Beginning to Write a Novel

I finished my fourth novel a year ago, and I feel as if I should be writing another one. After all, a writer writes, right?

I have a synopsis and a great hook, but I just can’t get into the story. I don’t know who my characters are or why anyone, including me, should like them. I am bored by the minutiae of their ordinary lives and I want to jump right into the extraordinary times that are coming, but I need the preamble to set up the story. I suppose I could start with the last chapter as Margaret Mitchell did for Gone With the Wind, and work my way toward the beginning, but my linear mind would rebel. Or I could start with a violent scene to get my adrenaline going. Books that start with violence sell better than ones that begin more passively, anyway.

I tell myself that, good or bad, I should just get the story down on paper and worry about rewriting later. Then I remember that it’s hard for me to find any words, so they need to be good.

Starting to write a novel is always difficult, even for professionals like Mary Higgins Clark who have been writing for decades. She admitted in an interview that it never gets easier. But still she writes.

Perhaps if I were writing for publication as she does, I would be motivated. There is nothing like the threat of having to return an advance to keep a writer churning out the words. I am not writing for publication yet, and I already have four unpublished novels packed away in the dusty reaches of my computer. Adding another seems pathetic.

So what’s the alternative? Blogging. It satisfies my writing urge, the posts are short and don’t require a big commitment of my time, and I don’t need to create interesting characters.

Characters are the key to a good beginning. Once you know who they are and what they want, they can help drive the story. But the only way to learn who they are and what they want is to write them. It’s a vicious circle.

For now, I’ll stick to blogging.

The Art of Procrastination

It seems as if lately the only art I’m practicing is the art of procrastination.

There’s no art in going about your daily life and telling yourself you don't have time to write. The art is in pursuing other activities to keep from going about your daily life and telling yourself you don't have time to write.

Thus far in my procrastination, I have:

1. Read several books about writing.

2. Invited a dozen authors to guest host my other blog. Some ignored me; some accepted. I don't know why any author, particlularly those just starting out, would pass on the opportunity. Publicity is publicity, right? If you are a published author (self-published is fine) and would like to guest host Bertram's Blog, let me know.

3. Left comments on a couple of online writing forums.

4. Joined a writing discussion group (this is in addition to my own writing discussion group.)

5. Entered a writing contest even though I said I would never enter another one.

6. Researched book marketing for when/if I get published.

7. Signed up for Facebook, MySpace, and Shelfari. Wandered around the sites trying to figure out what to do with them (still have no clue). If you belong to any of these sites, please add me as a friend so I can procrastinate more!

8. Published an article about What Your Car Color Means on Squidoo.

9. Sent emails to a couple of epals.

10. Started this blog.

It would probably be easier just to sit down and write the novel, but where’s the art in that?