- Brainstorm Your Novel
- How to Develop a Book Outline That Works
- Character Development: How to Create Realistic and Memorable Characters
- The Role of Setting: How to Build a Vivid World for Your Story
- Mastering Conflict: How to Write a Gripping Plot
- The key elements of a compelling plot
- How to Stay Motivated and Set Writing Goals
- Editing Your First Draft: How to Polish Your Manuscript Like a Pro
- Final Thoughts: Just Write and Keep Improving
Have you plunged headfirst into the rabbit hole of writing? There are multiple techniques for writing a novel and for a beginner writer, it might be overwhelming. This is a beginner-friendly guide on how to write a fictional novel.
In the following text, I will explain how to brainstorm, outline, structure, set goals, and edit. This guide will break down the writing process into a few actionable steps. With the right approach, this should be manageable for anyone.
Brainstorm Your Novel
A simple first step is to define why you want to write in the first place. What has inspired you to take this path? Is there any specific book, or story that made you want to start writing?
If you are interested in fantasy novels, write something of that genre. As usual, this is a personal preference. Pick a genre and stick to it. Especially as a beginner following certain rules will make it easier.
Find your book idea. You can do this by putting yourself in a reader position. What would you want to read? Maybe, about a group of friends living in a rural area? Developing this example into a story would be adding a conflict. Every story needs a conflict. You can pick one based on your personal experience.
If we use the previous example, it would look like this: A group of friends who will soon attend different colleges are afraid they will grow apart.
A big part of brainstorming is coming up with an idea and refining it. I still need to narrow it down, and I still have to choose a protagonist. Suddenly, the story becomes this: A boy who will soon move to college is afraid to lose his best friends.
A powerful technique is “what if?” That simple question will open the door to creativity. Ask yourself what if? What if a teenage boy discovered a letter to a murder victim and decided to find out who wrote it? You now have a compelling story in your hand.
A teenage boy who soon will leave his hometown found a murder letter meant for a victim. Now he and his friends are trying to figure out who wrote it. This plot has an inner conflict. (he is afraid to lose his friends). It also has an overall conflict (who wrote the murder letter).
A practical example is The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins. She wrote an incredible fictional novel. How the “what if?” technique could be implied here will be like this. What if a teenage girl lives under a dystopian government that forces children to fight to death?
Elaborate as you go. What if that dystopian government selected children’s names from a bowl when they turned 12? What if a girl volunteered to save her younger sister from those horrible games? What if instead of just surviving the Hunger Games, she also challenges the dystopian regime?
A checklist for brainstorming.
- Find inspiration.
- Pick a genre.
- Think of something you would like to read.
- Redefined your idea.
- Add conflict. Both internal and external.
- Use the “what if?” technique.
The whole point is to just let your imagination run free. You do not need to figure out all the plot points to use this method. It will help you get all of your thoughts on paper. When you have laid the foundation with brainstorming, you can begin outlining your story.
How to Develop a Book Outline That Works
A story outline is a road map for writing. It gives you an idea of what you want to include in your story. If you write with intention, you write with purpose. JK Rowling used an outline for the Harry Potter series.
“I always have a basic plot outline, but I like to leave some things to be decided while I write. It’s a spontaneous process. I’ve never set rigid boundaries for myself. If I had, I would have had to throw away half the plot of ‘Goblet of Fire’!” – Jk Rowling.
A good outline consists of character, setting, conflict, and plot. Summarizing what, how, and why is a simple way. Explain simply what it is. Explain how you will execute it. Then why did you set it up that way?
Character Development: How to Create Realistic and Memorable Characters
What: Who are your characters? What is their name? Where do they come from, what do they look like, and who is their family? Write a character profile, write everything there is to know about a person. Yes, their appearance is important, but so is their background. Focus on writing a three-dimensional person.
How: How will they fit into the story? What role do they play? You have a protagonist. You need to know how they are a protagonist. Every character needs to contribute to the plot somehow. Are they the protagonist, anti-hero, villain, or confidant? Ask yourself this question. If you removed them from the story, would it make a difference? If you answered yes, then you need to change it up.
Why: Again, why are they a part of the story? If they have a part to play. Why do they? Every character needs a reason to do what they do. If a character does not want the protagonist to know who wrote a murder letter, they need a motive. A well-written character improves a story instantly. Create well-written characters that are whole.
The Role of Setting: How to Build a Vivid World for Your Story
What: Where is your story set? A busy city, a farm, or maybe even on Mars. A setting is where the story takes place. It is the general location (a certain city) and more specific (a bedroom). The setting affects the story to some extent. If your story takes place in India, then you would most likely need to imply Indian custom to your story. Every setting has its culture. Defined what that is.
How: How come a character be in that city? Were they born there, or did they move later in life? If they are stuck on a stranded island, how did they get there?
Why: What does the setting have to say for the plot? Will it change anything if it was on Mars? Does being stranded on an island matter? Does the plot evolve around the setting? Why do they go to that place? Does it have anything to say about the character?
Mastering Conflict: How to Write a Gripping Plot
What: A conflict is an issue that drives the plot forward. What happened that makes it worthy to write about? What is the conflict about? Who is included? Make sure the conflict is difficult enough not to guess how it would end right away. Multiple conflicts at once make the plot seem less thin and boring.
How: How did the conflict occur? What triggered the conflict? How can the conflict end? Will it grow bigger, or will it diminish? If so, then how? A complex conflict needs a complex solution. Find creative ways to solve a conflict.
Why: Why did it happen in the first place? In what way did it affect the plot? Did it cause a positive or negative character growth? What does it have to say for the future? Exactly why did you choose that solution over all the others? Explain yourself.
The key elements of a compelling plot
What: A plot is a sequence of events in a story. What are the events? What is the explosion, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution? What do you intend to achieve at the end of the writing process?
How: How did it happen? What caused it? A plot often leads to another plot point. How do they relate? Did it affect the story? Is there any logical explanation of how a plot happened? Could it unfold any other way? Why did it not unfold any other way?
Why: Why did it exactly happen that way? Does it have any significance? If not, you need to change the plot. Be ambitious. Create double meaning. Create a double reason.
How to Stay Motivated and Set Writing Goals
Now, when you are ready to start writing, it can be challenging to stay motivated. Finding time in a busy schedule is easier said than done. It is an investment to build a routine. Many of us fall into the trap of writing a lot in a short amount of time and then taking long breaks. Writing a little every day would get you further in the long run and not burn out easily.
A goal is something you want to achieve. Define what that means to you and be specific. Be clear about what you want to accomplish. It will save you disappointment if the goals are achievable. Create goals that matter and are relevant to what you want. When do you want to finish? How many chapters do you want? Set deadlines. It keeps you on track. You can make it fun by tracking your progress.
A routine helps you stay consistent with your goals by turning ideas into action. Start small. Do not try to change everything all at once. It causes you a big headache. You do not run a marathon without any previous training. However, if you fail to stay consistent, all your work will be for nothing. Remember to give yourself breaks. Write a little every day, but do not overwork yourself. Everything will happen in their own time. Reward yourself, and no accomplishment is too small.
Editing Your First Draft: How to Polish Your Manuscript Like a Pro
Write your first draft without putting too much thought into it. You are telling the story to yourself for the first time. It does not have to be perfect, just real. Do not beat yourself up over a weird dialogue or a slow fight scene. The first draft is for you and only you.
The first draft can be exhausting. Take a break and work on something else for a while. Come back with a clear head. Now, edit your work with fresh eyes. Ask yourself first, does the story flow logically? If not, fill the plot holes. Cut out unnecessary characters, storylines, and rewrite what you do not like.
Editing is a huge responsibility. Rewrite in sections. Go over every chapter. Does every scene have a purpose? Is the pacing too fast, or too slow? Correct all of it until you are finished.
Strengthen your writing by going over sentences, phrases, grammar, and repetitive words. Does the dialogue sound natural? Can you distinguish character voices? It can help to read your manuscript out loud. You can spot errors much more easily. You can ask a beta reader to review it for you. You can even hire a professional to edit with you. There are options available. Some are cheaper than others, nevertheless they are options.
Online tools such as Grammarly are amazing. When you are reading your work, you tend to overlook some minor mistakes. Grammarly gives you a pair of extra eyes.
Final Thoughts: Just Write and Keep Improving
The writing process is like any other process. It comes with challenges. This is an overview of what you need to do to write. Use this guide as a tool. Look over the examples above and apply the ones you find fitting for your book. Remember, by learning, you are earning. No one was born with a pen in their hand. The blank page you are looking at will be soon filled with words that lead to another world. Every author started where you are today.
If you enjoyed this blog post, subscribe to our newsletter. There will be other blog posts like this one. I hope you found it helpful. Please give feedback, or request something you would like to hear more about.