They say that there are a million people writing a novel in the UK at any given time. Are you one of them? If you’ve got a story in your head, then make 2013 the year that you finally give it the attention it deserves. Here are some tips on how to get started.

Warm Up

Creative writing tutors swear by an exercise called ‘free writing’. Basically, you sit for a fixed period of time, let’s say five minutes, and you write non-stop. It doesn’t matter what you write - it doesn’t even have to make sense. The point is simply to warm up your mind (and fingers) for the creative process. My writing friend chooses a word at random, like the word ‘blue’, as her starting point and sets herself an alarm. Sometimes she’ll just write the word ‘blue’ over and over, but it doesn’t matter. Other times (often in the middle of a stream of gibberish) she’ll find some buried ideas or interesting phrases. Try to make time to do this every day, and you’ll find that ideas flow onto the page more quickly at other times too.

Break It Down

It’s amazing how often people expect to write their novel from beginning to end without any planning or outlining. If you manage to write a novel in that way, great! But virtually everyone, especially those new to writing, benefits from breaking the task down into smaller components. The reason is part psychological, part practical. By reducing the task into a series of smaller ones the entire project seems less daunting and so you’re more likely to meet targets (like, ‘finish first chapter’ rather than, ‘write a novel’). Also, it’s far easier to keep on top of your work if it’s broken up into smaller sections – a chapter by chapter plan can help you to stay in control of the action (see below).

Mix It Up

The opening sentence of a novel is notoriously difficult. We all know that the first few lines are meant to draw in the reader, which makes them some of the most challenging words to write in the whole book. If you sit staring at a blank page, waiting for a literary gem, it’s perfectly natural to feel tempted to give up. But who says you have to start at the beginning? Skip the stressful opening line and just start writing something that you’re more comfortable with: it might be a general description of your protagonist or a conversation that you imagine taking place. Get started with what you’re comfortable with and worry about piecing it together later on.

Reach Out

Any new novelist is bound to have questions – from practical ones to the more frantic ‘what the heck am I doing wrong?!’. If you have the cash and time, there are lots of courses available to teach you more about the craft of writing and put you in touch with other writers. But there are also plenty of free writers groups up and down the country that welcome new writers. Regular attendance will encourage you to produce and share work, and other people in the group will offer helpful feedback (and they are less obliged than friends and family to massage your ego!). Can’t find a group in your area? Then start one! You’ll be surprised by how many people want to join.

Write The Synopsis

Many writers consider the synopsis to be up there with undergoing a tooth extraction, but writing a detailed plan of events will help you to understand the plot details and to iron out any uncertainties from the offset. Some writers compile pages and pages of outlines and character descriptions, but that’s a matter of personal preference. The very least I advise new writers to start with is a brief summary - even if you don’t know how the story will end. Trust me, 80,000 words is a lot to write if you have no idea of where you’re going… Good luck!

Award-winning author Hilary Mantel talking about writing…