Anybody Can Write a Novel

Chapter 1 - Beginning to Write

In my opinion.

If I could begin every sentence in this book with the words "in my opinion" or "in my experience," I would. It should be noted that my opinions should not be taken as the gospel of writing. This statement isn't an attempt to exempt my work from criticism; it is just to create the correct tone moving forward. I neither wish to be perceived as an antagonistic force against your writing style nor as an intellectual authoritarian whose words are used as a mandate what constitutes good writing. However, I stand by every opinion that I give in this guide as worth consideration if you want to improve your writing, even if you ultimately decide to do the opposite of what I would advise.

Introduction

Anybody can write a novel. There are few phrases which cause as much emotional reaction to writers and aspiring writers as those five words. I've received messages from writers who were furious that I could assert that anyone could learn the mystical art which makes them so special. On the other hand, I've received very kind messages from writers for whom that idea made prospect of writing a novel achievable.

This guide on writing is not the teachings of mysticism to those who have been deemed as the "chosen ones" by the writing gods. It is not a litmus test for picking out "real" writers from "fake" writers. Again, it is not the gospel of writing according to Dessie, praises upon her name. This guide is a list of things I learned as an amateur writer who gradually got better through practice, listening to criticism, and learning from others. It is a way for anyone who is willing to put in the long hours and hard work to make their dream of writing a novel into a reality.

In the past, this guide was mostly a self-teaching tool so that I could focus on specific improvements within my own work. It's now been half a decade since I stopped working on the guide, and I've written several finished novels since then. I finally feel like my insight is something that may be of worth to prospective writers again. So, our first lesson will be on what you need to understand to make this guide work best for you.

You can learn to be a proficient writer.

Those starting with a casual interest in writing will almost inevitably face discouragement from others who tell them that it is impossible that they could become a writer. These are often supposed teachers, snobs, or insecure writers who need to feel inherently more special than everybody else. These toxic personalities hold the belief that you need some sort of innate magic within you to be a writer, or that you must sacrifice all that you are in order to replace all semblance of personality or a life with writing.

In truth, discouragers like this are pseudo-intellectuals who get off on making themselves feel smarter than others. As a general rule, anybody taken with telling things "how they are" giving "tough love" or "just being honest" is almost certainly an emotional sadist. Writing, just like any craft or art, is a difficult and multifaceted skill that can take many years to learn. However, it can be done so long as you believe it can and you put in the hard work. This can be done the way I was privileged enough to be able to—studying the topic in depth and getting a degree in the subject. Or it can be done at a much more casual pace—as you delve just into the depths that appeal to you.

At the end of the day, a true writer is someone who writes—not someone who goes to a writing club to sip on red wine and discuss the finer theory of a craft they do not ever actually engage in. So let go of whatever voices tell you you'll always be amateur and second-rate; those voices that will cause you never to aim for anything higher than failure. Give it your all. You CAN do it!

Writing can be learned apart from natural talent.

Just like there are people who can jump higher than others or hear musical notes that others must study for years to learn, some people are naturally better at writing than others. I was both blessed and cursed with a higher starting level than many. This repeatedly led to failing assignments because my teachers accused me of plagiarism. They claimed to not need to check whether I did plagiarize because "nobody writes that much better than what they speak." Even while a childhood me was bawling my eyes out for the public shaming and discrediting of my hard work was how I found that it was something I would be well off to pursue.