Let's say you've got an idea for a novel. You know who your characters are, and you've got at least a rough plan for some key events that are going to happen along the way.

But where do you actually start writing?

Should you dive straight in with Chapter One, scene one?

Or should you pick the scene that feels the easiest (or most exciting) and begin with that ... even if it comes halfway through the story?

Or perhaps you think you need to do more outlining or research before you begin. Maybe you could read another writing book, or take another course...

Whether this is your first ever attempt at a novel or you've already written several, the moment of getting started can feel almost paralysing. And some writers get stuck here, never moving forward, because they're not sure how to begin.

There's No "Right" Place to Start

There's really no "right" way to start a novel. However you begin, you're going to end up honing and shaping that material as you draft and redraft.

One of my novels (Lycopolis) started with a bunch of ideas, notes in a tiny notebook, and a hand-drawn mindmap of characters. The writing itself began with an opening scene that got eventually changed about a dozen times.

Another of my novels (Reaper, still in progress) began as a short story. Two key characters came through from that story, and perhaps a phrase or two, but everything else has changed.

However you begin, you'll be following or establishing your own writing process. (And that process may well be different with different novels.)

What's Important is Finding a Way In

At some stage, your novel needs to move from "ideas" to "draft". That means you stop writing notes and begin writing the story itself.

You might do that by typing Chapter 1 at the top of a fresh document and going from there. 

But you could also do it by picking a scene in the middle to draft, or trying out a writing prompt that you think might become part of your story.

It's fine (and indeed, normal!) if what you write early on doesn't make it into the finished story. But in order to fully understand that story, you need to begin writing.

Still Not Sure Where to Start? Try This

If you really don't know how you want to begin, do this:

Start writing about the day when everything changes for your protagonist.

This is the day the story kicks off (with what's often called the "inciting incident" or the "call to adventure"). It's the Hogwarts letter through the postbox in Harry Potter; Katniss volunteering as tribute in The Hunger Games; Tony Stark's convoy being attacked in Iron Man.

What happens to take your protagonist from the status quo of their regular life into the action of the story? Show (or imply) their normal life, then write about what happens.

Happy writing,

Ali

P.S. If you missed last week's blog post, here it is:

Outlining for Pantsers: Three Key Stages of Wrestling Your Rough Draft Under Control