Novel Writing Worries

I only joined here recently (like... yesterday). I've just turned 13 and I'm on word 18,000 (exactly actually :/) of my novel. The one thing that is worrying me, is that I read the 101 tips for writers and realised that I haven't actually done any of that 'stuff'. I haven't got a certain place where I write, I write wherever I can, be it on the train, on the plane, at my mums house, dad's house, sisters house or even in the garden. Since I move around so much I can't exactly have one, especially since I usually get fresh ideas from fresh new places.

Also, I never exactly 'planned' it. Of course I know what's going to happen at the end, and the main features of the story, but there is a lot of blank space where I haven't filled in. I haven't even written down my ideas for the main plot, so there is every chance that I'll forget them.
It's just that whenever I'm in a composition exam, and I write a plan, I never stick to it, and therefore always get tangled up with my own line, desperately trying to stay on the plot, and when there's ten minutes left, realising that none of it makes sense because I've tried so hard to stick to what I wrote down in the first place that I've forgotten to actually make the story interesting.
That probably shouldn't stop me from writing down a plan for my novel though, I realise that. But it's just starting to worry me now... I've spent so much time and effort on it, and for all that to go to waste just because I haven't sorted the basic storyline out seems really failworthy to me.I also want it to get published one day, but like that's ever going to happen...

So I was wondering if anyone had any advice on this... Are there some things that are essential to novel writing? Should you set yourself a target of x amount of words each day? If so, how many? How many do you have if you do?

Sorry, so many questions and probably not many people having the time to answer them.

The way to write a novel is however you want.

101 Tips for Writers is not the Guide on How to Write— it's a suggestion that may or may not work for everybody. I usually don't have a set place, writing down a plan is optional (I'm with you on the "Getting tangled in your own plotline" thing. Although, for me, it's just that it stifles creativity) and the "set time" is all hours of the day. (I'm also uncanny at taking rather long breaks from writing. Everyday is often just not possible)

Write how you've been going if it works for you. Since it seems to be, great! Quite a few people would join you in the way you tend to write. And that's perfectly fine.

Writing is a practice as individual as the person doing it. So just find what works for you and keep it up. So long as you get the words out, doesn't really mater how they got there.

That's great to know Rosey Unicorn! I always thought that novels had to be really planned, consistent etc. Thanks so much.

I lift my hat to any thirteen year old who can write eighteen thousand words. When I was thirteen I was still writing meloncholy poems and four hundred word heavily edited snippits of stories I would delete in three days.

My tip is to write every day. Writing fifteen minutes of rubbish, even if it's how much you would rather have a burger for lunch instead of lettuce and tomatoes on seeded bread, you know that really bitter stuff that grandads eat. Type really fast, I would recommend using Write-Or-Die, and just keep trying to beat your target for yesterday.

Most important thing is to enjoy writing, even if you destroy the plot. If you love writing, and you love what you write, it's a win-win situation regardless of who reads it or whether it gets published.

Novels do have to be consistent and coherent, but that's what the second (and beyond) draft is for. :P

Tenyo wrote:I lift my hat to any thirteen year old who can write eighteen thousand words. When I was thirteen I was still writing meloncholy poems and four hundred word heavily edited snippits of stories I would delete in three days.

My tip is to write every day. Writing fifteen minutes of rubbish, even if it's how much you would rather have a burger for lunch instead of lettuce and tomatoes on seeded bread, you know that really bitter stuff that grandads eat. Type really fast, I would recommend using Write-Or-Die, and just keep trying to beat your target for yesterday.

Most important thing is to enjoy writing, even if you destroy the plot. If you love writing, and you love what you write, it's a win-win situation regardless of who reads it or whether it gets published.

Thank you. ^^ Egh, at least you could write poetry! My poetry is bleh (searches for a better word, nope, can't find one).

I have been trying to write every day (most of my 'friends' think I'm totally crazy xD). Write-Or-Die? I've never heard of that, I will have to Google it and find out.

I definitily agree with your third point, as much as writing fustrates me, (just fine minutes lost all my editing to my novel because my computer went haywire... thanks crappy lappy (my laptops nickname, don't ask... ^^)) I do love doing it.

Kyllorac wrote:Novels do have to be consistent and coherent, but that's what the second (and beyond) draft is for.

Eck, me saying consistent was a mistake... xD I hate taking long breaks from novel writing, it totally throws me off. >.<

For the lack of consistency, reread what you've written or keep notes of important details as you write. Or, just get rid of them on the second draft.

Rosey Unicorn wrote:For the lack of consistency, reread what you've written or keep notes of important details as you write. Or, just get rid of them on the second draft.

Thanks Rosey.

Teehee! I wrote my first novel when I was 13. I thought it could be published. It was crap. Seriously, the first draft was amazing in all its crapitude. I'm still working on that novel... I think it's better than it was.

But never mind that. Novel-writing is fun, and, as horrible as that novel was, I learned a lot from it! Even though sometimes learning is painful. Just keep it up. If you want it to be publishable, just don't give up. It might take a while, but hey! You got some time.

I could have written this. I don't write in any consistent way and I can never stick to plans.

My biggest tip is just to keep writing. Sure, it might not be consistent with what you wrote before, but editing can come later. Just write it. Most of it will be horrible. Some of it will be brilliant. But you'll learn a lot.

No one's plan works for everyone else. I've read books with "how to write" titles and the author will say that their way is the only way to get anything done. Not so. Just keep at it and you will find your own way.

And save everything! Even if you think it's awful and you want to delete it, save it. Just open another document if you really don't want to look at it now, but save it. One day, you'll wish you could remember that one thing you wrote so long ago because it actually had a cool idea, it just needed a little work.