The Ultimate Guide to Writing Your First Novel (Without Losing Your Mind.)

A writing article from The WCCCS CIC.

So, you want to write a novel.

Well done you.

You're probably sat with a steaming mug of tea, coffee, or gin, and a vague idea that might be brilliant, and a head full of dreams. Maybe you've even Googled “how to write a book” and are now spiralling through Reddit threads and TikTok tips.

Breathe!

Writing a novel is hard. Finishing one is harder. Doing it without setting your laptop on fire or questioning all your life choices? That’s where this guide comes in.

This isn’t just another checklist. This is the ultimate, battle-tested, mentally-preserving, keep-your-sanity guide from someone who’s been through the trenches, and has the emotional scars, caffeine addiction, and podcast episodes to prove it.

Let’s get into it.

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Step 1: Manage Your Expectations.

Before we talk about writing a single word, let’s get real.

You will write rubbish.
That’s fine, expected, and normal.

The first draft is supposed to be messy. If you’ve ever seen a newborn giraffe try to stand up, that’s basically your first draft and novel: wobbly, uncertain, slightly terrifying to behold, but full of potential.

Writing a novel isn’t about perfection. It’s about grit, showing up, sitting down and typing the bloody thing. That’s half the battle won.

Rule #1: Don’t aim for perfect, aim for completing the draft or novel. We can fix a messy draft but we can’t fix a blank page.

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Step 2: Pick Your Poison – Planning vs Pantsing

There’s a great divide in the writing world. You’re either a plotter, where you outline everything like a spreadsheet-loving war general, or a pantser, where you write by the seat of your pants and pray for inspiration to strike before the caffeine wears off. I am a panther, and love being one. We are all different.

Then there’s chaotic good writers, who write a vague outline on the back of a receipt and then ignore it entirely.

Here’s the truth: there’s no right way.
Try both. Mix them. Just start.

“But what if I pick the wrong method?”

Then you’ll learn something valuable. And you’ll still be ahead of the person who hasn’t written a single word.

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Step 3: The Opening Chapter – Where Dreams Go to Die.

This is where most writers get stuck. You write your first sentence, hate it, delete it. Repeat 47 times.

The first chapter isn’t that important. Not yet.
You’ll rewrite it anyway. Maybe 6 times. Maybe 60. So just write it badly the first time and move on.

Focus on getting into the story. Think of your opening chapter like walking into a pub. You want to:

• Set the tone.

• Introduce a character we care about.

• Tease something interesting to come.

And if you spill your pint and trip over a chair while entering? All the better. We love a flawed hero.

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Step 4: Structure.

Most first novels collapse somewhere in the middle. Why? Because beginnings are exciting and endings are satisfying. Middles are... a swamp.

This is where a bit of structure saves your sanity.