I once heard a statistic that about 80% of Americans have an idea and want to write a book, but only about 20% ever do. While there are numerous reasons others have for this, I personally have struggled with setting up how I wanted my novel to flow, which kept me from sitting down and writing. I had writer's block before I was a writer.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to listen to one of my favorite authors, Ted Dekker, discuss his writing process. Once, I had a chance to chat with him online about my issue. He gave me, what I consider to be, one of the greatest tips for writing I've ever gotten. I want to share this tip with people in hopes that it will help them along the way and avoid some struggles.

Step #1 - Grab a Piece of Paper and Pen

Check. Easy peasy.

Step #2 - Write Down Numbers

Along the left side, put one number per line for the amount of chapters you expect (or hope) to write. For my first novel, my goal was to write forty chapters, so I wrote 1-40 down the page. I wish all writing tips were this simple in practice.

Step #3 - Write One Sentence

 Next to each number, write out what you want to happen in that chapter, but keep it to only one sentence. This will help you to stay concise and avoid getting into the weeds of details. 

Step #4 - Give Yourself Space

 This step didn't come from Ted; I modified it and made it my own. Writing down one sentence per line proved to be a bit of a challenge for me, so I didn't. I had an idea for what I wanted in my first chapter to set the whole story up, an idea for the ending, and an idea for a few chapters in the middle, but that was it. After I completed my first chapter's sentence, I moved down to the chapter five line and wrote a sentence there. I did this for the entire page, which allowed me to have creative space when I began the actual writing. I knew I had four chapters to get from where I was to where I wanted to be, so I crafted the story to get me to my predetermined points. Doing this allowed me to redirect my focus on my story without getting stressed about sticking to a firm outline. 

Bottom Line

What works for one may not work for all. Any tips and tricks should be molded to better fit your own personal needs. It is, after all, your story to tell.