Thread: Advice, I am new, wanting to start a psych-thriller novel..only have plot!

Hello I am new, this is my first post apart from intro, I have done a lot of writing in past with non fictional publications but a novel is scary where DO i start?

looking for any advice, pretty please!!

Originally Posted by CharBar

Hello I am new, this is my first post apart from intro, I have done a lot of writing in past with non fictional publications but a novel is scary where DO i start?

looking for any advice, pretty please!!

Writing a novel is a daunting task, prepare to laugh, cry, and go mad on a daily basis.

Start by grasping how long a novel is. At its shortest, it's around 60 thousand words. At it's longest, 120 thousand.

Writing is about tension and conflict. No one reads a story that doesn't have anything happening. Maintain, at all times, a feeling of uncertainty where something is still not quite right. Always have something under your sleeve; when the reader thinks he's about to grab the carrot, pull it and throw a hand grenade at him. The only exception (or rather, reversion) is comedy, where you can't let the reader stop laughing, and when he or she thinks he can stop, you make him or her laugh again for double the effect.

Understand that your first pass is most likely going to need a lot of editing (or more bluntly, it will be garbage) unless you're some kind of genius. Don't get too stuck on the writing, just keep on going. Take notes on parts that need to be scrapped or rewritten to match a change in the plot. Along with your manuscript, keep a diary of your progress on the story, what you liked and what you didn't. Every day, review what you wrote the day before, sometimes read from the beginning, and take notes on what you didn't like, or if you went on tangents with the latter sections. Don't edit anything, assume it's perfect (lie to yourself as often as you can), and go on.

The first five pages and the second to last chapter are the most important moments in your story. The first pages are where the reader decides "garbage" or "interesting". As such, always assume that the first five pages of your draft are not the first five pages of your manuscript. You should deal with that carefully and sensibly once you have a complete story to draw ideas from.

Other than that, it depends on what kind of writer you are. Generally speaking, you're either the kind that outlines and the kind that doesn't. If you don't outline, no point in asking, just go write. If you want to outline, though, here are some tips:

Think up of what you want to convey with your story. If you like music, try representing the emotion with a song you like.

Create a setting that interests you, and that fits nicely with your theme. Figure out how idealistic or cynical you want the story to be, and alter the setting accordingly (for example, post apocalyptic vs utopia).

Think of some scenes you want to write, some things you want to happen in your story. In your mind, make the mood fit the emotion you want to convey. The scenes you will most likely think of are the climaxes.

Now give names to the little creatures that appeared inside your head when you went through the previous step. These are main characters. The guy you sympathized with and his peers are the protagonists, while the thing that opposed them is the antagonist.

Everything else, no exceptions, is meant to bring those characters to those moments you thought off. From here onwards you go back and forth from your climaxes. Design your story with "what happens after?" and "how did they get there?"

And one last thing, these are guidelines, opinions of what I think goes well and what doesn't. If you feel something here is just not what you think is best, then go with what you thought.

Thankyou, I really did just need some support and advice, it is quite difficult to begin..! Thank you!!

Don't take this the wrong way, but sometimes when I read an OP like this, it annoys me -- depends on what kind of mood I'm in, I guess. I think, what does this person expect to hear that isn't just some boilerplate stuff that could be had with a 10 minute Google search? Even so, what you find may or may not apply to you -- so it usually comes down to just writing and seeing what happens.

I have to harken back to that time when I wanted to write -- but didn't know how to start. The thought of a novel was daunting, so I decided to try short stories -- just to work out the basics. But even then -- same problem -- what to write? I posted a bunch of bits and pieces of things -- nothing finished -- but enough to get some guidance and encouragement. You have to start somewhere.

Here's how I solved my problem. I took an event from my life that had some impact, and I wrote a story about it, as if it were fiction. Anything that makes an impression or changes you is bound to have the essential elements of good story -- conflict, character growth, etc. Since I could picture everything through my minds eye, writing description wasn't too hard. Capturing how I felt wasn't all that difficult either -- I just tapped into my memory and was able to conjure up those emotions. Somehow, it all came together. When I was through, I had an epiphany of sorts. I was able to post that whole story and see what people had to say about it. From that point on, the stories in my head began to take shape and I was able to put them down in a way that made sense. I went back and read that story just recently -- and it wasn't bad. Who knows, it may not work for you, but maybe it's worth a shot.