Don’t simply wait for inspiration to come to you, however. Seek out examples of exceptional creativity to help spark your own. Your inspiration doesn’t necessarily have to be a book—it can be a TV show, a movie, or even traveling to an exhibition or art gallery. Inspiration comes in infinite forms! Think of something from your own life that has inspired, troubled, or intrigued you—how can you explore this topic more fully in a novel?
Commercial novels are divided into many genres, including science fiction, mystery, thriller, fantasy, romance, and historical fiction, among others. Many novels in these genres follow broad formulas and are written in long series. Whatever genre you like or choose to focus on, read as many novels as possible within that genre. This will give you a better sense of the tradition you’ll be working in—and how you can add to or challenge that tradition.
Your likely audience usually depends on the genre for your novel. Think about popular novels within your chosen genre and who they seem to be targeted toward. You don’t have to aim for exactly the same target, but at least keep this readership in mind. For instance, maybe your chosen genre of fantasy novel tends to attract readers in their teens and early twenties, or your romance genre tends to attract readers in their forties and fifties. But always remember that these aren’t hard and fast rules for readership!
Will it be loosely based on places that are familiar to you in real life? Will it be set in the present, or in some other time? Will it take place on Earth, or somewhere imaginary? Will it be centered in one city or neighborhood, or expanded to a range of locations? What kind of society does it take place in? Will it take place over the course of a month, a year, or decades?
If you have a primary antagonist to counter and conflict with your protagonist, they need to be three dimensional and relatable, even if they’re acting as the “bad guy” in your story. Secondary characters may not need to be fleshed out so fully, but they still need to be humanized to some degree. Envision each character fully, even if you don’t end up utilizing them in great detail. Many novelists describe thinking of their characters as real people, asking themselves what the characters would do in a given situation and doing their best to stay “true” to the characters. Spend time creating profiles for your characters so you can really flesh out what their personalities are like. [5] X Expert Source Grant Faulkner, MAProfessional Writer Expert Interview. 8 January 2019.
Even if you’re writing a futuristic sci-fi novel or a fantasy epic, use scientific and/or historical research to give your created world a realistic grounding. Writing fiction rather than nonfiction does not make you immune from plagiarism. If you’re drawing from other sources, make sure to identify them through citations or acknowledgments. As with other types of planning, walk the fine line between skimping on your research and letting it block your path to actually writing. Trust your instincts.
One traditional plot approach is to have rising action (building the details and tension in the story), a conflict (the main crisis of the novel), and a resolution (the final outcome of the crisis)—but this is not the only way to do it. Your novel doesn’t have to neatly “resolve” the conflict. It’s okay to leave some loose ends undone—if your readers like your novel, they’ll be more than happy to tie up those loose ends themselves (speculation, fan fiction, discussion, and the like).
You don’t have to decide on the perspective of the novel before you write the first sentence. In fact, you may write the first chapter—or even the entire draft of the novel—before you have a better idea of whether it sounds better in the first person or the third. There’s no hard and fast rule about which point of view works best for particular types of novels. But, if you’re writing a panoramic novel with a gaggle of characters, the third person can help you manage all of those characters.
Try scheduling a specific writing time into your daily calendar. Even if you don’t really feel like writing then, or just can’t get the words to come out, sit down during your scheduled time and work at it. Create a writing space to help you get into a routine. Find a cozy place where you can focus. Invest in a chair that won’t cause back pain after a couple of hours of sitting and writing. You’ll be spending a lot of time in this place, so make it comfy and functional!
For many writers, planning ahead makes the writing process go more quickly and smoothly. For others, though, planning can become a barrier that gets in the way of actually writing. Trust your own instincts on what works best for you. Even if you are a planner, don’t get obsessed over every last detail as you set up your novel. If you’re too preoccupied with details before even writing your first draft, you may be stifling your own creativity.
Your outline does not have to be linear. You could do a quick sketch of each character’s arc, or make a Venn diagram showing how different characters’ stories will overlap. Your outline is a guide, not a contract. The point is simply to jump-start the writing process with a visual representation of where the story might go. It will certainly change as you begin the writing process. Keep updating or recreating your outline throughout the process. Sometimes an outline can actually be more helpful after you’ve completed a draft or two of your novel.
Practice writing descriptive paragraphs that introduce each of your main characters and settings. Start with a brief, catchy sentence that provides a simple yet intriguing fact about the character/setting, then use vivid descriptive phrasing to build the rest of the paragraph.
Listen to people talk to each other and observe how their conversations are—or aren’t—propelled forward and deepened by what they say. Flesh out your characters fully so that you can envision them speaking the dialogue that you write for them. Make sure the content and style of the dialogue suits the character. Don’t use dialogue to dump information on the reader. Instead, use it to humanize your characters, create conflict, and propel the narrative.
Depending on your writing style, you might draft 8-10 key action scenes first, then build the rest of the novel around them. You don’t need to create action for action’s sake—not every novel needs a high-speed car chase! But, every novel benefits from key moments when critical actions are introduced and described.
Make the commitment to write on your established schedule and produce this first draft. Who knows how many wonderful writers go unnoticed and unread because their drawers are filled with unfinished novels? Set small goals—finishing a chapter, a few pages, or a certain amount of words every few days—to keep yourself motivated. You can also set long-term goals—you might, for example, be determined to finish the first draft of a novel in one year, or even in six months. Reward yourself when you achieve one of your small or larger goals along the way. Celebrate your success, but then get back to writing!
After you’ve written your first draft, take a break from it for a few weeks, then sit back and read it as if you were one of your readers. Which parts need more explaining? Which parts are too long and boring? If you find yourself skipping over long chunks of your novel, your readers will, too. How can you make the novel more appealing to them by cutting down or revising these cumbersome parts? You may feel like the drafting process will never end, but it will! Stay positive and confident.
If you typed your novel on a laptop, print it out and read it aloud. Cut or revise anything that just doesn’t sound right. Don’t get too attached to your writing—for example, a well-crafted paragraph that just isn’t moving the story forward. Challenge yourself to make the right decision, and remember that you might be able to use the paragraph in a future novel!
Start a writing group. If you know a few other people who are writing novels, arrange to meet with them to share progress and ask for tips. Join a writing workshop at a local college or writing center. You’ll review other people’s writing and receive notes on yours as well. Apply to an M. A. or an M. F. A. program in creative writing. These programs offer a supportive and inviting environment for sharing your work with others. Additionally, they can help motivate you by setting deadlines for completing your work.
If you’re going the traditional route, it helps to find a literary agent to shop your book around to publishers. You’ll be asked to submit a query letter and a synopsis of your manuscript. Self-publishing companies vary widely in quality. Before choosing a company, ask for a few samples so you can see the quality of their paper and printing. If you don’t want to go the publishing route, that’s not a problem. Congratulate yourself on a job well done and move on to your next creative project!
