5 Tips That Helped Me Finish My Romance Novel

Are you struggling to get the first draft of your romance novel done?

Are you finding it hard to get the number of words you want for each chapter?

Are you stuck in the messy middle?

Here are 5 tips that helped me finish my first romance novel.

1. Interview Your Characters

This was an important step that I didn’t do at first, even though I had the tools.

I was scared of this interview process because I had never done it before.

When I started writing my first novel, it quickly became apparent how important it was to know my characters inside and out.

One thing to note is that you won’t get all your answers at once.

My recommendation is to interview each character and keep the file where you can add additional information as you move forward.

2. Map Out the Town

Similar to interviewing your characters, you want to know the town where your book will be set.

This is especially important if you’re going to have other books using the same town.

Which I am doing for my first novella.

A three-book series utilizing the same town but different main characters for each one.

The first map I created was just a quick sketch on a piece of paper and it evolved from there.

It doesn’t have to be pretty as long as you understand the places that make up your town.

3. Don’t Edit as you Write

Editing should be a separate process.

It took me some time to learn this one.

And while I know it is a separate process, I still edit as I write sometimes.

I had to change my mindset and tell my subconscious not to edit as I wrote.

I posted notes around my desk to remind me.

Basically, you have to build a habit.

There are still times I edit as I write, and I just remind myself that editing is a separate task and keep moving on.

4. Eliminate Distractions

Life happens.

There will always be distractions.

But there are a few things you can do to help keep you focused:

• Schedule time on your calendar to write
• Turn off notifications on your computer, your phone and your watch
• Close your email so you are not tempted to answer someone during your writing time
• Stay off social media

Obviously, there are things that will come up unexpectedly with family or work or just life in general.

If you do as much as you can to eliminate distractions, you can be more focused and get more writing done.

5. Get the Words Down on Paper

Whether you write long-hand or type, just get the words down.

Don’t worry about word count.

It will be messy.

Just keep writing until you have your first draft.

These are a few of the strategies I used when writing my first draft of my first novel.

What plans do you utilize when writing a first draft?

What helps you focus during your writing time?

I would love to hear your answers.