Are you someone that has always thought, “I’d love to write a novel,” but had no idea where to start? When starting your first novel becomes less of a pipe dream and a more genuine ambition, refer to this list first…

Starting your first novel is a massive feat. That’s starting it; say nothing of finishing it! Over the course of my short life thus far, I’ve encountered a number of people who have told me they would love to write a book, but no idea where to start. And then there’s a select few that have begun, got to a certain point and given up. Or indeed, an even smaller number who have produced first drafts and then done nothing with them.

This post is addressed to those who need a bit of guidance before starting to get serious. Becoming a writer is not just an ambition; it’s something of a lifestyle choice too. So here are five things you will need, without question, before starting your first novel.

1. TIME

You think this would go without saying, really, but it beggars belief how many people expect that it takes no time at all to write a compelling story. Sure, you can chuck a load of words together in an hour and see what you come out with, but I’d consider you a prodigy if it was a fully cohesive, entertaining story with interesting plotlines and irresistible characters. Building all of those things takes time. The Berylford books took me eight and twelve years to finish, in total; that’s numerous drafts, re-drafts, editing sessions, planning sessions and more. With hours of social life sacrificed in the process.

My advice is, if you have a busy lifestyle, to reserve a regular period of your week — maybe an evening one weekday or something — in which you do nothing except work on the book. That way, it becomes a part of that lifestyle, as opposed to an intrusion on it.

2. A GOOD, ORIGINAL IDEA

I often despair at the number of aspiring and amateur authors who say they’re writing a fantasy novel. Simply because it’s such a saturated genre, it stuns me to think how they have come up with something new, that isn’t not-so-secretly “inspired” by Tolkien or George R. R. Martin.

To have a story worth publishing (assuming that’s what you want to do with it), it has to be of a decent quality, namely of considerable interest to an audience. And it should also be original, i.e. not done before or tweaked from something similar. Having inspirations and influences is fine, but the story should be your own. So, starting your first novel not only requires you to recognise what is considered a high-quality idea. You also need to have knowledge of the genre your story belongs in.

3. COMMITMENT

An offshoot from the first point in a way. Commitment is so important for any creative project, not just for writing. I have worked with enough non-committal people to know the annoyance when they start something, often very good, and don’t or won’t see it through to the end. I still harbour some bitterness about one or two projects that ran dry on account of the other half’s lack of commitment.

When you’re writing your first book, try to maintain the attitude that you are working on something big. An awesome achievement with potential rewards at the end of it. Because otherwise, I will say there’s probably no point in pursuing it in the first place, if you’re going to get so far and then just leave it.

4. RESEARCH SKILLS

Whether it’s a gripping thriller or a work of epic fantasy, you won’t get very far without research. To me, it becomes very clear very quickly when a writer has no idea what they’re writing about. And that indicates a lack of research. So having those research skills down — knowing what you need to find out and where to start looking — is of extreme importance. If you’ve read this point and thought, “I can’t be bothered with that,” or “Who has the time?” then maybe writing a book isn’t the right thing for you.

Research not only helps you construct your story and your characters, it also adds to your knowledge of literary style and form.

5. A UNIQUE VOICE

No one likes a copycat or a wannabe. As I said in an earlier point, it never hurts to have influences and inspirations, as in any line of business or creative ambition. But to make your work really worth reading, it has to come from you personally. And that means developing for yourself a unique writing voice. A lot of my readers have said to me that, when reading the Berylford books, they heard my voice as they read the words. That’s not only a massive compliment; that means that my writing voice, my vocabulary and style, successfully came out. And that’s what you want to aim to achieve when writing your first novel.

For more author news and views, my Facebook and Instagram pages are here. And drop a subscription to my YouTube channel to remain informed of the latest, plus some exclusives. Furthermore, my fortnightly podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show, is available to listen to here on Spotify.

One of the literary world’s oldest pet hates. Writer’s Block forms a hurdle we often struggle to get over. It can be done, however. I suggest a few ways how…

I want to address an issue that affects all of us, whether we’re jobbing authors, amateurs, or people trying to start out. Namely, the condition known as writer’s block. It can render us completely unproductive for weeks, months, years in some cases. I myself am a repeat sufferer; it can be very frustrating when you do actually want to work but just can’t find the drive, the motivation, the inspiration, the mood… the words. But I have found that there are a few things you can do to get past it.

1. READ

The first thing to do when the words for your own work aren’t quite flowing is to read. Reading is something you ought to be doing anyway; it can equip you with vocabulary, a familiarity with the style and form of literature. I tend to find it helps to read work that is similar in style or genre to what you’re working on – maybe even by an author who inspires you. And this extends into battling writer’s block. I know during my most recent spell earlier in the year, I wasn’t really reading anything similar to You Can Hear Chopin, my current work in progress. And then I started reading Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada, and steadily, after absorbing the environment and the tone of that novel, I began to sort of piece it together in my mind of how I could inject that influence into my own writing at the point of the story that I had reached at that time.

For people who are more visual consumers, I would say it’s not unacceptable to watch films or series, if you find them more inspiring. When writing the Berylford books, I often had a Dickens or Austen adaptation on in the background and that would urge me along.

2. FREE WRITING

I recommend this a lot for people who want to get into writing but are not sure where to start. It is also great for writer’s block. If you hit a road bump in your story where you think, “Meh, I don’t really know where to go from here,” or you just lose your flow and can’t get it back again, my suggestion to you is to take a step away from the current project.

Start a new document and just write whatever comes into your mind. Just type. Whether it’s about your day, or another story idea you’ve been sitting on for ages. I do find that when you have several ideas that you want to work on at the same time, it does rob you of the motivation to focus on your current piece of work. Set yourself a time limit, whether that’s five, ten, whatever minutes of just writing, and then come to a stop. You can obviously get rid of anything you don’t like; keep anything you do. It might not work first time, but this idea of free writing might push you back in the right direction to finish your work.

3. WRITE BY HAND

Lately, I have been working on You Can Hear Chopin in my free time while at work. Just five- or ten-minute bursts. But I’ve been writing it all down by hand in a notepad. And then when I get home, I re-type it from there, and often edit myself as I go, so it’s almost like proof-reading a first draft in the process. I think because the act of writing by hand is actually relaxing to the brain that it feels much more natural, a much smoother process. I often find if I’m struggling to get something out on the screen that getting it down on paper with a pen really does help.

4. DO SOMETHING MONOTONOUS

You may have heard people have their best ideas while in the shower or while chopping vegetables or suchlike. And there is some truth in that. The creative juices tend to flow during monotonous, everyday tasks, when your mind can wander. Referring back to my last point, I started trying to work on my book at work. That’s because what I do is so repetitive, it is activating the creative part of my brain to work on You Can Hear Chopin as soon as I can. I can’t leave it until I get home from work. I discovered this early on. Doing the job I do, I’d be all inspired by lunchtime and think, “Yep, I’m going to do some writing when I get home,” but when I got there, I’d be like, “Nah, too tired now”. In short, do your monotonous task, get thinking about whatever you’re writing, and, if you feel inspired, act on it as soon as possible. Don’t give that creativity a chance to turn off again.

For more author news and views, my Facebook and Instagram pages are here. And drop a subscription to my YouTube channel to remain informed of the latest, plus some exclusives. Furthermore, my fortnightly podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show, is available to listen to here on Spotify.