Ready to start?

First and Second Weeks

This is where your story will really start to take shape.

Write your outline

Allow your imagination free rein and get your outline down on paper. I’m not talking a perfect outline here, not unless that’s the way you work. Any outline will do, even a short 1000 word summary that outlines the story.

You may not be into doing outlines but you should try it anyway. And if outlines are your thing, don’t get carried away. You don’t want too much detail; that comes in the story. Just write as if you were telling a friend about your story. What happened and when – don’t forget to keep the basic plot structure in mind while you do it though.

Write a rough draft and fill the details in

Now you really are ready to start writing, if you haven't already gotten off the starters' blocks. Start writing that story, loosely based on your outline, and begin filling in the detail, bring your characters to life. You might find as you go on that many of the details you had in mind earlier simply disappear because something better came to mind.

And don’t forget to do your research. If your story takes place in, let’s say Las Vegas, make sure you research the details to get them right – everything about the area your story is based in. That includes buildings – if you have a scene set in a Nevada government building, research it so you can describe it. The smallest details are the ones that count.

Third and Fourth Weeks

Edit your novel

Once you have a solid rough draft on paper, you can start editing it. That includes rewriting scenes or adding new ones in. First off, this will be “big picture” editing which you might know as developmental or substantive editing. That is followed by line editing, copy editing and then proofreading.

In an ideal world, your manuscript would be reviewed by an experienced editor at every stage, especially the last stages. However, even at this stage, rough draft, feedback is important. Find someone you trust, someone experienced at writing and/or editing to give you their feedback on your work. They may even edit it for you. Take on board what they say and fix any issues that they find.

You can't beat having a fresh set of eyes go over things, especially someone impartial. Don’t ask a friend to do it for you – they are not unbiased and are unlikely to give you what you need. If you can afford it, pay for a professional copyeditor to go over it, important if you intend to publish. And if you are working to a tight timeline, make sure you have a commitment from an editor to help you early on – that way, you don’t get pushed to the back of the queue.

When you are happy, when it’s been polished and you can't get it any better, you can think about publishing.