#Tip 5 Create a mind map if that works for you

For some authors, mind mapping is more effective than creating a basic outline. Mind maps are great especially for developing the scenes that will appear in your work. Start from your central idea and move outwards, creating the necessary scenes that will lead to the climax of the story. Think through each central scene and consider even the smallest of details that will lead to the end that you want for your story. Mind maps are more visual and if you are more of a visual than a details person, this could be the way to go.

#Tip 6 Carry a notebook and pen with you or any device you can use to write

This way, when ideas come to you, wherever you are, you can note them down and expound on them when you are writing. Many ideas come when we interact with others or when carrying out everyday activities instead of when we are at our desks writing our next chapter. You may also suddenly have ideas on how you can twist the plot or about a conversation you can include in your book and if you do not have somewhere to write it down, you may forget it completely or struggle to recall all the details of the idea you had thought of before.

#Tip 7 Have an end in mind and know where to start

One of the most intimidating aspects of writing a novel is writing that first page or chapter and finally coming to the end of your story. The best way to begin a novel is to just start. Write what you believe to be a good story as at that moment and build from that. In most cases, people already have a beginning in mind. It is the actual writing that gets in the way. Having a clear goal will also help develop other features of the work. With the end in mind, you will know what characters to include in your work and how to develop them, ideas for the scenes in your story will start popping up, the action that should drive your plot and all the other suspenseful moments will begin to develop in your mind. In a nutshell, with a beginning and an end, it becomes easier to craft everything else.

#Tip 8 Explore different options

When writing your first draft, there is no limit and you can explore as many ideas as you may want as you do not have to get everything right the first time. You can switch up points of view or start a conversation or a different scene in an unusual way and see where this could take you. The point is to remember that your first draft also serves as a way to evaluate whether you have a good story to tell. Other drafts will improve on the original idea.

Even though authors take different approaches to writing their first draft, the most important thing is to not stop and to complete it. This is the first challenge that you will have to overcome.