do u have any advice for someone who’s trying to write a novel for the first time but low key doesn’t know where to start or what they’re doing??

You can check out my writing advice tag here on Tumblr! It has nine pages (!) of posts answering other readers’ writing questions over the past few years.

Here’s some quick and dirty, basic first-time advice:

Have at least a general idea of your ending before you start. It can change over the course of writing the novel, but you need to have a goal you’re writing towards, or the story will end up a rambling mess that requires a ton of avoidable revision. (Trust me, I speak from experience!) Depending on how much of a planner/plotter you are, sketching a rough outline of the novel first can be a lifesaver. Every time I outline a novel, I catch plot holes that I’m able to address before I even start the first draft!If you’re a first-time novelist, you’ll probably feel the urge to start the story too early. A novel should start as late in the story as is possible without confusing the reader. Newer writers (again, speaking from experience) often feel compelled to “overshare”, which has its roots in anxiety. As you gain more experience, that anxiety will lessen, and the sense of where to start a story (and when to include things like backstory and exposition) will become more intuitive.Know your protagonist’s goal, why they want it, and what they’re willing to do to get it. Make sure their behavior is always consistent with this characterization. Fictional characters have to be consistent (consistent, not necessarily rational) in a way that real human beings don’t to make it easier for the reader to suspend their disbelief.

Check out the tag for more specific advice, and best of luck with your first novel!