The Beginners Guide to Writing a Novel

Although digital media is increasingly popular, you’ll still find thousands of new books in any bookstore. The simple truth is that people still love reading and it’s often easier to become lost in a story while holding a book in your hands.

After reading a good book, you may feel inspired to write your own story. In theory, it’s just writing words. In practice, it’s much more complicated.

According to Zippia, over four million new books were published in 2022 with romance being the most popular genre. Writing a book doesn’t mean you’ll be published, although self-publishing is a popular option. It will provide you with the satisfaction of completing a novel.

If you’re serious about writing a novel, this guide will help.

Prepare for the Long Haul

Writing a novel is frequently compared to running a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be in it for the long haul. The average novel is between 70,000 and 100,000 words long. Even if you could write full time it would take you weeks to finish.

The best approach is to set a schedule. Consider how much time you can realistically spare per day to work on your novel. Once you’ve decided, schedule it in your calendar, the same as you would any meeting or appointment. It makes it harder to miss your writing slot.

It doesn’t matter how long or short your slot is, even half an hour is enough to write a novel. You simply need to be consistent and work on the novel for the allotted time daily.

Choose a Genre

The most popular genre is romance. However, there are many genres to choose from, including horror, thriller, science fiction, history, action, mystery, and so many more.

If you want to write a good novel, don’t choose the most popular genre, select the one that gets you most excited. You’ll find it easier to write the book if you’re passionate about the genre.

Create Your Plot

You’re now ready to start creating a plot.

In the first instance, you’ll want to brainstorm plot ideas. Simply write everything down, then take a break before relooking at the ideas and seeing which ones excite you. At this point, you should verify that none of the plots are similar to something that has already been written.

The plot can be based on events that have happened to you, on people you know, or be completely fictitious. Just remember not to use anyone’s real name without their permission.

Once you’ve decided on a concept you’ll need to flesh it out. It’s best to start with the setting and who else will need to be involved. This will naturally lead you to a main character, a secondary character, and the classic villain.

You’ll also need to decide the main goal for your protagonist and what challenges they will face on their journey.

Research

If you’re writing a historical drama you’ll probably need to do a lot more research than a novel based in the future.

In all cases, research is essential to ensure your story sounds plausible. It will also help it to sound more authentic which will help to engage readers.

Understand Character Development

Most stories revolve around a few characters. One will be the protagonist. They are arguably the hero while the antagonist will be the villain. However, if you want your novel to be authentic, it’s important to understand that all characters have layers and motivations for their actions.

It’s not as simple as good and bad, you must ensure the characters grow. Of course, some characters, often the secondary ones, don’t grow. This is because they are static characters. It’s important to understand the difference between static vs dynamic characters, each has an important part to play in your story.

Don’t forget, it’s the character development that really keeps readers engaged. If you’ve created believable characters your readers will be rooting for one of them.

Make Notes as You Write

You’re now ready to start writing. The first draft should be seen as an outpouring of your ideas. Your aim is to write a novel that encompasses all the ideas and visions you’ve had in your head. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it creates the outline.

You’ll be able to refine the first draft and create a story that you’re happy to share. It does help to take a break between completing the draft and revising it.

It’s also a good idea to make plenty of notes as you write. These should cover character features and development, along with details regarding repetitive locations. The notes will help to ensure you keep the details the same every time you write about them.

You should get an editor or someone you trust to read your finished novel and provide honest feedback. You can make final edits based on the feedback.

Summing Up

All that’s left is to decide if you want to publish or not. You will need to send the manuscript to publishers and sometimes agents. You can also consider self-publishing.

Even if you decide not to publish, you can give yourself a pat on the back, it’s not easy writing a novel, but you’ve done it!