I’ve only just finished writing my first novel, but this will be the second book I’ve published since 2017. I know a little bit about getting a book finished, even if I don’t know as much as most.

But if the task of writing a novel seems daunting to just think about, there are simple steps on how to write a novel. You can tackle the whole project quite easily if you follow these simple steps.

1. Make A Plan or An Outline

I am not really much of a planner or outliner when it comes to my stories and I know a lot of people who are the same way. I usually keep a general plan or outline for the story in my head. I know how the story is going to begin and end, and then I fill everything in between.

That’s how it mostly is right?

Well, if you want to stay way more organized when writing your story, make a plan, whether it’s in a document or a journal.

Making a plan does have some benefits:

• Gives a grander view of the whole story
• Allows you to add the smaller details
• May speed up the process of writing since you know where to go
• Helps you create a healthy balance of slow and fast-paced moments
• Allows you to remove or add additional chapters ahead of time.

For my book, I just went with my intuition when writing, so a plan wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Do what makes you comfortable when getting started. I can’t stress that enough!

2. Dedicate Time Every Day to Write

Dedicating time to write a piece of your novel every day will be a huge part of your succession writing and completing a novel. You can write any time of the day, morning or evening.

However, some say that there are better times to write.

According to Proofread Now,

On average, it’s best to write in the mornings for the following reasons: You have the highest levels of willpower earlier in the day and are less likely to get distracted. The brain’s creative activity is at its peak just after it dreams and sleeps, and becomes more analytical as the day progresses.

Even if you dedicate 30 minutes a day, you’re spending 900 minutes a month writing. You may not finish your novel in a whole month, but you’ll be making a good dent in that first month of writing!

3. Write About Something You Love

I never had any success with my writing until I wrote about something that I loved. I would start several different ideas that would ultimately fizzle out.

This story I actually did finish was a story of mine that I had been thinking about writing, for years. And it’s on the topic of something near and dear to me.

Reasons to write about what you love:

• Easier to enjoy – if you like writing it and like the journey, you’re more likely to finish it.
• If you love it, it likely moves you in some way, and if it moves you, it’s a good story.
• You’re more likely to finish a project that you love
• Gives you a good creative base
• Makes research and knowledge of the topic of your novel easier

By writing about something you care about or something that interests you, you increase your likelihood of finishing that novel. You’ll be just as into it as the readers if that’s how you’re writing it.

There is the other chance that there are people who love that same idea or thing, which will also help you build an audience.

4. Consider Using NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo was a huge jumping-off point for me in writing my first novel. If you don’t know, NaNoWriMo is known as National Novel Writing Month and it usually takes place in November each year. During that time, people will spend the whole month writing until they reach 50,000 words.

I loved it because I used it to help me track my progress as I was writing.

Doing this was an exciting process. Each day I wrote, I got closer to my goal of writing 50,000 words in one month. As you write, you will earn badges to help keep you motivated. Every day I would write, I would add the number of words added during that writing, thus giving me a good view of how far I’ve come since I’ve started.

You can also join forums and local meetups. Having the community to help you write can always be beneficial to completing your goal. It helps hold you accountable for accomplishing this goal.

As far as methods on how to write a novel, this is a pretty good tool for your toolbox.

5. Get Rid of Other Overwhelming Thoughts

This was a big piece of me being able to finish this book at all.

I was constantly plagued with deeper, sometimes troubling thoughts about my own life. And in a lot of ways, it really threatened to take attention away from writing my novel.

So instead of trying to distract myself from simply thinking about those things that ailed me, I just wrote them all down. And when I say write, I wrote down every painful and vulnerable feeling until it didn’t exist within me anymore.

Where Should I Write My Complex Thoughts?

You can use a journal of your choosing. I took a different more public approach to sharing my thoughts.

I was able to do this with the help of Elephant Journal, which has been a lovely platform for me to share more mindful musings. Not only that, it has helped me heal and work my way through some really complex feelings.

When you remove those complex thoughts, you make more space in your brain for creativity and to focus on the novel you’re writing.

The downside of doing this is it will take away from the time you should be spending writing your novel. However, your mind space will be better for it.

If you choose to use this method, it’s best to just write about whatever is on your mind at the time it’s there. Don’t force the topics.

Follow your intuition! It’ll help you big time when writing a good story.

My Final Thoughts on How to Write A Novel

Accept that this process might be messy. Accept that this process might be difficult. I can give you the simple steps to follow, but I will say, writing the book is probably the hardest part.

The editing stage, in my opinion, is the easiest as long as your story isn’t all over the place. But to prevent that from happening refer to step 1.

My biggest piece of advice on writing your novel is not to give up! Persevere through the days you just don’t feel like writing. And if you get stuck in your story, don’t be afraid to take a breather and come back when you know the next step in your book.

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