| Novel writing isn't for beginners, so why is it that | | | | them |
| every beginner wants to write a book about how | | | | · or how to write a properly crafted |
| rough their life has been? There's no use in | | | | 2,000 word short story |
| attacking me. I already have 100 beginners | | | | So where does that leave all of you beginners |
| standing at my door and waiting to flog me to | | | | who are reading this? How can you learn these |
| death. By the time you arrive, there will be little | | | | steps? The obvious answer is a writing course. |
| left for the imagination. But... it would be nice if | | | | Start at the beginning and work your way up. |
| you wrote my husband and extended your | | | | Two classes will be all you should need, unless you |
| sympathies. | | | | also need a review course in punctuation and |
| Novel writing is something that should be left for | | | | mechanics. |
| someone who has AT LEAST had some | | | | But if you can't do that right now, read every |
| experience in short story writing. And when I say, | | | | article you can find on writing and take notes! |
| "some experience," I mean some experience in | | | | Take The Writer Magazine, which is the best on |
| being published. | | | | the market (and I have no affiliations with them). |
| And now for the brutal, searing facts of life: no | | | | Write to people with writing websites and ask |
| one cares what has happened in your life. Not | | | | them specific questions. |
| unless it can be of practical use to them. The day | | | | Another thing you can is to join one or more |
| for caring about what happens to your neighbor is | | | | writing groups. The one I recommend is They |
| nearly at an end. Can you even call six neighbors | | | | have a five-star rating system where you can |
| by their first and last names? I rest my case. | | | | rate other people's writing and they can rate |
| But this is not an article for ranting and raving. | | | | yours. And before you get into a writing group, |
| There are solid reasons why beginners shouldn't | | | | make up your mind that you will accept and act |
| try to write novels. These are only some of the | | | | upon 95% of the suggestions and criticisms that |
| things they won't know: | | | | you receive, and that you will not wear your |
| · what a hook is, or how to make one | | | | feelings on your sleeves. |
| · how to build paragraphs with proper | | | | So how do you know which 5% not to accept? |
| structure | | | | At first, you won't. As time passes, you will be |
| · what a theme is, or how to find it | | | | able to discern that. |
| · what a plot is, or how to build it | | | | In closing, when you can craft a good 2,000-word |
| · how to build a character, or how to give | | | | story (the equivalent of one chapter), take a |
| it warts | | | | novel writing class. A novel is too much work to |
| · what an arc is, or how to use it | | | | "try out". More free writing tips below. |
| · what resolutions are, or how to do | | | | |