Writing Your First Novel - Discover These 3 Secrets of Novel Writing Success

Let's face it, writing your first novel can be an incredibly difficult undertaking. There is so much conflicting advice about exactly how to do it that you can spend years trying different approaches--without ever finishing a complete manuscript.

In this article, we'll cover three secrets to writing your first novel that you can immediately put into practice. These tips come from my 10+ years of experience as a published novelist, and as a coach of countless aspiring authors.

1) Write the story you would love to read.

Writing fiction can be great fun, but it can also be hard. A sure way to make the task even more onerous is when you try to create a story in which you have no compelling interest.

Don't decide that because James Patterson is selling millions of copies with his Alex Cross thrillers, you have to write a book about detectives. Create a story about detectives only if you truly enjoy reading those kind of stories.

Imagine the ideal novel that you'd love to read. That's the book should you attempt.

2) Avoid dream killers.

What is a dream killer? The kind of person who relishes telling you what they believe you are incapable of achieving.

When these malcontents learn you are writing your first novel, they will do nothing but try to sow seeds of doubt in your mind. They will tell you that you're wasting your time by trying to accomplish such a mighty task. They'll assure you that it will never be published, that you'll never earn a dime for your work, and that you really should consider doing something else instead--because they don't want to see you heartbroken when you fail.

Avoid these people at all costs. Sometimes, that may be impossible if such a person is a close family member. In that case, strive to keep your fiction writing activities low-key.

3) Set a realistic work schedule--and stick to it.

No matter how many books you've written, finishing a book demands self-discipline, determination, and focus. I've found that the best way to consistently reach that last page is to follow a reasonable work schedule.

Many professional novelists aim to knock out about five pages a day. That might not be feasible for you because of your life responsibilities, but could you manage two pages? Or just one? Of course, you can.

Once you've set your daily quota, stick to it, no matter what. There will be times--trust me--when you will want to quit. You'll hit rough spots during which you're convinced the story is garbage. Keep on pushing forward; these insecurities are a natural part of the creative process.

All that matters is that you stick to your schedule. And finish.

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