Dare to Dream discussion

i've wanted to try to write a novel for a long time but i just don't know how to get started. many of the famous authors i read advise aspiring writers to just write and that practice is important. although i agree this is good practical advice i was hoping for additional suggestions.

do any of you do outlines (especially the novelists) and if so is the outline general or do you outline each chapter?

have any of you found any books to be especially helpful in helping you to improve/inspire your work?

have any of you taken any writing courses and was the course helpful?

Answers to these questions as well as any other suggestions from all of the writers in this talented group would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

i appreciate the advice cheyla, thank you and good luck with your writing :)

Rachel wrote: "i've wanted to try to write a novel for a long time but i just don't know how to get started. many of the famous authors i read advise aspiring writers to just write and that practice is important..."

I don't outline, but I do jot down notes and random ideas that I want to use. Some of them don't make the final cut; some do. It just gives me a general idea of where I want to go.

I've never taken writing courses, though I have read over some books on writing tips that I checked out from the library. I can't remember any specific titles. They really helped my writing grow.

Oh yeah, and it's okay to write scenes out of order. If you have an idea for a scene that comes later in the story, go ahead and write it, and you can plug it in later and make changes accordingly.

thanks for the tips, j.s :)

thank you for all of the wonderful advice- it's very helpful and i really appreciate it :)

I would love to start writing again - maybe someday :-)

Writing takes time :-) I loved writing during my high school and college years, but stopped. I plan to get back into the swing of things one of these days. My favorite time was in 9th grade when I had a teacher who provided a time of writing workshop where we could write about anything. I wrote a lot of pieces during that school year and I loved that we weren't assigned to do anything except write - it really opened up the possibilities.