Writing a novel is hard. Writing anything is hard. You want to convey a very specific idea or scenario and so you pray that the words you use elicit the same vision you’re imagining within your readers. I’ve enjoyed writing for most of my life and I’ve tried several times, both seriously and not-so-seriously, to write a novel. I recently uncovered a handmade ‘novel’ that I created in school aged ten and, given that it was only five A5 pages long, I think we can safely put a strong emphasis on those inverted commas.
My first real attempt at a novel came when I was sixteen; the plot was centred on a village with an evil mayor who wouldn’t let its citizens leave and everything they did, from their careers to where they lived, was decided by the government. Hardly original and the plot was a mess. I had a very rough idea of the direction of the plot and I just planned as I wrote. Unsurprisingly, I eventually ran out of steam, and it all came to nothing. I tried again during my first year of university as I’d had an idea centred around people who could see the future through their dreams. Again, I appreciate this wasn’t a completely original concept but sometimes you get an idea and you just have to write it! I made the mistake, once again, of not planning and so gave up after a few months. I eventually picked it back up as the idea wouldn’t leave me and set out a plan for the whole plot, including character profiles and backstories. My plan was for this to be the first in a trilogy and I think that was my first mistake, which then dictated the whole process; I was writing to a formula. I wanted to create a series that would fit in amongst The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments but in doing so my writing was filled with tropes and plotlines that had been created many times before. Even though I decided not to pursue this series, it still holds a place in my heart as it taught me a lot about the novel writing process, and I still love the characters. When it came to writing The Arben Bridge I had a completely new outlook on the process thanks to these failed attempts. I decided from the start that even though I would create a full plot plan, which I did, I would also write instinctively. If an idea popped up mid-paragraph or I thought a character should go in a different direction, I just did it. Despite it taking me a lot longer to write, re-write and eventually publish the book, I’m so glad that I decided on this approach because it feels exactly like the book I set out to write. The Arben Bridge is available now in paperback and e-book right here.
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