Novel Writing

One of the first questions confronting anybody starting out novel writing is: should I use a pen and paper, or a computer and word processor (or novel writing software)?

The answer to this is easy! Use whichever makes you feel most comfortable and happiest when novel writing. Give both methods a try, and if one way makes the words come tumbling out then you know that it works well for you. The crucial thing is to choose the easy method, so that you don’t have to fight with your tools to get words onto the page or screen. Don’t get hung up on whether there is a ‘right’ way to do it or not. Don’t get hung up on ‘how the professionals do it’. When you write, you are in charge, nobody else.

If you try both methods and find that both work for you, then that’s great! You can vary your choice of method to keep yourself fresh and vibrant, in case you ever feel yourself growing stale or bored while writing. As the saying goes, ‘A change is as good as a rest.’

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages that you might like to consider. For example, writing with pen and paper can make some writers feel like they are in touch with the great writers of the past who wrote in almost the same way. That feeling of having something in common with a great writer can do wonders for your word count! Pen and paper writers can take their notebook with them wherever they go, so need never worry about forgetting an idea when they can just jot it down.

Writing using a computer and some form of software (whether that is a word processor or type of novel writing software is entirely up to you) can be a great way to bash out a healthy word count. Some people find it liberating to type as fast as they can and not think about editing, as they know that they can come back at some point in the future and easily cut, paste and edit the file.

There’s nothing stopping from you from doing both kids of novel writing - take a notebook with you wherever you go (to jot down ideas as they come to you) and have a computer sitting at home ready to work on your masterpiece. Or combine the two - take a laptop with you!

Technorati Tags: novel writing, tools