3. Now, How do I start?
I am someone who really likes organization. I feel at ease knowing there is a plan. When I had taken my screen writing courses in college, they provided me with great structure. My classes had been broken out into two: the outline and writing the script. It was there that I really learned the value of an outline. I found it’s the best way to figure out the structure of the story, while still being able to easily make structure changes.
Realizing I’d had success with completing a screenplay using the outline method, I wondered if I could find something similar for writing a novel. One night, when my husband was out with some friends, I decided to watch ME BEFORE YOU. I think it was around 11pm when the movie finished, probably 11:30pm by the time I had finishing sobbing and my breathing had returned to normal. I found myself inspired by the slow development of the relationship between the two main characters. Suddenly I had this strong urge to start writing. Like, I needed to start writing in that moment.
I went over to my computer which was set up on a folding table in a spare space we called the “catch all” room, because it held piles of things we didn’t know what to do with. I started to google novel writing software and something called The Novel Factory came up. My eyes started to get misty again; it was EXACTLY what I needed: a step by step guide that started with a one sentence description and built from there. I purchased and immediately downloaded it, and that night I officially started to write.
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