The start of a new year is both a moment of celebration and of existential dread—with a new year comes new projects and new challenges. It’s easy to feel intimidated by the prospect of taking on a fresh creative venture, but we’re here to get you started on the right foot, no matter which scenario you are facing!
New writers and seasoned writers alike struggle with getting started. It requires a great deal of willpower to sit down at the desk and put words to paper. Even when we’re excited by the potential of a new project, self-doubt can get in the way and keep us from the joyful writing experience we deserve. Whether you’re starting a new novel or searching for your next book idea, our writing coach Melanie Conklin is here with some tips to help you move into 2024 with ease.
How to get started on your next novel
…if you don’t have any ideas
…if you have a lot of ideas but don’t know which one to pick
…if you have an idea, but you aren’t sure how to start
…if you have a draft you’ve started but you’re stuck
…if you can’t stop thinking about your current draft
…if you’re exhausted and feel like you have no energy for writing
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1. …if you don’t have any ideas
First, be assured that you do indeed have ideas! Your subconscious is a literal idea collector, constantly vacuuming up the interesting moments in life and storing them deep in your mind as unconscious memories. If your ideas are hiding from you, it’s a good time to reflect and collect, so you can identify the topics that interest you.
Reflect by allowing yourself to think over the past year or month or week, and ask yourself:
- What happened that was surprising?
- What happened that still bothers me?
- What was the funniest moment?
- What was my favorite activity?
- What are the things that made me happy?
- What activity would I like to explore more?
- What questions are foremost on my mind regarding life?
Have a nice chat with yourself and collect your thoughts in a notebook, journal, or even a list on your phone. Give yourself the opportunity to identify the parts of life that interest you most. Some subjects will repeat, and themes will appear.
Pay attention to those areas of life that capture your attention. That is where you will find your ideas. The subjects you care about the most are often the subjects you should write about.
2. …if you have a lot of ideas but don’t know which one to pick
The good news is that having too many ideas is a great problem to have! It’s easy to fear picking the wrong story to move forward with. No one wants to waste a boatload of time running in the wrong direction—but consider this reframe: all writing is a step forward on your writing journey.
Each bit of writing we do teaches us about ourselves, our interests, and our writing craft. Even if the book you write now ends up in a drawer later, that doesn’t mean the project hasn’t served a purpose. Often, we learn something about our writing craft with one book that is essential for the next book.
In that way, each book we write is a stepping stone on our writing journey. It’s okay to write whichever project appeals to you the most right now. Chances are, you will learn something by writing it, and it will take you where you need to be. Remember: You don’t have to be ready to write, you just have to be courageous!
You might find this blog interesting by Sunday Times number 1 bestselling author Claire Douglas on how to know when an idea is ‘The One’.
3. …if you have an idea, but you aren’t sure how to start
The lovely thing about drafting is there are no wrong answers. It’s virtually guaranteed that you will need to revise your draft later, so for now, you can start anywhere!
Choose the dialogue that pops into your head for the inciting moment and start there. Allow yourself to explore and play. It’s okay to change your mind and write three different openings for your story. You don’t even have to pick an opening scene now! You can leave whatever ideas you have in your draft and decide what to do during revisions.
Drafting is not the time to make decisions about what works best in a novel. Your only job when drafting is to write the book. Allow yourself to tap into what excites you about the idea and run with it!
4. …if you have a draft you’ve started but you’re stuck
Everyone gets stuck during drafting. It’s a normal part of the writing process. Often, that feeling of being stuck is self-doubt rearing its ugly head, making us question if we are writing the correct scene or not. The best way to overcome that feeling of being stuck is to remind yourself that you cannot control your way to a perfect draft. All you can do is trust the process.
Failure is required to find the right solutions. Sometimes, we’re aware that a scene we’re writing is not the correct solution, but we don’t have a better idea. Allowing yourself to write a placeholder scene is a wonderful way to keep moving forward so the creative process can work its magic. Over time, you will see better solutions. You just have to be willing to fail a bit to find them.
5. …if you can’t stop thinking about your current draft
Here at The Novelry we believe that time off from a draft is an essential part of the process. Stories need time to mature. Just because we set aside a draft for a month does not mean we are making no progress. What actually happens during your break is that your subconscious gets a chance to process all of the ideas you dumped into the draft.
Time off allows you to gain perspective on your own words. Revision means “seeing again”.
By taking a break from our work, we’re allowing ourselves to see the story with fresh eyes. It can be scary to let go long enough for detachment to happen, but it is an important skill to master and a foolproof way to improve your story.
Taking the time to explore a new project during your break can also be a great way to gain clarity on your existing story. Allow yourself to forget the draft you already have and enjoy the time away, whether you are resting, recharging, or writing something new. Your vision will be that much clearer when you return to your draft!
6. …if you’re exhausted and feel like you have no energy for writing
The mind tells us when it needs a rest. Like nature, humans have seasons. Sometimes, we’re just done, and that’s okay. Taking an intentional break to refill your writing well is part of writing. It’s just as valid to schedule time for reading and daydreaming as it is to forge ahead on a new draft.
Start your writing process where you are.
If you need to spend the first few weeks of the new year preparing to write by rejuvenating your mind and body, then do that. Writing with pleasure comes from taking good care of yourself. When you feel well and have done the work to prepare, the words will come.
Don’t fret about falling behind or failing to move forward. Pushing to produce pages when you are depleted is often a recipe for frustration. Allow yourself to embrace all parts of the writing process, including rest. Your mind requires it. When you’re well rested, you can move into your new year and new novel with ease.
Happy new year, and happy writing!
For more tips on writing and editing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.
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