Writing my very first novel. Any suggestions?

[aspiringwriter26]

Being a writer has always been a dream of mine. At the age of 10, I started writing poems and stories which involve love and comedy. I even submitted love articles to an international dating blog when I was in junior high already. Just recently, I was inspired by how James Patterson wrote his novels. This inspired me to write novels. And I’m planning to write my very first one. My genre would be about romance-comedy. Any suggestions about it? I badly need your responses here. Thanks!

 

[Penpilot]

First, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Have fun, and don't expect perfection on your first try. You will stumble and you will fail, but that's part of the learning process.

Second, finish what you start. The first draft may be terrible, but that tends to be the case most of the time. The real heavy lifting is done during editing. This is when you take that turd of a first draft and use it grow something better.

Third, don't expect to fail, but don't be surprised when you do. To get better at anything, you have to fail--a lot.

Forth, keep it simple. In my first novel, I made the mistake of thinking complex = good. I didn't have the skills or experience to handle a complex story with 6 POV characters, so I had a really rough time of it. Start off simple, and if it evolves into something more complex, then so be it. But starting off complex just leads to even more complex and maybe a tangled mess if you don't know how to deal with it.

 

[Chessie2]

Being a writer has always been a dream of mine. At the age of 10, I started writing poems and stories which involve love and comedy. I even submitted love articles to an international dating blog when I was in junior high already. Just recently, I was inspired by how James Patterson wrote his novels. This inspired me to write novels. And I’m planning to write my very first one. My genre would be about romance-comedy. Any suggestions about it? I badly need your responses here. Thanks!

The best advice I can give you is to research the heck out of your genre. Read lots of books in it and take note of the authors who have made the genre successful. Educate yourself on the genre's tropes, structure, character types, and what the audience likes to read in those stories. Include love scenes in this research: are they open door? Closed door? Fade to black? What setting do these stories normally take place in? Etc.

Also just as important, study the craft, write often so you can practice and improve your skill. Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses so you can learn and improve in those areas. Stay connected to a writing community like this one. And when you feel confident and ready in your writing, make sure to get out there on the internet and share share share your work. Share it on your website or blog. Put stories up for sale. Use Wattpad or Instafreebie—sites like these help you gain more eyeballs on your work.

Never stop writing, never stop reading. Good luck.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Keep your butt in the chair.

Conflict equals story.

Good luck and welcome to the madhouse!

 

[FifthView]

Consider what it is you most want to see or see happen in the novel. What themes, character types, settings, obstacles, events interest you most? Once you have figured those out, drill deep into them. Why do they interest you? What, specifically in them, is so darn fascinating to you personally? How do they intersect?

Sometimes when starting out, the temptation is to tone these things down and try to "fit" your story into the shape you think others are expecting or what has gone before. But that can also kill your excitement and lead to giving up. Don't give up, stick to what fascinates you, no matter what.

 

[Laurence]

The route I went was worldbuilding to the point where I was writing myths and histories for my world anyway. I decided what kind of people I wanted to see more of in the fantasy I was reading and inserted them in a location and era of my world with rising conflict. What happened to them was the only natural conclusion to the histories I had written.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Write a little bit every day.

 

[Miles Lacey]

Based on my own experience:

1. Research, research, research... and more research. Study your subject until you know it better than you know yourself.
2. Read as much as you can in the genre you wish to write. Don't just read the classics or contemporary novels either. Read a good cross section of novels written in the genre you wish to write. I have a friend who gets me random books in a particular genre when I ask for them so I never know what to expect. Reading really bad examples of the genre you want to write in will teach you just as much as reading the good stuff.
3. Get the first draft done and don't worry about how bad it is. The time for correcting stuff will be after you have written the first draft.
4. Get a good proofreader who can detect mistakes, logic flaws, waffle and other issues a mile away.
5. Don't be afraid to rip up your work in progress and start again if it's not working for you. Last week I went berserk and ripped up and tossed out something I had been working on for two years and started again. The basic story was okay but it felt too Eurocentric in setting and feel. Watching Big Hero 6: The Series and one of those Disney cartoons that had Robin Williams voicing the genie gave me the breakthrough I needed.
6. Sign up with a site that has writers and readers who are writing the same genre you're interested in writing. Their feedback and advice will help you avoid any writing traps and give you motivation when you need it.
7. Enjoy yourself. If you're enjoying yourself as you write the novel your readers will sense that and enjoy it all the more.

 

[Helen]

Being a writer has always been a dream of mine. At the age of 10, I started writing poems and stories which involve love and comedy. I even submitted love articles to an international dating blog when I was in junior high already. Just recently, I was inspired by how James Patterson wrote his novels. This inspired me to write novels. And I’m planning to write my very first one. My genre would be about romance-comedy. Any suggestions about it? I badly need your responses here. Thanks!

My two cents: it's easier to write about something that has happened to you, a direct experience