Where does one begin the first novel? Or any novel for that matter? Well, on the first page, of course. But, face it, there’s no place better to write than where one is right now. When should one start writing it? Nothing like the present. It can’t be done in the past, as that’s already been and gone. And the future is just another form of procrastinating. The ‘now’ gets one going without hesitation. Or, at least in theory it does. And how? Well that’s the biggest question, isn’t it?

The ‘how’ is the unknown that we all must resolve for ourselves. The ‘how’ involves more than just the issue of whether to write it on a laptop or in a notebook on the tabletop. The ‘how’ requires the initial idea, the theme, the setting, the characters, oh yes, and the plot. The ‘how’ is very complex indeed, but it can be controlled; it can be conquered; and it can be resolved.

I spent years writing short articles and the occasional short story, always feeling the urge to start that huge, stellar project, the one that would lead me to instant fame. The novel! Well, I finally started writing my first novel in the early 1990s, but it took a good ten years to see it completed, and, once published, it certainly didn’t become my ticket to the bestseller list. I did have a lineup at my first book signing, though.

“Spring” began with an idea and a theme that ran genetically through my family history. The theme was music, particularly classical music and classical music in Canada. After reading countless novels portraying strong female figures (and sometimes strong male figures) all excelling in the world of film, politics, business, sports personalities, artists, dancers, and so much more, I was surprised to note the decided lack of classical musicians as key characters. Did writers see classical musicians as dull and incapable of an exciting life outside of the concert hall?

Musicians are remarkably emotional creatures, not just where music is involved. They compete viciously for the prime position in the spotlight, they are highly competitive, they backstab, they threaten, and they even kill for what they think should be theirs. You see, musicians are very highly charged individuals, egotistical to the ultimate degree. And, yes, they can love, in all manner of love that presents itself in the lives of today’s population. When they love, they love with an unyielding, selfish passion that reflects, indeed mimics, their passion for the art of music. And there’s usually an aura of mystery surrounding musicians and their very valuable instruments.

My father was the first in my family to read “Spring”, after publication, of course, as I didn’t have the courage to admit that I was actually writing a novel until I had finally finished writing and secured a publishing contract. His comment was, “a viable mixture of Catherine Cookson realism and Agatha Christie mystery.” I have to admit I blushed at his comments. My first novel and already I was being compared to two great women writers.

Was it easy? No. Was I plagued with self-doubt? Daily. I mean, who was I to think that I could write a novel, let alone one that a publisher would offer a contract for, one that others might eventually read? I was just a private music teacher with two school age children and a house to run. Not the exotic, lavish background of a budding novelist, that’s for sure. I plodded along and saw my first novel all the way to press.

So my ‘how’ was a matter of evolution, really. Times changed for me and my life as it did for the characters that I wrote about. My family grew up; my piano studio slowed down and eventually I retired from teaching to concentrate full time on my writing; and I moved to the country for solitude and complete quiet. I matured; my writing matured; and my ‘how’ evolved.

The important thing about writing that first novel is writing it. Just do it! Here is better than nowhere; now is better than later; how is rudimentary….and there’s one more: why. The ‘why’ is because it’s a part of a writer’s internal makeup and spiritual essence. The ‘why’ is the driving force behind a writer, before a writer and within a writer.The 'why' is a writer’s raison d’être.