Start Small

Getting started is one of the toughest parts of being a writer. As a reader, you know what things are supposed to look like when a writer’s work is finished: a completed novel with interesting characters, an engaging plot, and an intriguing setting. The tough part is getting from A to B. How is someone who has never written a novel before supposed to write one?

My advice is to start small. I’ve often suggested that there are five parts to a story:

CharactersPlotSettingsThemes/IdeasWriting T...