FICTION CORNER
What is a Novel?
How to create it?
What are the prerequisites for writing a Novel?
Let us find answers to the above queries.
How to Write a Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you like this, then you’ll LOVE the Novel Factory app. It contains Character Builders, Plot Templates, Writing Guides and so much more.
The Novel Creation Roadmap is a complete step-by-step process for writing a novel. Here is a summary of the steps, which are described in more detail below, with links to comprehensive articles for each one.
- Write a Premise
- Develop a Plot Outline
- Complete Character Introductions
- Write a Short Synopsis
- Expand that into an extended Synopsis
- Establish a Goal to Decision Cycle
- Carry out detailed Character Development
- Do your Scene Blocking
- Write your First Draft
- Research your Locations
- Develop subplots
- Write Character Viewpoints
- Redraft and Edit
- Final Polishing and get Feedback
- Get published.
Introduction to the Novel Writing Roadmap
Before we get to the steps, we’ll explain a little about how the Road map is intended to be used. If you don’t want to read the introduction you can jump straight to the descriptions of the steps.
What is the novel writing road map?
The Road map is a step-by-step guide to writing a novel, which takes you from the initial idea all the way to seeking publication with your completed manuscript.
It’s based on established theory relating to:
- key story elements
- plot structure
- character development
- effective pacing
- subplots
- drafting
- editing
- the current landscape for publication
Each of the steps builds on the previous one and it works by starting with your basic story idea, then building on it in a systematic way by developing plot, characters, settings, and more, until you have a complete, polished manuscript.
Each step is explained in an article which includes:
- Theory and background
- Description
- Examples
- A clear, manageable task
- Skip straight to the Road map steps or read on.
What is the roadmap for?
New writers
The primary intended audience for the Road Map is new writers, who have a hunger to write a book but find the idea daunting and bewildering.
We’ve been there, and that’s exactly why we created the Road map. To try to create some order from the chaos of creativity.
There are an overwhelming number of resources available on the art of writing a novel, including books, blogs, online courses, magazines, local courses, writing groups, and more. It can be confusing for a new writer to know where to start, and you might accidentally end up learning all about dialogue but not having a clue about structure. Or you might become a master prose writer but not know how to move a plot along.
The Road map attempts to distill and order all of this information into a manageable process that gives you exactly the right information at exactly the right time.
Pantsers
Pantsers (people who prefer to write a book without doing any planning) have been in touch with us in the past to let us know that despite their preference for complete inspiration, they too have found value in the Road map.
Some enjoy just taking a few of the steps to ensure their first draft is a little more structured. Others turn to the Road map after writing their first draft to retroactively strengthen the key novel elements and discover where there may be weaknesses in the manuscript.
Planners
Established Planners (novelists who like to meticulously plan their novels before beginning to write) have a natural affinity with the Road map.
Planners are more likely to have already established their writing process, but many find steps and techniques of the Road map useful in supplementing and enhancing their practices.
What are the limitations of using a step-by-step guide to write a novel?
Using a formula stifles creativity (or does it?)
Some writers are concerned that the use of processes stifles creativity, and results in books that are all the same.
But a process is simply a way of consistently achieving a particular result — in this case around 90,000 words that excite and engage a reader.
A hundred people could follow this Roadmap and end up with novels so different from each other that it would be impossible to tell they even followed the same steps.
That’s because our novels come from our experiences, and no two of those are the same.
One writer couldn’t write the same book as another, even if they tried.
Having said that…
The Road map should never be slavishly followed at the expense of your inspiration.
It provides a framework to help you harness and guide your creativity, but at the end of the day writing is an art, and if your heart or gut is begging you to do something, then set aside the steps and follow your instinct.
Conciseness and comprehensiveness must be balanced.
To create a guide that is useful in a meaningful, practical way, it is not possible to include every piece of useful writing advice and guidance that could benefit a new writer.
The Road map is a distilled version of the key points, as gleaned from dozens of books on writing, hundreds of articles, decades of writing, years of research and analysis, and a heavy dollop of personal experience.
Therefore, we encourage further reading to support and deepen your knowledge of the principles laid out in these steps.
How should you use the roadmap?
roadmap
Every writer is different, and every writer will find their method of writing their book.
Therefore, the Roadmap is not intended to be a strict set of instructions that must be followed to the letter.
Not at all.
It’s just a suggested route for getting from A to B, where A is where you are now, and B is having a completed novel in your hands.
But there are many roads, modes of transport, diversions, and scenic points along the way that you may wish to intentionally deviate from.
You may wish to skip some steps and come back to them later or ignore them altogether.
So, if you’re on step four but you’re itching to get started writing your first draft — then do it! The best writing comes from the heart, so listen to yours.
We hope the Road map helps writers take steps towards achieving their dreams, and like all good mentors, it is happy to eventually stand aside and watch proudly as the student spread their wings and soar on their own.
Preparing to become a writer
There are a few things you can do to help create the right conditions for successfully writing a book:
Intend to have a daily writing habit
In an ideal world, you will be able to write every day, for a reasonable amount of time.
For many of us with busy lives, this is an unrealistic dream.
The best we can do is carve out a few minutes from our busy schedules.
If possible, try to schedule a set time every day, reserved for writing.
But if that’s simply not possible in your circumstances — or if that kind of routine doesn’t suit your personality, then just stick to this one simple rule:
Write every day.
Having a target of writing every day — even if it’s just a single sentence — will make a world of difference.
Have a ‘safe space’ for writing.
Writers can write anywhere. In cafes, with their laptops balanced across sleeping babies; in a cupboard, in the garden, or even in a dedicated office (my dream is to have my writing turret one day).
The location itself isn’t important, but the sanctity of the space is.
This means that when you enter your writing space, you should be free from distractions and interruptions. These distractions may be family members, chores, mobile phones, emails, the Internet, or anything else that will take up your brain space and time (the only allowable exception is cats — who must be given their due respect, even when walking on the keyboard or cleaning themselves directly in front of your monitor).
Do your best to establish and be ferocious in protecting your safe space.
Speaking of which…
Don’t apologize for taking the time to write.
A common habit of unpublished writers is to feel guilty for the time they take to write.
They feel that they ought to be doing something ‘more productive’ like doing the laundry, going to the gym, feeding the toddler, etc.
Of course, you must fulfill your duties as a parent, worker, householder, whatever — but you are a person too, and you also deserve to spend time doing what brings you joy.
And if writing brings you pleasure, then it is wise and mindful to allow yourself some personal space to enjoy it.
Of course, there is some sensible judgment involved here — if you lock yourself in a room for fifteen hours a day and refuse to converse with your children until the first 100,000 words are complete, then perhaps it’s time to reassess the balance. However, people who behave in this way rarely suffer from complicated feelings such as guilt.
No, in most cases, the people who feel guilty about taking time to write are the ones who are already giving everything of themselves to others, keeping their families and colleagues afloat, and barely having time to sit down for five minutes with a cup of tea.
If that sounds like you, then permit yourself to nourish yourself by doing what you love.
The first part of taking care of others is taking care of yourself.
If this resonates with you, then tweet us and we’ll reply with some words of encouragement to boost your resolve!
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