I don’t know about you but I was a “book nerd” growing up. I remember reading sometimes 8 novels at one time. I was a book fiend and when other kids were out climbing trees or sitting in front of the tube for hours, I had a book in my hand reading accounts of adventure and romance. Some of my favorites were the Little House on the Prairie series, Babysitters Club and then later on classics like Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and of course the ever-popular Pride and Prejudice. I loved books so much I decided to major in literature in college where I read brilliant works like Spenser’s Faerie Queen, Thoreau’s Walden Pond, Shelley’s Frankenstein and many others.
Sure, English majors like us are always promising to write our own novels. The truth is, only a small percentage of us actually finish and some us just begin a chapter or two and have no idea what to do next. So I guess you could say I’m in the latter group. I’ve started on several but never came even close to finishing one. The problem with writers like me is that we are an impatient, impulsive bunch. We get an idea in our head and we run with it without any planning involved whatsoever. No outlines or character maps… we just wing it, thinking our brilliance will carry us to the end and the result will become a masterpiece novel of epic proportions. I’m sorry… but “yeah right”.
I have news for you. I am once again beginning a novel. However, this time it’s a little different. I’m taking my time and chucking my impulsive self out the window and actually attempting something a little different. I have spent the last couple of months simply working on a chapter-by-chapter outline, honing my plot and developing some well-rounded characters. I want to make my readers happy, not just appease myself for being able to finishing an entire book. I’ve read books about plot-structure and character development and I have integrated some of these ideas and practices into a well-thought out piece of work.
My advice to aspiring novelists is to remember to take your time. Don’t rush it. Actually plan your story thoroughly. This will keep you from becoming overwhelmed with writer’s block when you come to that one scene in your novel and have absolutely no idea where to go from there. Another fantastic reason you should prepare a chapter-by-chapter outline is that you can add a little foreshadowing in the beginning of your story and make your readers think a little bit. It’s much easier to link ideas and scenes together if you plan and prepare ahead making your novel much more cohesive.
And of course, the most important reason for this advice is that you will actually enjoy the writing process if you have an outline prepared. Gone will be the frantic and stressful moments of ”stuckness”. This time, words will flow freely and you will have fun writing them.
