Whether you have just made the decision, had the niggling idea in the back of your head, or tripped over inspiration on the way to work, then congratulations. Making the decision to write a novel is the first step. There are of course many others, but having the compulsion to begin is an excellent start.

Some writers like to brainstorm, make copious notes, and generally organise themselves into a story. Other writers jump straight into the deep end regardless of where the story’s start, middle or end is. Writing isn’t always a perfect process. It proceeds backwards, inside out, or upside down more often than simply forward. You are the writer; it’s your decision. Do what feels right for you, but make sure the finished product is worthy of a publisher’s time.

This is called the plot. Decide what the novel is about. It could be about a ravaged refugee fleeing his war torn country, or a little boy that is bullied for being disabled, or a sweeping romance set by a lighthouse on a remote island. Once you have the main storyline, subplots will emerge until you have a full-bodied plot. A plot needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. It also must have conflict and a resolution.

Usually there is a main character (protagonist); readers want to see this hero win or overcome whatever happens. To help conflict along, there is usually another character that is evil, mean, cruel, or whatever negative points you wish to add. This villain is the story’s antagonist. You need to know all your characters, even the ones playing minor roles. You have to now their faults, their weaknesses, and their strengths. They have to have likes, dislikes, and habits.

To help you visualise these you could draw rough sketches of them or use models from magazines as a bases. Be careful not to have all your characters looking beautiful with perfect bodies unless there is a specific reason to do this. Write a list of characteristics, such as age, facial hair, tattoos, hair colour, eye colour, and so on. You need to know them so well that you know how they would react in any given situation. Remember that not all people will react in the same way. Make sure your characters are believable and natural.

Don’t make your protagonist perfect. If your protagonist is perfectly flawless, your readers will have no way to connect to him or her. After all, nobody’s perfect. For the protagonist character development is very important. These are scenes that tell the reader something more about the character. This will help the readers feel more strongly about him or her.

The same applies to the antagonist; he or she shouldn't be all bad. If they have no good or human qualities, your readers will have no way to connect, and they will seem wooden. Readers must like the character or at least be empathetic to him or her even though the character may not be a very nice person. Otherwise, readers won’t ‘feel’ for the character and ultimately will not relate to the character.

There are several common approaches to writing:

• Begin with the ending in mind. If you know the ending of the story, it can help you form the theme, the plot, the settings, the characters, and it can help you progress more easily towards that ending.
• The big picture approach. Try to create the world (the overall setting and environment), treat it like a canvas, and then paint your characters and situations to create your novel. Your canvas could include geography, races, towns, cities, capitals, cults, factions, governments, etc.
• Dive in approach. You have an idea, and you start writing while it's still fresh in your mind.
• Start with characters. Create three or four characters and let the plot build up around them. This way will allow the characters to be more embedded in the plot.

Understand what you're undertaking. Many wonderful writers go unnoticed and unread because their drawers are filled with unfinished novels. If your novel isn’t written, or if you don’t attempt to get it published, then the blame is yours. Set small goals and when you achieve them it will inspire you to continue.

It’s no big surprise that humans are basically creatures of habit so make it work for you. Force yourself to write every day, whether it's a sentence, a chapter, or more; dedicate some time to your novel. Set aside a quiet hour where everyone understands it’s your time to be alone and write. If children want to interrupt then create a reward system where they are treated if and only if they leave you alone while you’re at your computer or desk or wherever is your spot for writing. Use whatever time is available to you, morning or night. It would be ideal to write at times you are most creative this varies for each individual, but the important thing is to write even if it isn’t at a time you’re creatively tuned in. Train yourself to be able to write when you have the time and you’ll find you won’t have to wait for certain times, you’ll be functioning like a professional writer. Bottom line: just make sure you write daily!

Create a writing space. Find a cosy place where you can relax and there are no distractions. Get a good chair to sit in, which won't give you back pains after hours and hours from sitting and writing. You don't write a book in an hour, it takes months, so protect your back.

If you are a procrastinator, try setting an unbreakable deadline. Writers tend to work better when there's a deadline to face.

Never show your precious writing to someone you don't completely trust. Your writing is in its ‘baby stage’ and it needs to be nurtured and loved. You need someone encouraging, but who isn't afraid to be honest and completely blunt with you.

The story is really written during this part. Editing and rewriting is what makes the story better. Be careful not to over edit, as this can knock the life out of your story. Always save your drafts and keep a spare copy on a CD or USB flash drive for safe keeping. You never know if you computer suddenly develops a flutter – you don’t want to lose your hard work. Or if you get a little carried away with editing then you still have a previous copy elsewhere.

This is the conclusion that most writers aim for. Make sure your manuscript is polished and fit to be seen by a publisher. You may think you have perfect spelling and grammar, but publishers require specific format and guidelines.

The biggest mistake people make when running spell check is that quite often (unless the default has been changed) will use American spelling. Australian spelling is not the same as for America, and auto-dictionaries will undo the correct spelling in favour of its default. Either turn the spell check off or ensure it is set to Australian English.

A good way to start writing a novel is to think about what interests you. If you don't write for yourself, your novel will seem superficial and plastic. It's better to share your plans with someone else, but only if it seems comfortable. Write what you know and enjoy the process.

Keep a record of any ideas you may have. You might want them later.

Most writers will find that once they sit down to begin writing, that after a couple chapters of developing their characters, they see that they come alive. When your fingers move magically across the keyboard, they speak using your fingers. Writing is magical; it is something one has to experience by writing.

Try not to lose heart in your book. When you get to a boring bit and stop for the night, you might not want to go back to that part. If you feel that way, try writing an exciting bit to get yourself motivated again.

Don't be disappointed if you lose heart. Many writers write tens, even hundreds of stories a year, some which never get past the first page let alone the first chapter! You'll know after a while if a story you're writing has really captivated your attention and imagination. If you don't feel this right away, keep developing ideas and trying! Sometimes it helps to listen to music in between moments when you're writing. It helps you think of different scenarios and chapters, and how characters might feel about these adventures, themselves or even other characters around them.

Never give up! Some people will discourage you but many more will love what you write if you love it as well. Write with passion.

Jot down your thoughts on your story, its good to see what you were thinking before on the subject just in case another day you think differently.