How to write a novel

"So, how do you begin? First, get yourself a really big notebook - a three-ring binder at least 3 inches thick. In this binder you will keep all your notes, research, and character sketches. Use a page for each character. Don't include what they will do in the story - just include how they look, how they talk, what motivates them, and any quirky behavior they might have.

Also include ideas for scenes, descriptions of the various locations in the book. Include a time line. When will the hero meet the girl of his dreams? Where will they meet? The notebook will include everything about the novel, including scenes you have written out of sequence.

You will need another notebook - this one small enough to fit in your pocket or purse. Keep it with you at all times. Jot down your ideas for a scene. Make notes about the stray dog you saw lurking behind the market if you think a scene about a stray dog being taken in and cared for by the villain might foreshadow that he is not so terrible, but merely misunderstood..."

Read the full article by LuWanda banks at The Republican
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Updated 3.4.08 2:47 P CST

A couple of related links from Joyce:

http://calnewport.com/blog/?p=145

http://calnewport.com/blog/?p=121  

Comments

[Anita]

This is the exact way I used to keep my things organized for my silly stories I used to write when I was 13, 14 years old. (basically? just fan fic about my crushes) I just thought I had too much time on my hands, and I was just being an obsessive 13 year old, but I guess not.

[Nina]

This is a fantastic method. Thank you for pointing this out.

[Sophie Brown]

I think these "methods" are fine, but I do think the major problem is getting started and that anything you come up with out of necessity will do. Of course it's good to see how someone else organizes things. In my experience this would be a bit of a mess. Maybe--okay, get some of those dividers, like a small package of them. Then as you go along, make sure to write what that page is about at the top. It would be best if you could spend at least a half an hour a week shifting things around and keeping it together. Get some different post-it notes, colors, sizes. You have to have a hole punch, for typed pages, or Rhodia. Now in terms of the smaller notebooks--it really is important. I guess I would stick with the cahiers, and sometimes the ring binders have folders on the side. But you have to keep all of this together, in one place. Many people would enjoy writing a novel and it will work out if you STICK TO THE SCHEDULE, even if that's only an hour a day. The reason this here is good is because it's not complicated (the 3-ring binder). Put some thought into and you'll figure out your own thing (maybe you won't use your post-it notes, maybe a highlighter pen). Sometimes when you're making corrections, highlighting is better because you can still see it in case you change your mind later. Whatever it is, you have to STICK TO THE SCHEDULE and HAVE A GOOD TIME (you'll probably really crack yourself up with some of your ideas)--and whatever you do with the binders it should make the situation less cumbersome rather than more so. And it's a blast shopping for office supplies, just STICK TO THE SCHEDULE, and spend some time every week shuffling this around. Because in the end you are talking about a very large volume of paper and it's easier if you arrange things as you go along.