You’re probably seated at your desk and searching hysterically about how to write a novel online. Isn’t it funny that once in our writing lives, we all took the same route to search for tips because we were sure that we now must put that story in a book?
Coming from a place of experience, this blog post will take you through the less complicated path and give you a practical guide on how to write a novel, even if you are a beginner. Before we proceed, leave aside that overwhelming feeling of doing a big task for the first time and enjoy the ride. Let’s get that novel started by knowing what we are doing.
What is a novel?
A novel is an imaginative prose made up of characters, displaying real-life actions. Novels are also determined by their word counts which must range from 50, 000 and above but not more than 120,000, else, it becomes too long for a novel.
Now that we know what a novel is, and should be, let us get on with the tips of writing one.
Tips on how to write a novel and finish it
As a new author, you are about to face a lot, and it is best you take it slowly but steadily. Remember, you do not need to rush this task, as you may take a wrong turn and arrive at a distant, wrong destination. With that out of the way, let’s break it down step by step.
Read a novel or two
Nothing else helps your imagination and boosts your writing as much as reading a novel like the one you wish to write. See what the author did, look at the plot, conflict, setting, and character selection. You will surely get an insight on how to begin.
It may not help if you read the novel years back. You need to refresh your memory and read like someone with a mission.
A mission to learn or see what you missed before. This time, you may need to reread that novel with a jotter and pen.
Create an outline
In your jotter, create an outline. At what point or event do you wish to bring in a character? Male or female? What would be each character’s behavior and dress?
List them all out. Also, where you wish a dialogue to happen or a twist.
Prepare your conflict. Never leave everything to good ol’ remembrance because you may totally forget.
Put your pen to paper and start drafting
You just can not wait to imagine it all. Otherwise, you may find yourself grasping around. Draft away. Let your writing pad be your canvas.
Imaginations can be fleeting, so capture them in your draft as they form. Drafts are not meant to be perfect. They’re there to help you create a masterpiece.
So, use them as what they are, generously. Draft as much as you can until the rough edges of your novel take form and become smooth.
For your sanity, you may be shocked at how many drafts writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Nora Roberts use up before giving the world their respective best sellers.
Choose the grammar trend
Novels are best written in the past tense. However, there is no binding rule to that.
Yours may be in the present tense if that will convey your intentions properly. Only be careful not to jumble up things and make a grammatical mess.
Write either in the first, second, or third person point of view. Again, you are the one to decide on that. You can make a best seller, writing in your preferred point of view.
Novels written in the first person (I/We) provide thorough details of the events in the story because it is the writer’s point of view. It gives the reader a sense of watching and imagining the events as they play out in real-time.
The second-person point of view (You) feels as though you are listening to a gist from a close pal. A novel written in a third-person perspective (She/He/They) may be simpler as the writer has the power to change their view to each character’s view.
Set out your conflict
Among your characters, you must have your main character who must have an opposing view with another character in your novel. This is known as the protagonist and the antagonist.
Let them have interesting friction that your readers will love. A good novel will make its readers either love the protagonist or hate the antagonist, sometimes, vice versa, depending on the story.
Also Read:Â Â How to start and finish a cover letter
You do not have to figure out how to write a novel all at once
It is okay if you have the beginning of your storyline and have no idea how it will end. It is still totally fine if you know how you want your story to end but the beginning part is still very unclear.
Some writers may already have the names of their characters while others may figure that out later as they begin. So, what to do? Get your title right at the onset.
Knowing the title of your novel and what the story is all about will help you have an opening for your novel. It is not enough to want to know how to write a novel.
First, what is your novel about? What genre? Figured out?
Who is the novel for? Kids, teens, or adults? Then, think up a proper name and let the creativity juice find its source.
Let’s dance around how you can begin to figure out your big idea before we move on.
How to figure out your novel plot
Think of your setting. Where in the world do you want your novel’s setting to be and the year? It may be from a place you once visited, it could be from a place you read about and thought to visit later, or it could be a nonexistent place created by your imagination.
Your setting will determine the names of your characters, their culture, food, clothes, and accents. Therefore, if you pick a place you have not visited before, make research your closest pal.
Sometimes, novels are borne out of real-life events tweaked to give them some flare. Other times, they’re just the healthy imaginations of a good writer. Plotting a total fiction novel requires a lot of muse and imagination.
Look around you, many life events can cause your imagination to run wild. So give it a massive thought, visit places that can help you gather information, and remember to tweak, tweak, tweak until you have an interesting plot.
Edit mercilessly
Edit your novel until it becomes very spotless. You may want to employ the services of an expert editor. They will seek out places you need to expand on or thoroughly remove.
Editors do not only pick out grammatical errors, they make novels come out in their best version. However, if you have what it takes to do the work excellently, why not?
Seek for reviews
Here, another pair of eyes will read your novel and give their perspective. Worry not, it is in your best interest. You may not catch it all, but reviews will help clean up your novel so be ready to go back to your work desk to touch it up afterwards.
