Writing A Novel

Writing a novel is one of those tasks where it is very easy to say the words, but it is an altogether different matter entirely to write the words in a structured and understandable format.

To many, writing a novel at face value would appear to be as easy as riding a bike or learning to swim (I can’t swim..), but it isn’t until you try it for yourself that you find out what a technical and time-consuming task it actually is.

For instance, writing a novel includes the below:

- Plotting
- Character arcs
- A fully developed story with believable characters and environments
- Correct knowledge of punctuation, grammar and spelling
- Understanding points of view
- Coffee. Lots of coffee.

This is a tiny part of what is a much larger range of aspects to consider when writing a novel and it is something that I have come to understand on my own journey. For all writers that is what writing is, a journey we go on, and for the true writers, a journey that never stops.

I encourage everybody to start this craft or at least give it a go. Just don’t go into this craft with the idea of getting published and/or making money, the greatest reward in writing is managing your own time, your patience and your imagination to the ultimate completion of your project. You may also learn a few things about yourself in the process..

One Project Or Many?

When writing a novella, short story or even a fully fledged novel, what is your approach? Do you centre your focus onto the one sole project do you tend to have many different projects going on at any one time?

Personally, due to my limited attention span, I have various projects going on at any one time. I feel this may be a bad thing. Yes, I get to delve into different genres, different ideas and create my own stories individually, but where is my focus?

Focus is a primary factor when writing and having the ability to commit yourself to an idea, a plot or a scene is the foundation for your entire project. Although, having many projects at any one time may also bring a wealth of new ideas which you could 'mix and match' between your works.

I guess creativity and how we tackle this is a personal preference and everybody works in their own way. So what is it.. one project or many?