Learning How to Write a Novel

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is Laura Turner, and today I'm going to talk with you about learning how to write a novel. The first thing you're going to want to do is you're going to want to read as many novels as possible. And see how other novels are written, because, today we have so many different forms of writing. There's really no one way to pinpoint 'this is what a novel should be. And this is how we write novels. So you can actually go and if you read as many different kinds of novels as possible, you can get a feel for what you like to read, and therefore for what you like to write. Because we really write because we want other people to read the stuff that we like. So, go and read things and find out what you like. Next, you might actually want to take fiction writing class. And, in a fiction writing class you may not actually be able to submit an entire novel. You might not only have, you know, your short stories and stuff like that. But your short story can actually grow into a novel. So it's a good thing to be able to sit down with a bunch of other writers in a class, around the table, and to read your work, and have comments back on your work, so that you can become a better writer and you can start writing your novel. Next, if you're writing your novel by yourself, you're not in a class, you don't really have anybody to help you with it, you might want to make a very, very detailed outline for yourself so you don't get off track, and so that you can actually finish it within a pretty good span of time, rather than, you know, "I'm just constantly working on my novel, and I don't know where the next chapter's going to be", and all this stuff. So make an outline. Next, you're going to want to write something that you're passionate about. Make sure that you have enough devotion to this topic that you're going to want to spend an entire novel with it. And finally, write from start to finish, and then rewrite it. You learn by doing, so write all the way to the end. And try not to, you know, sort of censor yourself and look back at it and say "Well, that's not going with the outline." Use the outline as a tool to help you in tough times, but then, really push on through and get to the end of that novel. So learn to write novels by doing it."