Welcome to the Home of Novel Writing

If you are searching for the best novel writing help and advice available, you have just found it...

• Novel Writing Help is the most comprehensive creative writing resource you will find anywhere - everything you need under one roof.

• It is written by an expert with 25 years' experience who is as passionate about writing great fiction as you are.

• And it is updated regularly - almost daily, in fact - so be sure to bookmark the site and tell your friends about it.

Things You Might Be Wondering...

Who Am I?

My name is Harvey Chapman and I am a full-time teacher of creative writing. When I can find the time - which isn't often - I also write fiction.

As a matter of fact, I have been involved with the art and craft of novel writing, in one way or another, for a quarter of a century now. So I know what I'm talking about!

• To find out more about me, and to read an extract from my own fiction, Click Here.

• And if you want to get in touch, about anything at all, don't be afraid to Contact Me. I'm only an e-mail away!

Help! Where Do I Begin?

If the prospect of writing a novel scares you as much as it excites you, you are not alone. Help is at hand, though...

You see all those buttons over on the left? (You might need to scroll up a little.)

• The first three sections, tell you everything you need to know to plan and write a successful novel, from finding a winning idea through to polishing the final draft.

• The other sections are simply the added extras to make your life even easier still.

How long it takes you to get there, of course, is entirely up to you. But whether it takes you 12 months or 12 years, I'll be with you every step of the way.

How Much Does It Cost?

You will find plenty of freely available information on the site to get you started (and to see if you like what I have to say!)

I cannot give away material of this quality for nothing, though - I need a return for the hours and hours of work I put into the site.

But for a one-time fee, you can have full access to everything. Follow this link to discover the benefits of Novel Writing Help Membership.

The Main Sections of Novel Writing

Introduction - The Fiction Writing Basics
The worst thing you can do when writing a novel - particularly your first novel - is to rush. Before you begin your journey, take some time to consider some of these fundamental questions - like why write a novel at all?

How to Write a Novel - the Novel Writing Process
When you set out on a long journey you need a good map. The Novel Writing Process, described in this section, is both an outline for writing a novel and a user's guide to this website.

Types of Novels
It is crucial to decide which category of fiction your novel will slot into before you start writing it. Why? Because it will make the job of selling your novel a lot easier. This section discusses literary, mainstream and genre fiction in depth.

Finding Creative Writing Ideas
You might not know it yet, but you are already bursting with great ideas. You have enough raw material inside you right now for more novels than you could ever hope to complete. This section shows you how to find them.

What Is Theme?
A lot of creative writing guides barely touch on the important question of theme in fiction. Is that because it is something you can safely ignore? Not if you are serious about your novel writing.

Point of View in Literature
This is the one area a lot of newcomers to writing have problems with - not least, the decision whether to use first person or third person point of view. You will find all the answers right here.

Creating Characters
Creating characters is arguably the most important part of novel writing. Places and plots count for nothing without dynamic story people, and you will find all the information you need to build them right here.

How to Plot a Novel
Make no mistake: plotting a novel is no small task. As a matter of fact, entire books have been written on the subject - books which sometimes leave you feeling more confused than enlightened. My 10-step guide to writing a plot will help.

Advanced Elements of Plot
Having created a solid basic plot in the previous section, the next stage is to add subplots, control the pace, incorporate some backstory - oh, and loads more things besides! By the time you are through, you will have a professional plot on your hands.

Setting: Writing a Story With Atmosphere
When you are writing a novel, character and plot are the two most important ingredients. Having a vividly-evoked setting comes a very close third, though, and this section shows you how to build one.

Preparing to Write - How to Write a Book the Easy Way
I'm talking about the actual writing here, the setting down of words on paper - as opposed to planning, which is what you have been doing up to now. Not least, this section will show you how to overcome the dreaded writer's block.

Writing Prose
At last, the planning is over and it is time to start getting some words down on paper. You will find this section packed with advice on how to write beautifully-crafted prose.

Writing Dialogue
Want to know the first rule of writing dialogue? If it sounds like a conversation you would hear in the real world, you've gone wrong somewhere. It is one of the paradoxes of novel writing that the more natural you want your dialogue to sound, the harder you have to work on it.