Writing a novel requires tremendous patience, determination and passion.  The process demands great ambition, determination, concentration and skill from the writer and it can be a very rewarding experience once you have accomplished what you’ve set forth to do. 

Becoming familiar with the short story format is a great foray into strengthening your creative writing skills. Reading novels is another valuable tool to help familiarize yourself with the format.  If you write a novel, you generally will have to love books.  You can't write a story just from watching movies and TV and thinking that you can do a better job. You have to know instinctively what makes a good book and a lousy book; how else are you going to have something to compare your own work to? 

If you only pick up books "when you have to" or "once in a while," you should either try something else or try a bit harder to find some kind of books that you really enjoy reading.  And that's the key: if you don't love reading, you can't write well, and if you aren't absolutely determined to get a book written no matter what, no matter how much procrastination and real life gets in the way, it's not going to happen.  The task may be daunting, but it’s far from impossible! Generating a rough outline before beginning your novel is important considering the scope of a novel.   

Character development, plot and setting require consistency and planning even though often as you write many of these components may change.  Nonetheless, a loose outline and character descriptions can be very helpful to have on hand before beginning your novel.  Some types of novels might demand a detailed plan, a thriller, for example.  Even though an outline is helpful in keeping track of the world inside your novel, you don't have to write following a carefully prepared structure because undoubtedly, things will change as you engage the process.   

Overlooking the many conventional English lessons that have been instilled in us in regards to grammar, sentence structure and proper syntax is something that can be considered when writing a novel.  Noteworthy authors have been known to push the envelope of convention, disregarding what is thought of as regulatory, and created wonderful works of writing.  This rule goes double for dialogue.  Tossing rules of proper syntax out the window can be liberating as well as allowing for realistic dialogue.   

Remember that writing is about re-writing.  Don’t over edit yourself; you’ll have plenty of time to perform these duties once you’ve completed your manuscript.  Don't expect witty or fantastically good writing the first time you pick up the pen or put your fingers to the keyboard.  It usually isn’t going to happen like that.  Allow yourself to Relax.  It doesn't have to be perfect the first time.  For those of us perfectionists out there, let me clarify:  It's not going to be perfect the first time, just make sure it's pretty nearly perfect when you reach the final draft.  The important objective is to write something, even if it doesn't seem too good at the time.  Often, you’ll either find the right words as you get going, or you'll find them when you look at the story again, later, when some time has elapsed.  Don't get discouraged if things don't flow perfectly.  Many times there will be at least eight times where you'll change your plot around somehow, and one or two of those times will be major plot changes that turn the story at least 90º from where it started.  Once again, relax: this is perfectly normal, and you're just going through the process.  

Creating great, memorable characters is essential.  Take some time before you get too deep in your story by figuring out exactly what makes your characters act the way they do to move the plot along.  Give them some kind of background, make a timeline if you must, but make absolutely certain that at least your main characters are more than just a random name.  You might find it helpful to prepare notes on what is called the back-story of a character.  This is a short history of the character before they enter the novel, it will help you legitimize and solidify their existence.  Use your own experience, and your secret desires and fears, as inspiration.  Make the reader take care and interest in what happens to a character, because if they don't, the story and its conflicts become dull and shallow.  Good characters have enough in their personalities where, with just a basic plot outline, they can essentially write the story for you.  Use your characters to help express your themes, and to show the reader what could be called the "message" of your novel.  Eloquent and sympathetic characters are vital for the reader's enjoyment of the novel.  Bring your characters alive by imagining how they feel and think.  As a writer, you owe the reader an involving story.  

Dialogue can reveal character, advance plot, and it's a great potential source for humor and drama.  It can permit characters to discuss the central themes of your novel.  Remember that dialogue is not real speech but it must give the impression of real speech. Dialogue can do so many things and the sky's the limit for its potential.  Be sure you make dialogue as realistic as possible.  Characters might swear, use slang and improper syntax so it is your duty to allow them to do so.  

Setting is a particular time and place in your novel.  It surrounds your characters and impacts them.  Create a landscape in your imagination and try to paint what you see and feel with words.  Profoundly described settings are intimately linked to characters.  It impossible to enter into a character's ideas or philosophy without describing where they are and what they are surrounded by.  Use your own experiences and draw upon the sensual information stored in your body and your memory.  Use all your senses."  

The importance of the opening lines is very significant from your first page to the start of each chapter.  You must hook your reader.  The tone of the writing should be fresh and distinctive.  Create an immediate narrative pull; make the reader want to know "what happens next?"  

Most important is to not be intimidated by the sheer immensity of the task of writing.  Keep going!  Redraft, rewrite and start over again.  Work consistently and often. This will help you achieve continuity with your work and help you break your novel down into less terrifying pieces.  Keep following your desire because things will get better!  Always make an honest assessment of what it is you're willing to sacrifice for your writing because it is quite a painful exercise, it's so subjective.  It should be a process of reasoning and a journey of understanding.  

Andrew was educated at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and the University of California at Santa Cruz.  He has authored The Cigar Connoisseur along with numerous magazine articles on cigars, food & wine and travel.  Aside from these areas of interest, Andrew has written for both film and television having sold an original screenplay as well as a two-hour A&E Biography.