How to Write a Novel

Writing a novel is no easy task. It takes patience and persistence to turn a good idea into a story with a fully formed plot and fleshed out characters. Going from idea to novel requires a major investment of time and energy. You cannot expect to become a bestselling author without putting in the work first.

Planning the Novel

Writing a novel should start long before you write a single sentence. Good fiction does not form by chance or accident. You must carefully craft it and build upon the initial idea through brainstorming.

The first step is to figure out the plot of your novel. What is it about? A plot must have a beginning, middle and end. It also must present a conflict that drives the story and offer a resolution to that conflict.

The next step is to create your characters. You need to create both main characters and secondary characters. Sketch out details on the characters who will be your protagonist and your antagonist. This will help you make them believable and allow your audience to relate to them.

Writing the Novel

The first rule of novel writing is devoting time to writing each day. Pick a time and place where you can write without interruptions or distractions and force yourself to write. Once you make it a habit to write daily, your novel will form rapidly.

You can take several routes to writing. One route is to create a chapter by chapter outline to guide your first draft. Another route is to sketch out details about the world in your novel. Some writers just prefer to dive in and start writing. Choose the route that is most comfortable for you.

Rewriting is the final stage once you complete a draft. Read through it completely before editing and take out what does not work and add additional details and scenes if needed to flesh out the story.

Going from idea to novel requires a major investment of time and energy

by John Coon, Arts & Entertainment writer