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Tabula Rasa: 6 Ways to Begin Writing A Novel
In the 17th century, John Locke wrote “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” in which he posited that at birth human beings are born as if they were a blank slate. Many of you reading this post right now may be at this stage with your novel, the blank “slate” staring at you, be it a yellow legal pad or a computer screen. I know you have a novel sitting there as a germ inside your brain. It wants to get out. It needs to explode out of you. It is my hope that the following five tips will be the match that lights the fuse.
1. Write Something Shorter — Anyone who has written a novel knows that it is not an easy task, so start smaller. I suppose you have an idea that could be a novel, but maybe it might make a really good short story. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the short story “Winter Dreams” long before he wrote The Great Gatsby. It was a technique that can help all of us. Take that small idea you have and write a short story about it. You could also jot it down in the form of a poem. Write a sonnet (because the form will force you to think of stronger imagery). After you finish the short story, you should have a better grasp of the characters you wish to create and the plot line for a longer novel.
2. Read the Genre — As I was preparing the plot of my current post-apocalyptic novel, I read several post-apocalyptic books by great authors: David…
