How to write a novel
The great American dream. Somewhere among the family, house, two vehicles, and a picket fence sprouts the idea of writing a novel. It is said that everyone has a book in him or her.
Getting that book from concept to finished product is the hard part. What does it take to write a novel? A workable idea, available time, and a plan.
With the right direction and a modest amount of writing talent, anyone can write a book. That is not to say that everyone can get his or her book published. Follow the advice below and you’ll learn how to write a novel—and stand and chance of seeing it in print.
Before you begin
Unless you are just writing for your own enlightenment or to run off a few copies for family and friends, you need an audience. That audience has certain expectations. The more you can learn of those expectations, the better your chances of writing a successful book. And the readers that loom between you and the shopper at Borders are agents and editors. If you don’t get past them, you’ll never make it to the shelves.
Study the book industry. Look at the statistics. Find out what’s selling—and what isn’t. Learn what’s expected of a mystery, suspense, horror, or humor writer. Your book may be brilliant, but if there’s a mismatch with the market, it won’t sell.
Planning and plotting
The planning of your book has two distinct areas. One is the physical aspects of the task, the other is the shaping of the story. You will need a way to get your ideas on paper. A state-of-the-art word processing program is nice, but a legal pad and a handful of sharp pencils will do.
You must carve out space and time for your habit. Set up a schedule and hold yourself accountable for progress: a chapter a week, 3 pages a day—whatever seems realistic given your schedule and obligations.
The plotting is going to require a bit more effort. Start getting all your ideas down—even the ones that seem absurd at the moment. Depending on how your mind works, you may create an outline, draw storyboards, using clustering, write lists, or fill out 3x5 cards. There’s no best way to do it. Choose whatever works for you.
Get organized
As the plot takes shape, you’ll see the need for getting things organized. You may have to pull out the wallet at this point. You’ll need file folders for ideas and probably a printer to make drafts of chapters as you finish them. Don’t omit the red pen for marking your revisions. You’ll have a lot fewer red marks if you learn the necessary plot elements before you begin.
Plot elements
Certain aspects of fiction are set in stone. You will need to develop these elements to create a satisfactory story. Some ideas will suggest themselves as you write. Start with a clear plan and you’ll have fewer changes as you go along.
Characters
What happens to the characters is of prime importance in your novel. Your readers should connect to your characters and care what happens to them. You need physical description and insights into emotions, beliefs, and fears. You need characters to interact with them: friends, burdensome family members, or secret loves. Characters need a past, which will aid or hinder their efforts. And, most importantly—you need a villain or two.
Conflict
Your characters must face some sort of challenge. The classic categories are man against man, man against nature, man against society, and man against self. Today, of course, we’d have to add “woman” to the mix. And maybe technology. Without conflict, you don’t have a story. The conflict must present itself early in the story. It must be real and significant. It must build throughout until it looks like there is only one way out. Then your protagonist will prevail—or not. It’s okay to have a tragic ending. It worked for Shakespeare.
Setting
A story has to take place somewhere. Your readers will want to experience that place, whether it’s a real location or a fantasy world. Actions are limited, or at times dictated by the place. Sometimes the setting takes on as much or more importance than the characters. Other times, the actions could take place on an empty stage, because the emphasis is the interaction among the players.
Point of View
Beginning writers seldom realize how important it is to have a consistent point of view. It’s very unnerving to be in the middle of a scene and discover the person you thought was telling the story has vanished and you unexpectedly find yourself inside another character’s brain.
Before you write very much, decide who can best tell the story. Then stay with that person. Or persons—two are allowed if you’re writing romance. Point of view is very complex. Make sure you understand your options.
Theme
Considered by some to be the most important aspect of a novel, I’ve saved it until last. Underlying the entire story is some message that you want to convey to your reader. This is your theme. It may be obvious or subtle, but it must be there. It’s the way you describe your book to potential buyers, whether it’s an agent at a book conference, or a potential buyer who stopped by at your book signing event.
The end
Yes, it is within your grasp. If you have passion and persistence you can make it happen. With careful preparation and planning you can write a novel. Whether you can sell it or not is the subject for another day.
