Writing A Novel For The Hell Of It...

Most people don't want to do a damn thing just for the
hell of it, except for maybe:

• take drugs
• have sex
• drink alcohol
• overeat

let alone go to all the trouble to write a frigging novel...  but, I am sure that there are some people, who, like myself, simply enjoy writing.

With that said...  let me share my process with you...  I don't consider myself to be a very creative person, and yet, I have ideas for novels pop into my head all the time.

Once I decide I want to explore one of those ideas, I try to decide on a Title for novel, even though the name might change down-the-road.

Then, I open WORD and set my manuscript document up with the headers/page numbers publishers prefer, along with line spacing, and paragraph indention  I always choose Times News Roman at 12 pts  simply because I like that style and it most accepted by everyone.

I don't necessarily have a Table of Content page, but I do create 15-20 Chapters and I either use large numbers to distinguish or Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.  And, once the chapters are created, I create a comment beside each chapter in which I write:

Chapter Outline

• Topic 1
• Topic 2
• Topic 3
• Topic 4
• Topic 5

I create this outline whether I use it or not...  and, I have written novels both ways.  I include 5 topics because I figure 3 written pages per topic especially if there is dialogue with each chapter being roughly 15 pages long.  I can add/subtract topic as those situations present themselves.

My first task is to write the INTRODUCTION/PROLOGUE to set the stage for what the novel is going to be about even though this could change as well during the course of writing.  I remain flexible so that if I get this wild hair to take the novel on a side adventure, I am not locked in place to a rigid Topic idea.

Then, I just start writing according to the first topic of the first chapter and just let it flow.  If I struggle with the topic not developing, then I put it aside until the next day and if I am still struggling, then maybe my topics have not been developed in such a way that is conducive to the writing process...  this means I start over with my topics and think of new ways the novel idea/concept should flow.