Writing a novel is not nearly as difficult as people think. Some folks spend ten years or more on a single novel. Some people spend their entire lives. For people who want to publish and want to publish a lot, waiting so long is not possible.
In November of 2014 (as per the National Novel Writing Month rules) I wrote 50,000 words in a single month. This is my method. If you've been wanting to write a novel but haven't known how to tackle the task, take heed! This isn't the only correct way to write a novel. This is just the way that worked for me.
1. Know your main character(s), their world, and their conflict.
Everything started with my protagonist. I didn't know everything about him when I started, but I had a basic idea. I created two additional characters for him to interact with, his world, and the basic crux of the story and his struggle before I wrote a word.
If you need to, put these details on paper. Who is my story about? What does this person struggle with? What else is important? Your creative process may start with any of these questions. You may think of a world. You may think of a person. You make think of a plot device or a particular scene you want to build a story around. All are good. If you want to write a novel, you probably have at least one of these ideas ready to go. If you don't, look for some random generators online.
2. Plot every scene in a notebook.
One line should say: "In this scene, the characters do this, and this happens, and this is revealed to the reader." The next line should say: "Then, in the next scene, this happens." Be as informal as you want.
Know the story from beginning to end before you start, even in a basic sense. The more prep work, the better. However, don't be afraid to wing certain parts and come up with details and characters on the fly. If you're writing nonfiction or a memoir, this rule still stands. Plan each chapter or scene.
3. Start typing. Type every night. 1,667 words at least.
1,667 is the word count you need each night in order to finish a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. This is not as hard as it sounds. I promise. Don't stop to worry about mistakes. Write whatever comes to mind. If nothing comes to mind, write garbage that doesn't belong in that spot. You can edit it out later, but you can't dilly dally if you want to achieve your goal.
4. Refrain from going back and changing the beginning.
Your goal is to finish. Turn off spell check if that's what it takes. The only time it's acceptable to change a detail before you get to the end is if you drastically change the plot you created in step one. That can happen. When it does, you still need to stick to your word count rule.
5. Go, go, go.
If you get in the zone and manage to write 4,000 words some night, don't give yourself a two day break. Continue to do at least 1,667 every night. Stay on track. You'll thank yourself for getting ahead. You may find that you actually need 60,000 or even 100,000 words to reach the end. The more you stick to the word count, the sooner your story will be finished.
6. When the story is finished, stop.
Then and only then is the time to edit. If you haven't finished the story in a month because it got bigger, keep going at the same pace. Getting it down is the most important thing. Editing the story to your satisfaction might take a year or more, but you will be more inclined to publish if you have a complete manuscript.
7. Bonus! Tell people what you are up to and use them to keep you accountable.
Tell someone who loves you or enjoys your work about what you're doing. Update them on your word count. Post your word count on social media. Make it public. The more people who see your progress and root for you, the more inclined you will feel to finish the story so they can read it. Having a fandom (even a fandom of one) is great motivation.
