How to Write a Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide

Whether a non-fiction writer, a casual creative writer, or a marketing writer, you must constantly hone your writing skills. It requires a lot of practice and keenness. However, just constant writing won’t help bring improvement in writing. Capturing the essence of your book in a few short paragraphs is an art that influences a reader to buy the book. Writing awesome stunning fiction or novels involves time and planning. Creating an amazing fiction book for new writers seems like a hectic process. Most writers get stuck in the beginning to know where to start; they have no idea of creating stunning dialogues and realistic characters.

Moreover, inexperienced writers have no clues about forming the novel’s structure. Lack of pacing, coherence in paragraphs, or unable to move a plot along the story are the common errors that new authors make. Therefore, preparing a roadmap will spur their creativity and strengthen their writing process. Having a comprehensive roadmap guides writers in how to craft the first draft using the key novel elements. Consequently, the writers discover their strengths and weaknesses in the manuscript.

Top book writers develop a unique writing style and use their artistic expression to create an immersive novel for the readers. Having in-depth knowledge, ability, and skills, they take time to understand the elements of novel writing. Before planning how to write,  they choose the genres in which they can easily express their creativity. They get involved with researching the theme, storyline, and characters in-depth. Moreover, setting a writing schedule helps them to gain proficiency in writing.  

How to prepare yourself to become a  proficient novel writer

• Develop a daily writing habit

Many of us have busy routines, and we hardly get time to write. We must maintain a writing schedule if we inspire to create our novel. The best is to carve out a few minutes for writing. All you need is to keep a notepad or a journal, or a laptop to capture your ideas. Consequently, there are no hard and fast rules to arrange your thoughts. Some authors type bullet-point lists,  draw mind maps or sketch their characters to create an engaging storyline. The best way to plan your writing is to create a calendar and look through your schedules. Mark the time when your mind is free, and you can utilize your potential effectively. It is essential to remain disciplined and organized while following your schedule.

• Choose a story idea

As writers begin writing, lots of ideas and thoughts will pop up. The best thing is to capture those ideas in a notepad or journal. These ideas help form a dramatic plot and storyline for your novel. Moreover, the book’s concept implies a writer to know the preference and interests of the audience. For instance, if they are writing a fiction story, they should be aware of the storyline and characterization that attract a general audience. So they pick up those ideas for fiction writing.

• Setting the theme

A theme of the novel ties the readers from the beginning till the end. The deeply moving and stirring concept helps readers to become a part of the story. The theme is built through narrative and is one of the essential elements of a novel. The theme allows the viewers to draw connections between elements of the story and real-life incidents happening to them.

• The purpose of writing the novel

A narrative with a purpose highlights the author’s voice to tell a story that resonates with readers. The author intends to amuse the reader or convince them to read the book. Consequently,  an inspiring novel will help readers to relate the story or events to their lives.

• Plot outline

A plot progresses chronologically from an inciting incident, rising action to a climax. A dramatic plot with thrill and suspense leads to a sequence of cause-and-effect events and creates a whole chain of plot points that formulate the story. An interesting storyline depicts the characters, their role in the novel, and their essential attributes. The main players and their internal conflicts are an integral part of the plot that builds up the story. While crafting the action, the writer should look up to the pacing and rhythm of the story. Ensure that the action in the novel has a fast pace and rhythm as readers are pulled through the thrilling events. A  strong plot strengthens the structure of the story.

• Character Introduction

While conceiving different characters in fiction, a writer develops certain questions regarding the nature and personality of a character. For instance, personality type, positive and negative traits, the external and internal motivation. A novel comprises main and secondary characters and additional characters that build up the story. The leading character is the personality that the story revolves around. The main characters are the hero and the heroin, who lead various story events. Secondary narrative characters can be used to advance the main plot and subplots. Along with protagonist characters come antagonists. The action unfolds the events and helps in character development.

• Decision cycle

Another important step is to include the decision cycle in the novel. It comprises the: goal, conflict, disaster, reaction, and dilemma. Decision help to set the pace of your book. At the novel’s beginning, a character should have a goal they want to achieve. Therefore, the characters make an effort to achieve their goal. However, they face several obstacles while endeavoring to achieve their aim. Conflict in a good story develops when the protagonist runs into obstacles. It reflects the protagonist’s main goal in the story and why they want to achieve it. Now the reader becomes more interested in how the character will overcome a series of mounting obstacles. Disaster refers to the worse situation the characters face while accomplishing their goal. The reaction to the disaster follows the emotional response of the characters that run throughout the story. Usually, reactions portray internal reactions rather than external emotions. The element of emotions follows the dilemma. The characters start assessing the situation and try to eradicate all the obstacles. Consequently, if a novel lacks action without breaks, it may fatigue the reader and drift them off from the story. Incorporating these features makes your story gain momentum and keeps the readers engaged.

• First drafts are never perfect. Should not throw them away

Many writers get disheartened or give up writing if the first draft gets rejected. It should be remembered that the initial drafts are never perfect; they are always messy. Young writers can be best guided by book writing company that allow them to use their creative juices to create an exciting novel. At the initial stage, focus on writing and avoid reflection, editing, and refining the draft. Hence, young writers are encouraged to write freely and confidently and work on their drafts. A writer rarely gets appreciation on the first draft. However, with persistence and devotion, they will gain proficiency in storytelling.

• Editing of the manuscript

Self-editing involves a lengthy process. Editing will include high-level structural edits, adding and deleting entire scenes, adding commas, or rephrasing sentences. While editing, some sentences or paragraphs might be removed, having irrelevant details. Once structural issues are solved, revise the document to check transitions and the flow between sections that make the draft readable and appealing to the readers. Moreover, imagery and metaphors allow authors to visualize the over-arching story that contributes to the character’s progress and plot.

• Redrafting the final document

After making small edits, it’s time to refine and polish your final draft. Work on refining the vocabulary. Writers can use literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech that help them to capture imaginative scenes. As you begin redrafting, keep copies of old drafts. You may need to use certain parts of the old draft that were removed from the manuscript earlier and can be utilized later to keep up the flow and transition in the story. It could be using certain dialogue tags, chirpy sentences, or beautiful descriptions.

• Getting your book published

It’s time to put share your writing with the world. Writers have opted for either traditional publishing or self-publishing. Therefore, writers should adopt the publishing method that suits their choice and financial plan. The publishing process comprises approaching an agent. Writers should remain patient with the publishing process. Traditional publishings are time-consuming that may dishearten writers. Moreover, the rejection of the draft also disappoints them. In contrast, self-publishing is easier and makes publishing quick and smooth.

To Recapitulate  

Writing an immersive and captivating novel requires a writer to follow the elements that help construct a good story. Suppose you are struggling to understand how these elements work in a book. In that case, you can seek professional assistance that assists writers at every stage. They provide the scope and help writers choose the genres they can write well. They keep writers motivated and encourage them to create an eye-catching manuscript for the readers