How To Start Your Novel: Stop Resisting the "Boring" Planning Part

I know, you probably want to jump in and just start writing. Well, do that. But don't overlook plotting and planning. It's what will get you to the end.

There are plenty of resources out there that will give you a step by step guide to structuring your novel. So I'm not going to write 600 words about that right now – although I do have some tips at the end of this blog, so feel free to skip straight to the bullet points.

What I want you to know is that I understand the creative instinct to dive into the deep end and write. Because the writing is the fun part. It's the creative part. It's the romantic part. You feel like you're finally doing it. You've started that novel you've always wanted to write.

And some people can do it this way. The plot develops as they go and they miraculously reach 80,000-odd words. This kind of writer is called a "pantser". I really wanted to be a pantser. In fact, my first book, The Blue Between, was kind of like a half pantser, half planner situation. And I marvelled at how the characters breathed through me and almost write their own stories. I loved the experience.

The thing is, I didn't end up with a book strong on plot or development. When I think of it now, it's like one long poem. I'm proud of it, because I did it, and it was published. But I don't spend any time trying to market it (more on self-esteem in another post). When I started my second novel, Floating Hearts, I knew what I had to do differently. I had to flex my plotting skills. So I signed up for Sarah Bullen's writing course: "Write your book in 100 days" and I embraced all the structure. I had a journal, I plotted out all the scenes, I described my main characters in detail, down to their eye colour and quirky habits, and I considered all the commercial aspects of a good book too, like hook, climax, resolution and so on. I'm not saying it was a perfect outcome, but I did write 90,000 words in 100 days. This alone was something I never thought would be possible. The characters still breathed through me, possibly even deeper this time. They still developed and they still wrote their own stories. But they were so much more full of depth and emotion. And the novel feels that much more mature.

Okay, all this talk about structure; we probably need a few bullet points.

4 Quick Guidelines To Plotting Out Your Story

1. Start with the big idea: who is your protagonist and what challenge do they have to face? What is the thing that changes their ordinary world? This will kickstart your hero's journey.

2. Create your characters. Describe each one in minute detail so that you have a very clear idea of how they would or wouldn't act, speak, dress and so on. Do they have any defining habits or quirks that set them apart?

3. Mind map your scenes. You can do this online using a mind mapping tool, or you can write them out in a journal, or you can use Post-it notes. Whatever you prefer. Online tools are nice because you can easily switch scene order or add and delete as you go. Aim for around 50 scenes (each around 1,500 words in length, to make up your 80,000 word total). Spread them out like this: 25% for the hook, 50% for the main build, 25% for the resolution. Scenes are not chapters, and it doesn't matter how many scenes are in one chapter, but if you want a guideline, go for two to three scenes per chapter.

4. Attach your characters to your scenes, so you know who needs to appear where. Remember these can and probably will change as you go.

Want to read more? Download my handy presentation on tips for writing your book.

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