Since I took up writing novels, I’m often asked the same two questions: one, where do the ideas come from; and, two, how do you ever get a novel written. The two questions are intertwined so I will address them as one.

No one knows where the stories come from. Oh, sure, some novels are written based on the writer’s life experience. And I suppose a lot of my own life has found its way into my books. After all, they say write what you know. But how do all those words and plot twists and turns come about and still work out in the end?

Several people have told me they wanted to write a novel and asked me how to proceed. I’ve given all of them the same advice. And none of them took it seriously. And none of them have ever finished a novel, though several have put down tens of thousands of words.

So, what’s that advice? It’s simple. Before you start be sure you have two months coming up with no known dates that will interrupt your work. Because once you start you don’t get a day off until you’re done with a novel. Not birthdays, not holidays, not vacations. Nothing. You work every day until you finish.

That does something that sort of answers the question about where the stories come from. When you work every day, your muse (read subconscious here) learns pretty quickly that there’s this problem that needs to be solved. And your muse will work on the next day’s writing while you’re asleep.

If you break the cycle, though, your muse, realizing you’re not really serious about this problem, will wander off. There’ll be a break in continuity. And it’s really hard to pick up after a break. I had such a break in my seventh novel. The one I’m just now finishing after seven months. For comparison, except for my first novel where I discovered this trick while writing it, I have never taken more than two months to finish a novel. Well, actually, what you have after typing The End isn’t really a novel, though many people quit there considering themselves done. No, what you actually have is a very detailed outline of a novel. But that is a huge step forward. You have the story down on paper. Now you have to go back over it again and again to enliven the characters, clear up ambiguities, develop a flow in the words, well you get the idea.

So how many words do you have to write each day? I write a minimum of 1,000. Usually I write more. On a good day I might write 3,000. On one or two days I might write 5,000. But that doesn’t let me off the hook for another 1,000 the next day. That’s the rule. A minimum of a thousand every day. No exceptions.

Okay, so you have a job and kids and there’s no way you can do a thousand words a day. Then do 500. Same rules.

Now for a few tidbits I haven’t mentioned. There are two types of writers. Pantsers, who write by the seat of their pants, like me and most others. And outliners, who use a detailed outline. Seems a waste of time to me to outline, though. I tried that on my first novel and by the time I had 10,000 words I was so far off the outline I couldn’t get back. However, if you follow the path I outlined (sorry couldn’t help myself) above, you end up with a very detailed outline.

So if you are going to try the non-outline route, and I recommend that if it fits your personality, at least have a general idea of what your novel is about and kind of how it will end then start writing to work your way to the ending. If the ending changes before you get there, then great. That probably means your muse thought of a better ending as you slept.

Of course, you’ll want to take some courses in English composition first. And read a few books on novel writing to pick up the other things you need to know. But a year’s preparation can save you several years of finding your way after you start writing. Or maybe you’re one of those rare geniuses who can write a great American novel on the first try with no preparation other than learning how to type a little. I’ve heard they’re out there. Just haven’t met any of them yet.