Writing A First Novel

Writing a first novel doesn't have to land you in a mental hospital or the poor house.  There are simple strategies that can save you time and money.

Reading - Read similar novels to your own and see how the flow of the books are done.  Some genres, specifically romance novels seem to have a popular template that if followed helps ensure publishing success.

Writing - Write as much as you can.  Sometimes simply sitting down at the computer and beginning to write a story, any story, will lead you down the path of a new novel.  If you are having writers block, just write anything.  Write recipes.  Write jokes.  Staring at the computer screen waiting for the right words to suddenly flood in to your mind doesn't work.  Your writing mind needs exercise, just like your muscles, flex it!

Arithmetic - Do the math!  If you strike out on your own and spend three to six months writing your novel and that's all the further you get with it, how much have you wasted.  Time is money to a writer, so figure up how much your book, if published, would have made you and realize the loss.  You can streamline your process, save money, and increase your likelihood of successful publication 100 times by following the steps of another successful writer.

Work smarter and follow a road map of success to get to where you want to be in the publishing world.  It's an amazing business and you can't understand the reward fully until you see your book sitting on a shelf for sale.  Writing a first novel is easier with the proper plan!