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Tip#1: Begin at the Beginning

This is a revelation-moment for a lot of writers, like losing your training wheels as a kid. It must happen the moment you conceive your character and your plot—at that precise instant. Try to see the whole arc of the story in your mind. Sort of like a mural painter stepping back from an imaginary picture before he begins. He sees the shape of the picture, the general form of it.

In fiction writing, there are usually three parts to every story. The beginning, the middle, and the end. And initially, you don't have to fill in all the plot points in your mind—just get a feel for the shape of the story.

I know, I know . . . there are writers out there who just start writing and it all comes to them in some mystical flow of glittering brilliance. The story "speaks" to them. But for my money, when you set out on a journey, you ought to take along a map.

For example, you're going to write The Great American Novel, which, of course, is MOBY DICK. You see this narrator dude, Ishmael, hooking up with a whaling ship (the beginning). Ish gets caught up in the loony captain's obsession, and lots of adventure ensues (the middle). And ultimately Ahab goes down with the beast (the end).

Try it . . . you'll like it.