How to start a novel - The then what?

Like any true procrastinator, I went back over our previous blogs, not in search of inspiration, but in search of an excuse - I was in true PRO-CRAST-IN-NATING form.  It's actually kind of fun to look back at all that Erika and I have done.  In less than six months we have accomplished:

# of hits: +2300
# of posts: +70
# of rejections: +10 (and always counting....sort of)
# of parties: 1

And what I have learned from all this is.....

We need to have more parties!

Anyway.....so while I was PRO-CRAST-IN-NATING, I came across a blog I did on starting a novel.  It's something that comes up a lot.  Writing is daunting in itself and then when you actually sit down and get the first few scenes out of your head and on paper (or screen) - well that's when the real confusion starts.  Then what do you do?  Where does the story go?  How do you organize your thoughts?

Hence, How to Start a Novel - Part 2 - the then what?

Organization is a huge part of writing.  Remember back in the day when your English teachers turned into ruler-smacking, red ink totting Nazi's?  Opening paragraph, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.  Well writing a book is kinda like that - without the ruler or the red ink.  The freedom comes from being an adult, trying, failing, and trying again, and finally - understanding what works best for you.

Here are 3 ideas on how to get organized.  (I've tried them all and suggest trying them on different projects to see what works best - or perhaps there's something else that works better for you - who knows!)

Note - Cards: I've seen this suggested a lot, most recently at WriteOnCon with Author Katy Longshore.  When I tried this, my note cards weren't as detailed as Ms. Longshore suggests, yet still helpful.  I have a lot of flashback woven into my story and having different colored note cards helped me know where I had too many flashbacks and where I was lacking.  Noting characters and places, etc. like Ms. Longshore suggests could help you see where you use a supporting character too much/ not enough, etc.

Outline: Think back to High School and you'll know what to use for an outline.  I feel like these are self explanatory, so I won't say too much about them.  They can be anywhere from 1 page to several and can be as detailed as you want them to be.  An outline could be done for the book as a whole, or even specific characters, scenes - anything.

Synopsis:  (The "S" word of the literary world) Ask most pre-published authors for a synopsis and watch the squirm in their seat, let out a heavy sigh, and then act as if they're invisible. As much as I fought the whole synopsis thing, I have found that they are actually quite helpful.  A synopsis is a lot like a glorified outline, query letter, note cards, and jacket cover all rolled into one. The most helpful thing, for me any way, when writing a synopsis is to remember you are pitching your book.  The whole point of a book jacket is to get the potential reader intrigued enough to buy your book - the same can be said for a synopsis.

There are literally hundreds of resources out there for us - websites and books - use them.

Here's few, in case you don't know where to start:

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

Literary Rambles Blog (If you aren't already following this blog, you should!  Especially when you are ready to query agents!!)

Well, hopefully something helps/makes sense!

Best of luck!

Toni