You have an idea for a novel. It may be anything from a vague notion to a crystal clear concept. What, if anything, should you do to prepare? You might know (or suspect) that you are a planner type, and so you want to do some “figuring” before diving into your draft. On the other hand—vague notion or otherwise—you might be the sort that wants to dive right in and get going! Whether you are a plotter or a dive-right-in writer, I think that there are three broad strategies all writers can adopt when thinking what to do before writing a novel. (Or, better stated: before-ish.) It comes down to Reading, Research and Recess. Let’s explore what I mean together!
Figuring out what to do before writing a novel
I will be honest: I’m more of a planner-type writer. Several lessons in my book The One Week Writing Workshop offer strategies that encourage pre-draft dreaming, exploring and figuring. I follow this up with tasks that then help you to focus and funnel this preliminary work into a confidence-inspiring plan before you start your draft.
Now, I acknowledge that not everyone likes a formal plan. And yet…I’ve led enough creative writing workshops to know that most of us need just a little something to prime the creative engines before we get going on a manuscript. If not a formal plan, then maybe something like preparatory play. That’s where my three pre-draft strategies come in—Read, Research, and Recess—and I believe that everyone can benefit!
Reading
You’ll be hard pressed to find any writer who wouldn’t advise you to read before writing your novel. It’s generally-accepted wisdom that reading fiction helps train you to write fiction. I would certainly agree with that! I also guess that if you are preparing to write a novel, you probably are already an avid reader of fiction—it’s likely not a stretch at all. So, keep it up!
What you may want to add or adjust when it comes to your avid reading habit is a deliberate shift into“study mode”. As you read fiction, use a noticing eye, focusing on how authors approach any number of things, from opening lines to creating tension between characters…how she uses language to effectively describes settings …and how he juggles multiple points of view….etc. If you have specific questions about particular writing techniques or how to go about something in your own writing (for instance, how to write dialogue in a novel), treat the books you read as your mentors—and get inspired by their “solutions”.
You might also want to get more intentional about what you read as you prepare to write your own novel. You don’t have to give up reading widely if that’s what you do, but consider beefing up your reading list to include more books in the specific genre you’re planning to write in. This way you can better acquaint yourself with the genre’s rhythms and peculiarities—kind of “absorbing” them consciously and even subconsciously as you read. You might also want to consider re-reading books in your chosen genre that you’re already familiar with. Knowing the twists, turns and ending of a story in advance, you can really focus on studying technique in that narrative, thus inspiring your own writing approach. (My advice: don’t do this with your favourite book of all time—let it remain a story!)
And of course, you can be reading, even the “studying” kind of reading, while you are writing your draft. So, before-ish. Start in on some focused reading, and keep reading this way even as you write. This can help your draft and can inform the revision stage, too.
Research
In order to write with authenticity, you might have to do some research before you get going on your draft. What this means will depend on the kind of book you’re writing. If you’re writing historical fiction, it’s probably rather obvious that you’ll have to do plenty of academic-style research. Your novel simply won’t be believable without it!
Other kinds of stories might require research, too—and not all research requires a trip to the library. For instance, my middle grade novel My Best Friend is a Viral Dancing Zombie features two boys who are making a stop motion movie. While I wasn’t intending to write a how-to-make-a-movie guide within my book, I certainly needed to get familiar with the basics about animated films so that I could write authentic scenes about my eleven-year-old characters as they made movie magic after school. I had to get acquainted with the tools, technique, and timelines of this kind of movie project, and figure out what it would be reasonable to assume boys this age would have access to and could create (quite a lot, actually!). I looked up articles on the subject. I watched tutorial videos. I viewed stop motion movies created in classrooms I was working in at the time (use your social connections!). I talked to my animator friend to clear up my list of technical questions. This was all research, and actually none of it took place in a library.
So, take some time to think about the sorts of things you’ll need to learn or research in order to write authentically. Where can you find the info? Who can you ask? Do as much research as you can before you begin your draft. It might very well shape and inspire your story! But just as with reading, there’s no rule that says your research must be 100% complete before you begin to draft. It might not even be possible since you might only realize the need for research in the midst of writing certain scenes. Your research can be ongoing, shaping your draft and informing your creative revisions afterward.
Okay- so, above we’ve covered story research. But you might also want to do some writing research before you write your novel. This might take the form of attending writing workshops, reading writer’s guides, or watching online video courses. I would of course love for you to grab my book or sign up for my videos classes (!), but there are plenty of other wonderful resources out there that can be helpful to your writing process, too! I believe that whatever increases your writing confidence and offers advice that you find helpful and motivating is the right resource for you.
One note of caution (especially to you planners): don’t stay stuck in a planning loop! Reading an endless list of how-to books or spending hour after hour on videos at the expense of rolling up your sleeves and drafting will ultimately work against you. In my workshops, that’s why I aim to get you writing as you read. So, be sure that—whatever guide you choose—you use these writing tools to boost the quality of your writing time, not replace it!
Recess
If you’ve been reading my articles, you’ll notice that I often talk about maintaining a sense of play, experimentation and exploration when it comes to writing (kind of like recess, where we just played and let our imaginations guide us). The time before you begin to write your novel might be the most natural time to lean into this approach. Your story idea feels fresh, exciting, and full of possibilities…and it is! So, I say take advantage of this feeling and take steps to keep things fresh and playful.
Do you draw, even just a little bit? Why not sketch out that intriguing character you’re picturing… Or, perhaps you know your characters will be setting off on an epic journey. Why not make an intricate map? This can help better to connect you to your story, and it’s fun. You can even decorate your writing space with your handiwork to keep you inspired!
Maybe you keep bumping into the questions: who is my main character? …or…who should be the one to tell the story? Experiment. Write a random scene a few times, using different points of view. Change the tone, change the location…what happens? You might never use this scene, but playing around can be a great way to get ideas!
Speaking of playing around, you don’t have to limit this to things you do with your story. Consider taking time to engage in non-writing but delightfully creative activities, to feed your own playful soul. I’m not talking about spending hours and hours you don’t have (especially when you want to add writing into the mix of your life!), but don’t forget to make puzzles, knit scarves, do word puzzles, colour, or cook. It’s amazing how keeping actively creative—nurturing a “creator identity”—can light up our writing, both directly and indirectly.
Now, nothing we do on a writing recess is being written or drawn in stone. It doesn’t have to “count” toward anything, just like no one gave us grades for how we played at recess. No one has to see your playful experiments other than you. But doing these kinds of things might inspire story moments. And even if not, simply keeping you connected to the joy that comes with creating something that never was before has great value.
As with Reading and Research, Recess can be enjoyed both before and while you write (in fact, I highly recommend it!).