I have to agree that everyone has a story.  And everyone has the right to tell that story, whether on the written page or some other form of communication.  You also hear that everyone wants to write a novel but not everyone does.  Okay, I’ll buy that.  Whenever I tell a group of people that I’m an author at least one person will brighten up and say I should write a story because my family was the most dysfunctional ever.  Or they’ll say, I have lots of ideas but I can’t seem to get them down on paper.

One of the hardest things for a writer is getting started.  The blank page looms very large.  My advice is to write anything that pops into your head, no matter what it is about.  Keep writing until you get tired and then go back and see what you wrote.  If you just can’t think of a thing to get you started, then use a prompt.  Not it was a dark and stormy night.  Pull a headline out of the paper, or a phrase that you’ve overheard in a restaurant that was intriguing.  “He wanted that job more than anything and now that he has it he’s unhappy.”  Who is this guy?  What kind of job did he want?  Why do you think he’s no longer satisfied?

It may not be the story you want to write, but it will get the creative juices flowing. If you’re an organizer, then I suggest getting a notebook and writing down your ideas.  Pick the one you want to write about and create an outline.  Who is who and what happens when.  Personally, I don’t outline until I’m at least 1/2 way through my story.  I start with a scene and just build on it.  In Feisty Family Values it wasn’t written in chronological order, but Patchwork Family I wrote it from beginning to end and didn’t hop around.  The latter is much easier.  With the first novel I ended up with a bunch of puzzle pieces that needed to go together smoothly and it took awhile before they did.

If you want to write a novel – do it.  Take your notebook or laptop somewhere without interruptions and get started (library or bookstore).  Hole up in your office at home and put out the “do not disturb” sign.  Give yourself permission to write for a specific length of time and stick to it.  Forget the laundry, dinner, and bills for 30 minutes or an hour.  Believe me, they’ll still be there when you’re done.  And if you don’t like what you’ve written, put it away and write something else.  But go back to it and mine for the gold that I guarantee will be there.