Begin at the Beginning

Writers begin in many different ways. You may start with a concept, an idea. You may have one or two contrasting characters in mind. There may be a real or imaginary event that’s triggered you off. There’s no right or wrong way to begin, simply a diverse range of options.

At some point you’ll need to decide to make a start. Some aspects of your proposed novel may be crystal clear, others rather hazy. However, if you’ve decided on your genre and setting, read a selected number of books, and made some notes on style, plot, characters, length, and climax that’s enough to get you started.

You’ve allocated some time to make a start, checked your computer or collection of pens and paper.[1] So, what now?

The Inspirational Moment

You wait for the inspirational moment? Absolutely not! In order to undertake any form of writing, whether it’s a report, a letter to a friend or a chapter of a novel, you’ve simply got to sit down and get on with it.

The business of writing requires you to write – it’s as simple as that! So start writing. At the beginning? Probably, but if you’ve got an idea for an incident that will probably happen later in your story, that’s fine. Write it down. Your main aim should be to put plenty of words on your paper. Yes, of course you’ll revise and re-write them as part of the on-going process, but unless you’ve actually got something written, you’ve got nothing to work on.

Oh, and writer’s block. This is often an excuse by beginning writers for procrastination. If you are feeling jaded and lacking in ideas, take a break. Do something different; weed the garden, mow t