| If you are planning on writing the Great American | | | | plot, leave it out. |
| Novel, it could be a long road ahead. And lonely | | | | 7. You don't absolutely have to write an outline |
| too. Here are some tips on writing a novel that | | | | before starting to write, but you must know how |
| will help you on your way. | | | | your book ends before you begin. Not knowing |
| 1. Stop thinking about writing, and just write. If | | | | where you are going before you start is a recipe |
| you're just waiting for inspiration to tap you on | | | | for disaster. You'll quickly paint yourself into a |
| the shoulder, you might be waiting for a long | | | | corner. |
| while. As has been said many times, writers write. | | | | 8. Don't make your characters' names too similar. |
| They don't sit and dream about writing. | | | | Lots of people named Robbie, Robin, Robert, and |
| 2. When you have long blocks of dialogue where | | | | Rodolpho gets too confusing for the reader. |
| one character is speaking continuously, break it up | | | | 9. Don't make your paragraphs overly long. A lot |
| by having the character pause or look around. | | | | of type without any white space is a daunting |
| 3. If you have a choice of live dialogue or "telling" | | | | thing to read. Your readers may skim over these |
| what happened, choose the dialogue. Always | | | | parts and you don't want that to happen. So |
| show and don't tell, if possible. | | | | break up those paragraphs. |
| 4. There is nothing wrong with the word, "said." | | | | 10. Avoid being a perfectionist. Try to write for a |
| Stop searching for alternatives like "reiterated," | | | | predetermined length of time without stopping. |
| "extrapolated," "conjectured," or "observed." | | | | That means, don't stop to look up a town name |
| 5. You don't have to tell everything that happens | | | | or anything else you are unsure of. Just type |
| between one scene and another. Leave out the | | | | anything there like "Unknown Town" and keep |
| mundane, as your reader knows the characters | | | | moving. Stopping to research stops your creative |
| have to use the bathroom, walk from room to | | | | mind and you'll be tempted to go back over |
| room, etc. | | | | everything and start making changes. Don't make |
| 6. Don't ramble. Say what needs to be said and | | | | changes until you are finished. Your novel need |
| move on. If it doesn't contribute to the ongoing | | | | not be perfect at this stage. |