Novel Writing Survival Guide

WHETHER YOU’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF WRITING YOU’RE MASTERPIECE OR JUST ABOUT TO BEGIN HERE’S HOW TO SURVIVE THOSE BUSY WRITING MONTHS.

Image belongs to Walstone Burner at FlickR.

1. PACK YOUR LUNCH

Writers are notoriously bad for getting so engrossed in their work that they forget to eat. You might be struggling for time and spending hours making meals is the last thing most writers want to do when they could be finishing their next chapter. So take your food with you. Take food, drinks, snacks. Whatever you think you might need in a few hours.

2. SETUP YOUR ENVIRONMENT

For me, writing can be done anywhere but in general I prefer to do it in the quiet of my bedroom with a TV in the background on low for sound. The TV has another purpose. Sometime you’ll stop for a moment’s break and the TV will distract you for a second. People often think distractions are a bad thing but your brain needs a breather sometimes and having sound in the background can sometimes be inspiring rather than distracting. Make sure you have a heater if you think you are going to get too cold. Those sort of environmental distractions often do pull you away from your writing more than a TV in the background.

3. MAKE SURE YOUR COMPUTER/PEN AND PAD IS READY FOR WRITING

In the older days computers had limited memory and memory was an issue when it came to novel writing. These days most computers have more than sufficient storage for longer projects. However, is your word processor installed? Is it updated? Does your computer require maintenance? Do this days before you write so that you aren’t trying to focus on writing while trying to update Windows. Nothing is more frustrating than sitting down at your computer to get on with something and needing to update or restart your computer first. Similarly if you’re a pen and paper writer have plenty of pens and at least one spare pad so that if they suddenly run out on you, you have another one handy. Frixxion pens are my favourite because they’re erasable and I find them easier to hold for left-handers than a lot of traditionals. Staetdler too are pretty good.

4. DON’T OVERDO IT (REMEMBER TO SLEEP)

I’m probably more guilty of this one than of any other. I find it hard to stop when I’m mid writing even if that means being awake all night. Similarly try not to force targets on yourself. It’s amazing how much more you get done when you just go with it and write when you’re on a roll.

5. ENJOY IT!

Writing your novel is meant to be fun and engrossing. Don’t think about it too much. Don’t expect it to be perfect first time. Just keep writing and keep working at it. Enjoyment is the first and most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to writing your novel. Enjoy your story.