10 Tips to Write a Novel
3.
Organize Yourself – Think About the Future!
The writing process will seldom be a single text file on the computer (and I would actually go as far as saying that it shouldn’t be so). Although each situation is unique, and it is difficult to give universal instructions, consider the following:
I started myself with a simple text file on the computer entitled “CHRONICLES OF GALADRIA”, which then evolved into “CHRONICLES OF GALADRIA (volume X)” as new volumes appeared, and finally “Chronicles of Galadria I ~ The Other World ~” once the volume had reached its final version (with the number and subtitle changing with each volume of course).
I also stored in a physical folder in my desk all my hand-drawn sketches, along with a notebook full of key sentences and themes I thought about (I mentioned earlier “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” as a source of inspiration, but I could have talked about music too).
On my computer, I ended up with documents for parts that were already written but that I couldn’t implement yet, a whole bunch of folders for illustrations (including the various versions of the covers), derivative works and old versions of the story… And things got worse with publishing: paper and e-book versions, translated versions, publisher or distribution platform with its own instructions, and so on. As of today, each one of the 6 volumes of the “Chronicles of Galadria” exists in at least 4 versions (on top of the translated ones)!
So even if you can’t foresee all the content that will come up during the writing process, do prepare a physical folder and a bunch of digital ones on the computer for everything you expect, and be logical in how you organize all this so you don’t get overwhelmed by the unexpected and always find what you’re looking for!
2 Comments
Lillian Moore
I thought it was interesting that you say writing a novel is an adventure not and ordeal. I can see how writing can be a fun process. Writing down your own thoughts and displaying them on paper can make you feel somewhat naked and exposed to the reader. This for me has made my writing more of an ordeal than an adventure. The stress of feeling like my story needs to make complete sense right from the beginning makes the writing process so much slower. As I read through your article, I liked your first tip the best. Write the story you want to tell rather than the story the readers want. I feel obligated to my readers sometimes and that gets me in a tough spot. I really appreciate your tips. I am already improving my writing. Thank you.
David Gay-Perret
And thank you for having taken the time to read all this and leave a comment!
I actually haven’t experience the “feeling naked” you mention since I didn’t think of publishing until two and a half year after having completed the story! Which means I mostly wrote it for myself, so no stress there.
As for having a story that makes sense right from the start: it’s only my opinion, and my story actually didn’t follow this tip when I started (I built up and tried to find explanations as I went), but with hindsight I believe it actually saves a lot of time and headaches. And so I think you get back the time invested in planning and thinking forward a bit when, at the end, everything falls nicely into place.
In any case I wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavor!