Writing Novels

Like a great many people, I have been toying with writing a novel for a long time. Unlike many people, I have also actually attempted to write a novel several times. As anyone who has attempted to write anything of any length can attest, it is much harder than it looks. The plethora of books and other references on the various aspects of writing a novel are clear evidence that it is not simply a process of applying a pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and letting words flow.

If I have learned anything from my various aborted attempts to write a novel, it is that failure to plan your story will almost certainly lead to failure in completing your story. It is a very rare story that presents itself to the writer fully formed and ready to be committed to paper. The longer the story, the less likely this event will be. There are far too many pitfalls that can open up beneath the intrepid would-be novelist for the approach of simply writing and seeing what happens to be generally productive of anything other than reams of words that are semi-coherent.

I have decided that it is time to actually plan a story and then try to write it. This is, however, not the most exciting process in the world for it involves a great deal of thought about details far beyond those that will ever appear in the finished work. Of course, if you truly desire to write a good story, this planning stage is critical

To alleviate the boredom of this process and also to contribute an additional motivation, I have decided to chronicle my adventures in writing a novel on my blog. By doing so, I ensure that I have, at least, written something that will permit me to experience that feeling of satisfaction, even if the novel itself is never completed. Indeed, many aspiring writers may find my chronicle interesting, if only as a case study in what not to do. Perhaps even experienced writers will find a chronicle of me flailing around trying to write amusing.

Interested parties should watch this space, and the “Novel Project” category in particular for each new entry in this saga. It is also important to note that these entries do not reflect the process realtime but are spread out in easier to digest chunks. Here’s hoping that it proves interesting.

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