An Approach To Writing

Is there one way to approach the writing process that will guarantee you the success you seek? Unfortunately, the answer to that is NO. There are as many different ways to write your novel as there are novelists.

Some say you must begin with the end in mind and diligently work towards it. Others say that once you have the basic plot in mind, the story can just about write itself. There is also the debate over whether or not to have an outline ahead of time. No one, it seems has been able to come up with the ONE thing sure to get your novel published.

What can you do to improve your chances of getting that novel finished and to a publisher?

First, leave out all that doesn't move the action forward or enhance the story in some way. That means leaving out some truly beautiful paragraphs or pieces of dialogue that you've come to love. If you're that attached to them, store them in another file to use in a story that can truly benefit.

Don't edit every day. Wait until you've reached the end or at least been away from a particular chapter long enough to have gained some perspective - look at it with a critical editor's eye instead of a love-filled author's.

Write every single day. Even if you need to scratch it all the next day, so what! It's the process of daily writing, that little by little, improves your skills. Don't cheat yourself out of this important tool.

An advantage for novelists at Writing.Com that many others don't have the luxury of utilizing: your fellow writers here. Find a forum or a group or start one of your own; a place where you can have your work critiqued and therefore, improved. As your skills increase, so too do the others in this reciprocal arrangement that we have conveniently at our fingertips.

Whatever approach you use to getting your novel written, whether that means trying out a few different ways before finding what it is that gets you in sync, do it every day and do all you can to improve yourself as a writer.

Read all you can. Not just books on the writing process, but books in the genre in which you wish to write. This isn't so you can copy anyone, but so you aren't writing into a void. See how the various authors use their voices and let yourself be comfortable with your own unique style.

Study the best to see what works and what doesn't so you can better recognize the difference between good and bad writing in your own work.

Lastly, be sure to let us know when you get your novel published so we here at Writing.Com can order our autographed copies!

For more articles on writing, see "IMPROVE YOUR WRITING" .