Note: You can listen to this lesson or read it — the content is the same.
Another Note: Throughout this course I will mostly be using the word “novel” instead of “memoir." Much of what I say can be applied to both. If you are writing a memoir, first I recommend asking yourself if you really want to write a memoir, or if you might actually want to write a novel inspired by real life events. In my opinion, that’s much easier because you don’t have to stick to the facts. If, however, you are still determined to write a memoir, I have included notes where I can with specific info for memoir-writers.
Writing a Novel is Hard (but Fun!)
A novel is a big project, so first thing’s first: accept that this is going to take time. There is no one right way to write a novel. I will be giving you suggestions that work for me and for other writers. Your job is to figure out what works for you. Know that you can do this. There will be roadblocks some days. Your job is to find a way around them.
To Plot, or Not?
The quintessential writer question: are you a plotter or a pantser? Meaning, do you plan out what’s going to happen in your novel, or do you write by the seat of your pants with no idea what’s going to happen next.
My suggestion: be a combination of the two.
Writing a novel is a balancing act. You have to have some sense of where you’re going, plot-wise, or it will be difficult to get anywhere at all. On the other hand, if you keep yourself too tightly bound to a detailed outline, you might miss the opportunity to explore and discover.
If you’re like me, you might struggle coming up with a plot outline to begin with, and then feel like giving up before you’ve even begun. So fear not: you do not need a detailed outline to start writing your novel.
I suggest you try writing what Matt Bell calls an exploratory draft. In Refuse to Be Done he says:
“…what I’m trying to do in the first draft is to discover the book I’m writing by writing the book… overplanning before beginning writing risks blocking opportunities for discovery and surprise.”
“…I want to be guided by what appears on the page as I write, by the emerging desires of characters and the dramatic demands of drafted scenes…”
That being said, here’s what you should NOT do: sit down at your computer with only the very vaguest sense of the story you want to tell and assume the muse will do all the work.
That’s what I used to do. I would come up with a character and a situation. Maybe an excellent first line. Then I would sit down and expect a whole novel to come flowing out of my brain. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. You need to plan, while still giving yourself wiggle room to be creative (and knowing your plan may change as you go along.)
If you don’t have ANY plan to start with, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Trust me.
The Exploratory First Draft
It took me a long time to realize that the exploratory first draft is what works for me. I write a first draft knowing the basic landmarks I want to visit, but not having a great sense of how to get there, and sometimes not having a great sense of what they will actually look like once I’m there.
What this means is that my first draft is usually messy and lacking in plot. It means my first draft always needs a major, structural revision where entire scenes are scrapped, where character motivations shift, where the entire climax changes. After that, it usually needs at least one more major revision before it’s truly done.
I always used to think, oh, if only I could be a better plotter I could save time and not have to do all these huge revisions. It took me a long time to realize that the messy first draft followed by the major revisions is my process. It’s the way I get to know my characters and their motivations, the way I figure out the climax.
All those deleted scenes are not for nothing. I need to write them to figure out the real story. You will see versions of this quote everywhere, but I’ll attribute it to Terry Pratchett:
“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”
Down the road, during that major revision, you will figure out the best way to tell your story to others.
And this is the same if you’re writing a memoir. You will write lots and lots of scenes trying to figure out the right way to tell your story. Many of the scenes you write in the first draft will be cut or changed or combined. It’s all a part of the process.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
In her book Writing Irresistible Kidlit, former agent Mary Kole says that many beginning writers think too small. Their attempted novels “lack multidimensional characters, tension, and stakes. The whole novel goes from Point A to Point B with only a few bumps in an otherwise straight line.”
To write better novels we need to build in more conflict and more tension. We need to create fully-realized characters who take action and deal with the consequences. But how exactly do we do that?
We spend more time in the prewriting phase.
Why You Need to Pre-write
Prewriting is “real writing,” and it’s just as important as adding chapters to your manuscript.
In The Anatomy of Story: 22 Step to Becoming a Master Storyteller, John Truby says that “nine out of ten writers fail at the premise” because “they don’t know how to develop the idea, how to dig out the gold that’s buried within it.” They don’t “explore the full story, and the many forms it might take” before they sit down to write it.
When you skip the prewriting stage, you encounter a variety of problems:
1. Our first ideas are often not our best or most original ones. Ideas that come to mind first are the most obvious – the ones we’ve heard or read before. So when you jump into writing the novel without enough brainstorming, you might be cutting yourself off from discovering better, more original ideas hidden under the surface.
2. Once you’ve started writing chapters, it can be hard to change direction or see other options.We get married to the scenes we’ve already written and don’t want to let them go even if, as I said above, they aren’t our best or most original ideas.
3. If you start writing without a sense of where you’re going you’re more likely to experience writer’s block which may lead to abandoning your project. I’m not saying AT ALL that you need a comprehensive outline, but spending time generating ideas will help you from getting stuck later on.
So. Let’s do some prewriting, shall we?
Assignment 1: Ultimate Brainstorm
You may already have a very clear idea of what you want your novel or memoir to be about, and if so you can skip to Assignment 2, but I still think the ultimate idea brainstorm could be helpful. Go ahead and give it a try!
STEP 1: Write down every premise, idea, story fragment, character, setting, theme, etc. that interests you.
What if…?
Wouldn’t it be cool if…?
I’d love to write about…
A story set in…
A main character who…
A story that explores…
If you start to run out of ideas, list people you know who would make great characters. Places you’ve been that would make great settings. Things that have happened to you or others, or even news items you’ve read about – anything that could make an interesting story.
Write AS MANY IDEAS as you possibly can. Can you fill two whole pages? Three? Can you think of just one more idea?
STEP 2: Look for common elements, themes, genres, etc. that show up again and again. Writing a novel takes a long time, so you need to write something that you are really interested in. Something you can stick with for the long haul.
STEP 3: Now look at your list and decide on the story you most want to write — the character(s), the setting, the situation, the set-up — whatever excites you the most. Whatever you think you can stick with for a whole novel. Then move on to Assignment 2.
Assignment 2: Brainstorm for THIS Novel
Now that you’ve decided what novel you’re writing, brainstorm EVERY SINGLE POSSIBILITY for this story – even ones you think are too crazy or too silly.
Try to list AT LEAST 50 ideas. Even better, 100. Remember, our first ideas are not always our best, so think beyond the first thing that pops into your head.
Brainstorm:
Things that could happen: actions the characters might take and consequences of their actions
Things your characters might want and why
Possible characters (major and minor, including the opponent and/or love interest)
Character and setting details/descriptions
Important scenes you might include
Conflicts or roadblocks to the character(s) getting what they want (brainstorm LOTS of these!)
Mysteries and/or secrets
If your story is a mystery novel, think of possible red herrings
Possible climaxes and endings
Possible themes
World-building details (especially if you’re writing fantasy or science fiction)
Possible B Plots and how they intersect with the main story
Challenges that may arise when writing your story and how to deal with them
Lines of dialogue, character conversations
What you love about this story and makes you excited about writing it
What you think readers will love and want in this story
Any special storytelling devices or points of view you might want to use
Descriptions, details, and anything else you might possibly include
Allow time for your story to marinate. You might get more ideas over the next week or two. In fact, this could be a great time to keep a dream journal!
Once you’ve got a pile of ideas, sift through them. Pick the best ones and start piecing them together into a plan for your novel.
Note: if you’re writing a memoir, you don’t have the luxury of deciding what might happen because you’re writing about what DID happen; however, you get to decide what to include. For your brainstorm, write down EVERYTHING that happened that pertains to the story you want to tell, every detail you can remember, every quote, every important person. You can decide later what to use and what to toss.
Assignment 3: Write the first few pages
Yes, that’s right. I’m telling you to start writing before you’ve done any plotting whatsoever. I want you to get excited about this novel. I want you to get your feet wet. Don’t worry, we won’t get too far without going back for a map.
By now you should have a character, a setting, and a situation. Start however you want. Start in a way that would make you as a reader excited to dive into this story. Start in the point of view, and with the narrative voice, that you think sets the tone for the story you want to tell.
Write pages you love, but understand that these pages are very unlikely to be the actual first pages of your final draft. In fact, these pages may not even make it into the final revised version of your novel. And that’s okay. It’s all a part of the process.
Assignment 4: One-Sentence Summary
I hope you had fun writing those pages! Now, let’s step back and start making a plan.
You do not need to plot your entire novel right now unless that’s your thing and it works for you. (And we’ll talk more about plotting in Lesson 4.)
However, you need some sense of what’s going to happen in your story before you go much further. So, I want you to write a one (or MAYBE two) sentence summary.
Example of a one-sentence summary: “When a Kansas farm girl is transported to a magical land, she must kill the Wicked Witch before the powerful Wizard will agree to send her back home.”
What your summary should include:
A character or two
The choice, conflict, or goal
What’s at stake (may be implied)
Action that will get the main character to their goal
Setting (if important)
Tips:
Keep it simple. One plotline, 1 or 2 characters. (Your story will obviously be much more complex, but for this exercise, we’re trying to keep things super simple.)
Use strong nouns, verbs and adjectives.
Make the conflict clear, but don’t tell the solution.
Don’t discuss the theme (“this is a story about forgiveness”). Instead tell what happens.
Be as detailed and specific as you can.
BAD example of a one-sentence summary: “When Liza experiences the murder of a loved one, she seeks revenge but ultimately finds the strength to come to terms with her loss.” (too vague, talks about theme)
Sample Summary Templates:
When [opening conflict] happens to [character(s)], they must [overcome conflict] to [complete their quest].
[Character] wants [goal/desire], but [conflict/opposition], so [action].
Once you’re finished, keep your one-sentence summary posted somewhere visible while you write, to remind yourself of your plan for this story. And, you may end up changing your one-sentence summary as you discover more about the story you’re writing.
Note: If you are writing a memoir, you are still telling a particular story with a clear arc and not just “the story of my life.” For example, in Educated, author Tara Westover tells the story of her own quest for knowledge and how she went from learning survival skills on an isolated mountain with her eccentric family to becoming an academic and attending Harvard and Cambridge.
Optional Reading Assignment:
pages 1-23 in Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell
Final Thoughts
There are going to be days when writing this novel will feel fun, and days when it will feel awful. Days when you love your novel and days when you think it’s trash. That’s normal. It’s all part of the process.
Your novel is not trash, by the way, even though first drafts sometimes look like that. First drafts are messy. Don’t worry. You’ll clean it up later. It’s all part of the process.
There will be no lesson next week because of Memorial Day, so you have plenty of time to brainstorm and work on your one-sentence summary. I’ll see you back in two weeks. If you have any questions or need anything, feel free to reach out!
Getting Started on Your Novel 1