A Guide To Writing

There is one key step that all serious authors must take before they begin writing their novel. This step will ensure that they write the best novel possible and it’s one many writers overlook. However, if you want to write a novel that publishers and readers will love, you really must start here.

Begin With Your Overarching Vision: The Map That Will Guide Your Way

You must first create a clear, step-by-step map for your journey through your story. It’s essential to go through the process of exploring and developing your initial ideas for character, setting, and plot. By clarifying these key elements of your novel before you begin writing, you will actually be able to finish it without getting lost somewhere in the vast middle section wondering where to go next. Everything will fit together in a unified vision that will inspire you to move forward and get your novel on paper.

Get To Know Your Characters

To begin, you’ll want to take some time to explore who your characters are and where they want to go through the story of your novel. You can take your kernel of an idea and develop it through the following questions until you really feel you know your characters and understand their lives and motivations. You’ll know when you’ve accomplished this when you feel a real sense of connection with your characters and you feel invested in how things are going to turn out for them. Use the following questions to get yourself started:

Clarify who the central characters are for your novel.

Physical Appearance: how they look, age, ethnicity, defining characteristics.

What are they like on the inside? personality traits, habits, unique characteristics, temperament.

Explore their background, family history, and defining past experiences.

What are their loves, hates, fears?

What are the deepest dreams in their hearts? What do they most want and what are the internal and external obstacles in the way of getting it?

Use this time to really connect with your characters on a deep level. Once you feel invested in them and feel you understand the essence of who they are, you’re ready to go on to the next step.

Create Your Novel’s World

Next, you will want to take some time to decide on the key details of location and setting for your novel so that these, too, will come alive in your imagination. Here are some questions to consider:

In which state, country, or region does your novel take place?

When does it take place: present, past, future?

Where does your novel take place specifically? i.e. house, business, castle, spaceship and what is it like there?

Describe the seasons that are experienced in your novel.

Are there important objects for the story? heirlooms, treasured gifts, magical talismans, etc.

Plan Out Where You Want To Go

The third step is to develop a strong plot outline that flows from point to point in a logical, compelling way. Now that you know your characters’ motivations, use these to develop an action plan to help them get what they want. There are many ways to structure your novel to keep the readers interested in what will happen next. At their most basic, each of these come down to the following essential plot questions:

Where are your characters starting from at the beginning of your novel?

What do your main characters want to happen at this point?

What are the obstacles in the way of achieving their goal?

How do your characters get past these obstacles to get what they want?

When it comes to basic structure, here’s a simple outline to follow: Typically, your main character will make a change that helps them progress toward their goal about a third of the way through the plot. Then, they encounter some obstacles that make them falter at the half way point. Then about 2/3 of the way through, they’ll backtrack and lose what gains they’ve made. From this point, they move toward the climax as they make a renewed commitment to their goal and experience ultimate success.

It’s Really Worth Taking the Time To Know Where You’re Going

I really encourage you to take the time to create a detailed blueprint for your characters, setting, and plot before you dive into the vast sea of your novel. Completing this essential first step will give you a reliable compass to guide you on the wonderful creative journey of writing your own novel. You’ll know your characters deeply, you’ll be able to clearly imagine the details of your setting, and you’ll have a reliable map to follow that will give you peace of mind and inspiration as you begin to write each day.