Every New Writing Project is, Well, New
By: Charlotte R Dixon
Tags: Creativity, Self Help, Books, Novel, Writing

Every time I start a novel, it feels different. I’ve written five now, if you count the MFA novel that is buried in a folder on my computer. Besides that, one is published, and two are under submission by my agent. The other I just finished. (Only a draft — it needs rewriting.)

Five novels in, and even with deeply ingrained writing habits, my process changes.

For instance, I write my novels in chronological order. At least usually. I start with the first scene of Chapter One and proceed until I type the end. I know many writers who follow a different path to a finished draft. They write whatever scene or chapter has the most juice in the moment, compile it all and then organize it at the end.

But to me, that doesn’t work as well. I like to watch the story develop as scenes build on each other, as the conflict rises and the character is called to confront it. As she changes and transforms in response to the challenges she faces.

And yet, I was recently working on a draft that didn’t work that way. I was so stuck that I finally told myself to work out of order. I could barely stand to do it, so rooted in my process was I. And then I did it and it was magic — working out of order got me going again. (For the record, I went right back to writing chronologically.)

As mentioned, last week I finished the draft of a novel I started in January. And then I got an idea for a new novel. I don’t want to make a serious start on it until I’d finished my current WIP. But I was noodling around with it. And the thought struck me in a panic: How do I do this? How do I write a novel? How does anybody do this?

Because every story is new. And every story will demand something different of you.

I literally stood at the kitchen sink, pretending to wash dishes and gazing out the window. (I spend a lot of time pretending to be usefully engaged in household chores when really I’m plotting story or character arcs.) It took awhile, but then I remembered: the process might be different, but once you jump in, you’ll figure it out.

Still, facing the blank first page of your new project is daunting, especially if the voices inside your head are urging you to do things differently. Here are some ideas that might help:

Write something, anything, on the first page

Just so its not blank anymore. Write your name over and over. Write your main character’s name repeatedly. Get those fingers moving. The words will emerge. Often, it is the starting that is hard. Once you get over that hump, you’ll said into the book.

Do some prep work

I’m a believer in some judicious prep work. Because then, no matter what the story demand of you, no matter what shape it takes, no matter where it leads you, you’ll have a basis from which to work. Figure out your character’s basics and backstory, your settings, and get at least a rough idea of your plot down in a loose outline. I love pantsing as much as anyone, but I’ve learned that a bit of novel prep goes a long way in keeping me on track.

Go with the flow

Listen to those voices, the ones inside your head urging you to write a scene out of order, or experiment with a different viewpoint. Don’t be afraid to try writing differently. I once wrote the last 50 pages of a novel before I did anything else on it. Didn’t work out that well for me, but at least I tried it.

Stay open

This is not rocket science. It’s novel writing. And we have these things called computers now. So if you don’t like how it’s going, you can stop. Be alert to ideas from the internet, your reading, comments from a friend, overheard conversations. Anything and everything is fair game when you’re a writer, and any or all of it might point you in a fertile direction.

This is why keeping a writer’s notebook or journal is so useful — it’s a great place to corral these goodies.

Keep a writing log

Scribble a few notes about your process and how you’re approaching the writing this time through in your journal. Doesn’t have to be long and complicated, just a couple sentences a session. I sure wish I’d done this so I could go back and compare notes. Also, it will be a boon to your future biographer, right? John Steinbeck kept meticulous notes on the writing of his novels.

I hope these tips help you get going on a new project. Come to think of it, they’ll probably help you wherever you are in your draft!

You just read another exciting post from the Book Mechanic: the writer’s source for creating books that work and selling those books once they’re written.

If you’d like to read more stories just like this one tap here to visit our page.