Sticking it Out.

I know several authors who've started novels, wrote 10,000 or more words, and gave up on them. I've heard a range of reasons for this, including becoming bored with the work, being better suited to writing short stories, or not having planned enough. Having written over half a dozen (ten, if you include rewrites) novels myself, all of which were over 100,000 words, I thought I might share my insight on this subject.

Let's start by stating the obvious: Writing a novel is not easy. Everyone has one in them, but getting it on paper is an entirely different matter. If you have any misconceptions about the amount of work which goes into a novel, let them be dispelled right here and now. Most take between months and years to finish. Whereas you can pen a short story in one day, a novel is something which at times requires the patience of Job. There are no shortcuts. No self-help guides. No rules, except the obvious ones of grammar and syntax. What writing, in all forms but especially novels, requires is self-discipline. That voice in your head which nags at you to write another 500 words today, even though everything you write seems like one huge mind fart. I think this is where a lot of people fall down. When you start something new, it's always exciting. Those first few days of a new job; the first dates of a new relationship; the first time your parents allow you to go out on your own. After awhile, tedium starts to creep in. That initial surge of excitement parts to frustration and boredom. This is the juncture which separates the weed from the chaff. If you want to write a novel, it is at this point which you must decide to persevere, even when it seems pointless to continue.

All novels contain three things: A beginning, middle, and end. Sounds simple when it's put like that. Between those three points, however, is the bulk of your story. If you have an idea for two of those three (preferably beginning and end) it's a matter of connecting the dots. What happens in between to take the MC from that point at the start to where s/he eventually ends up? If planning helps you to figure that out, go for it. Some people find it more exciting (I'm one of them) to wing it. I never become bored with a novel because I never know what will happen in the next sentence, never mind chapter. It is that sense of the unknown which creates excitement within me. There's also the 'Eureka!' moment in which an earlier idea comes fully to fruition. For instance, in my most recent novel I had a group of terrorists in possession of several canisters of a lethal bio-agent. They were travelling towards a town in Utah, driving a uniquely coloured van whose purpose I had no idea until 60-odd chapters later when it became clear. That, for me, is the joy of writing with no shackles. If you're having problems getting past the dreaded onset of boredom, consider throwing off the chains and writing with complete freedom.

I finish novels because of two things: One, I love to start new stories (but I never leave one unfinished). And two, I feel a sense of pride at having finished another one. There is no better feeling than writing the words 'THE END' after a long write and edit. If you can discipline yourself to look past the low points of boredom, and imagine the sense of accomplishment you will achieve if you persevere, writing novels will become second nature. Consider setting yourself a deadline, too, if you're the kind of person who needs a kick in the backside to urge them on.

Last but not least, enjoy it. I've read so many people's reasons for wanting to write a novel. Most of them are something along the lines of wanting to become rich; become a bestseller; see the book become a movie like Harry Potter and Twilight. Reality check: It is next-to-near impossible to get published, never mind become a millionaire from writing. I don't write for that. I write because I love it. If I become published and make money, that's a bonus. Stop trying to write the perfect novel, because such a thing doesn't (and never will) exist. Write for you first. If you're writing for someone else, you aren't being true to yourself as a writer.