than speech begets reflection and development.
So write consistently. If for no one else, then for you.
– AJG
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