How to Get Into the Flow of the Novel

Flow down the river and you will feel the tide. It will take you in and not let go. The writing of a novel—close to a river—is just as much about getting into the flow of it. “I want to write more words in my novel,” I hear you saying. “I want to be a novelist,” and I want to encourage you down this path. True, it may not be the most wealthy enterprise. However, for the creative the novel is pure form. There is no hiding talent, or lack of talent. There is no hiding how well you learn, how you take criticism, and how you will do on the days you don’t write. To get into the flow of the novel you need a workable strategy for achieving more words with less editing constraints.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Do more than think of it. If you just start thinking up ideas and writing them down you are close. However, writing is more than just writing, per se. You need a clear vision if you want to finish this. "You are a writer," said screenwriter Peter Dunne, "on the days you write." So be a writer.
2. Forget the rewards. Look to material wealth and you may look down at the novel. It’s harder than a good short story, mainly due to length, sometimes harder than a screenplay, even if it pays less and you have tons of competition. Get into the flow, by forgetting these petty things. Most writers start out that way; some find success some don’t. Do it for more than money, as the days of writing novels for profit is a long, beaten path.
3. Look to the words as your friends. Scribble down all the ideas you can. Wait. Scribble them down again, just to copy them down. There is nothing wrong with repetition—you are trying to instill a structure into your novel. Getting into the flow means writing more words in less time. So get a feeling for all your ideas. Soon, they will combine. You just have to keep at it. Look to the words as ideas moving on the page, as they will form something quite big, something that is close to becoming a novel.
4. Find the story beat. There are many quality books which tell you how to write, and some of them, oddly, are screenwriting books. Sometimes a good book on just story mechanics can make you leap the hurdles of writing the novel better. A story beat is the way Robert Mckee showed in “Story,” a screenwriting masterpiece. For every action there is a reaction; for every negative there is a positive, and vice versa. That means you take your fantasy hero into the home of a killer, you put your hero into a series of choices. The novel is all about choices.
5. Make the choices early. Outlines might work for you in the beginning. Some writers have outlines so detailed they must look at them; other novelists just write them down and forget them. You will have to make these choices on your own.
6. Remember your reader. There he is, waiting in line to get his first edition signed. There she is, the aspiring artist who found something in your novel. Well, we may be ahead of ourselves at this book signing, but there is something to be said for letting the reader in. Sure, you can write for yourself forever. Or you can make a choice to write with a certain reader in mind, the one you want to speak to. You play the beat for him or her. The flow of words comes faster for you because you understand your reader.

Tips & Warnings

• Understanding your reader is like understanding your muse—the understanding will change over time.
• <br>Read a good novel for things like story beat. You may also want to read top how-to-write books.
• Just because you’re in the flow doesn’t mean write 10,000 words a day. Yes, some writers can handle it, but have fun too.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
• University of Phoenix, degree Programs to Fit Your Life.