A bit at a time gets it done

Does the thought of writing a five hundred page novel overwhelm you? Does it seem an impossible task? Try breaking it down into bite-sized pieces, or at least chapters. No one said you have to start at page one and work your way through to “The End”. If you’ve got a great last chapter or scene, write it first (it’ll give you something to aim for). Got a great love scene, a bit of action, some killer dialogue? Write them now, because I promise you that you won’t remember them later. Novels are made up of scenes; some sequential, some in parallel depending on the POV. Treat them as such. Of course it’s a good idea to have a “plan”, and outline of what you want the story to say, how you want it to go, and where you want it to end. But you can think of the writing process in the same way as they shoot a movie. All locations tend to be shot at one time because shooting them sequentially is expensive and time-consuming – think of all the equipment you have to move. However, as a writer you have the luxury of being wherever you want, whenever you want. Just don’t get stuck in that “page one, line one” trap.