How to Overcome Writer’s Block and Write Your Novel

Outline first, but keep it loose and flexible

Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash

I wrote and self-published my first novel during quarantine. I’m not here to give you some foolproof guide to writing novels. I’m here to help you write your first novel, even if don’t know where to start. That’s a process I just went through successfully: Here’s what I learned.

First off, do you have an idea?

If not, write down all the little ideas you have that interest you. Possible plot points, premises, titles, things you care about, hypotheticals, dreams, genres, moral questions, whatever bugs you. Eventually, you’ll think of some ideas.

Now try to think about a story that could happen with some of them. Thinking about an idea, do you start playing out possible plot points in your head, or do you get writer’s block? A good premise should be easy to turn into a story.

Take the premise of Harry Potter: an orphan boy learns he’s a wizard and goes to wizard school. Even if you know nothing about Harry Potter, it’s easy to start imagining how the story goes. Your first thoughts might be too cliche, but you know you can make the plot work.

On the other hand, you might think of a cool idea, like a boy with a lightning scar, but you have no idea what else…