In the old days, before I discovered the joys of outlining and creating character profiles, a great idea for a book would hit me and I would just jump on in. By “jump on in”, I mean that I would open up a new Word document and start writing, flying by the seat of my pants. For a long time, this worked…until I realized all of my first drafts were big, ugly messes and the thought of cleaning them up for draft two was so overwhelming that I just didn’t even bother to try.
Now, I have a plan in place when I start a new novel and I’m going to share it with you today.
Step One: Jot Down Notes
Sometimes (usually) I’ll be working on another project when my mind turns to what I’ll be diving into next. My brain is then flooded with ideas for the upcoming book, so I start a Word document and add notes. If I think of a good subplot for the hero, I’ll add it to the document. If I hear about a weird hobby the heroine could have, I add that. Any and all ideas relating to this new book are welcome.
Step Two: Create Character Profile
This is so important and might even be the most important step. I can’t start writing a new book until I have a good idea of who the hero and the heroine are. The reality is that some of the info that goes into their profiles is never used in the book, sadly. But it’s important for me to know it and be aware of it.
Step Three: Outline First Five Chapters
Once my two main characters are fleshed out, I outline the first five chapters. I’m a bit of a weirdo because most authors who outline before starting their book outline the entire thing. Every single chapter. I can’t do that. I like to see how the first five chapters go and then make changes based on what I’ve discovered while writing.
Step Four: Wait a Day or Two Before Beginning
This step took me a while to figure out, because I’m always so eager to start writing. But it’s actually really helpful to take a break for a few days and let everything I’ve come up with wash over me. Let the anticipation build, so by the time I do sit down in front of draft one, I’m bubbling with excitement.
And there you have it, all the steps I take before starting a new book.