I've got an idea for a book - now what?

[EndlessMagpies]

I've never written anything remotely resembling a novel before, but at lunchtime today, whilst driving home from work, the germ of an idea has inserted itself into my brain. I have the basic starting point, and a rough outline for the first chapter and half a dozen characters, but that's it. Not a clue where it goes from there. Do I just put pen to paper and see where it takes me? Do I let it float around in my head for a while? Do I think of the end, and then figure out the middle afterwards?

How do you take an idea and expand it into something resembling a story? Any advice or hints would be much appreciated.

Yes start writing. It could become one of the most satisfying events of your life

As Terry Pratchett once said "the first draft is just you telling yourself the story." Just write it. I recommend a book called Save the Cat which is an invaluable read.

My tactic is to just start writing and see what happens. I know a couple of successful published authors who don't know what's going to happen in their plot before they start writing the book. There are no rules! A chapter can be 2 pages, and the next 50.

"the first draft is just you telling yourself the story"

I like that. I can go with that.

The way I work, is I start with a germ of an idea and 1-2 characters and start writing. I roughly write one chapter a day (so around 1500-3000 words). I plan the chapter out over the day and write it in the evening. I don't normally know what's going to happen more than a couple of chapters ahead.

It works really well with NaNoWriMo (google it!)

But that doesn't work for everyone. So if that doesn't work for you, you may want to try outlining and things like that.

I don't know what to try to be honest, I'm what you might call busy, so can't devote much time to it.

The funny thing is, yesterday evening I was driving home from seeing a friend, and all I could think about were all these ideas whirling around in my head. The strangest thought crossed my mind - I wanted to read the book to find out what happens next! How can I read it when it doesn't exist?

Without sounding too harsh, if you want it, you're the only one who can make it happen. It won't happen to you unless you make time for it.

It's utterly true, as well.

Read it in your head. In other words tell the story to yourself. Then write it down. Then edit it - you'll find that ideas that pleased you or you thought would work don't always and that you have missed out a lot of motivation, but that's fine, that's what editing is for. Have fun. Writing is the most fun you can have on your own, according to Terry Pratchett.

Thank you @Grammarnut I will remember that. Life has got in the way in recent months so I haven't had the opportunity to let loose, but maybe I will one day!