How to Write a Novel

Learning how to write a novel can be confusing, probably because there are so many elements to the novel writing process:

• Creating characters.
• Writing a plot.
• Writing all the subplots that you must then weave seamlessly into the main plot.
• Constructing a setting.
• Deciding on a theme and a viewpoint.

And that's all before you even begin the actual writing! Add to that the need to study the art and craft of how to write a novel (which is where Novel Writing Help comes in), and the need to read published novels (to see the theory put into practice), and it's little wonder that the question I am most often asked is, Where do you even begin?!

The answer is that you begin by studying a good map and familiarizing yourself with the route, and the Novel Writing Process, as outlined in this section on how to write a novel, is your map.

How to Write a Novel in Eight Steps

Some people think that learning how to write a novel is difficult. It is a challenge, certainly, but in no way an impossible one. The biggest stumbling block is knowing how to go about it, in a logical step-by-step way, and that is where the Novel Writing Process comes in.

I said earlier that the process is like a map, but it is actually two maps in one...

• First, it gives you an overview of every step you need to take to get from where you are today to having a published novel to your name.

• Second, it is a user's guide to Novel Writing Help. (Not that there is anything complicated about the website - I hope!)

Here are the 8 Steps of the Novel Writing Process:

Click on the first link (opens in new window) then follow the steps in order. I'll meet you back here when you're done.

1. Start with the Novel Writing Basics
2. Decide which Type of Novel to Write
3. Brainstorm For Fiction Ideas
4. Road-Test the Idea with a Novel Outline
5. Write a Detailed Plan
6. Put Together the Final Plan
7. Write Your Novel
8. Sell Your Novel

Read and understand the eight steps now, so you know where you are going, but don't forget to return to them often along the way if you ever find yourself lost.

Caveat

Ask one hundred writers how to write a novel and you will get one hundred different answers. Everybody is unique and everybody works in their own unique way.

I can tell you what works for me - and for many other writers I have spoken to - but if you need to tailor the Novel Writing Process to your own personal needs, that is what you must do.

More Help on How to Write a Novel

• Beyond the Novel Writing Process expands upon something I mentioned above - that learning how to write a novel also involves reading fiction (so you can see how it is done in practice) and learning the "rules" of novel writing (all of which you will find on this site).

• And for more on reading fiction, and how it can help you as a writer, check out Learn How to Write Novels by Reading Them.

• Finally, Breaking the Novel Writing Rules. Yes, learning the rules is important (I'd be out of a job if it wasn't!) But once you have learnt them, you must then learn to break them. This article shows you how.

And that is pretty much it. If you read and absorb everything in this section, not only will you know precisely where to start, you will also know how to keep on going right to the end.