9 Tips for Writing a Novel

Did you always want to write a novel? Did you start writing one but gave up mid-way because the story didn’t seem interesting enough to you?

Did you abandon your ideas because it was hard to weave the story? Or because it was tough to display the complexities of the characters you had in mind?

People often stop writing a novel and simply give up because of the above-mentioned reasons.

But there are certain novel writing tips that can help you stay focused and organised. It would also keep you motivated throughout your novel writing journey.

Always wondered how to write a novel? You can use the following tips for writing a novel—

1. Choose a story idea.

In order to start writing a novel, it is important that you choose a story idea you want to write about.

You may have multiple ideas for a novel. So, how do you choose the one that would work?

Some questions you need to ask yourself is that would it be feasible to write a whole novel based on that idea? Or is it more appropriate for a short story?

Is the novel idea good enough to hold the attention of the readers throughout the book? Does the idea have enough conflict to keep the reader interested?

If the answer is yes to all these questions, then you have found the perfect story for your novel.

2. Construct a plot outline- or not.

If you are a highly organised person and like to have all your ducks in a row before starting a task, then you would do better with having an outline of the plot before you actually start writing the book.

If you are more of a ‘go where the wind blows’ kind of person, then you might do better at writing a novel when you don’t have the whole plot of the novel outlined before you start writing your book.

Remember that there is no wrong way of doing things.

The creative process you choose may be different from the creative process another writer uses while writing their book.

Have you been searching, “how to write a good novel for beginners?”

Drawing out a proper outline (or not) is one of the keys to solve that problem.  

3. Select a point of view.

Now, this is something that can be somewhat tricky to do. However, it is really important that you select a point of view for your novel.

Selecting a point of view simply means the perspective from which you will be writing the novel.

And one of the most important parts of that process is choosing a voice.

Will you be writing the novel by using First Person (I, me), Second Person (you, your), or Third Person (he, she, or it)?

In addition to choosing a voice, another thing you need to do while selecting a point of view is to choose the narrator of the story.

Which of your characters is telling the story to the reader?

Does only one character narrate the story, or does more than one character narrate the story from their own perspective?

These are questions that need to be sorted out before you start working on your bestseller.

4. Conduct the necessary research.

Have you been wondering how to write a good novel? Well, wonder no more.

In order to write a good novel, one of the best things you can do is to carry out all the necessary research that’s relevant to your novel.

For example, if you are writing a period drama, you need to find out everything you can about the clothes, food, professions, and day-to-day lives of the people of your chosen era.

If you are writing a science fiction novel, then you need to fill-up your knowledge on the specific field that your novel is based on.

It doesn’t matter which genre your novel belongs to, conducting proper research is an essential part of writing a novel.    

5. Create a lovable protagonist.

This point is often ignored when discussing tips for novel writers. Nonetheless, it is a significant one.  

In order to write a great and memorable novel, you need to create a great and memorable protagonist.

In a novel, a protagonist is its main character. It is the hero or heroine of your story. It is the character that saves the day.

So, how do you create the perfect protagonist for your book? Remember that no one is perfect in the real world either.

Hence, when you create your protagonist, it is important that you give that character some human flaws as well.

This way, not only will the character seem more realistic, but the readers would be able to find it relatable as well.

Also, it is a given that the protagonist needs to have heroic qualities. These heroic qualities often come to light at the climax.

But depending on the story and your style of writing, some of those heroic qualities can be displayed earlier in the story too.

6. Build a setting.

Building a setting basically means to create different places for different ‘scenes’ in a novel.

The places, clothes, weather, etc. should be described in such a way that the readers’ imagination gets ignited.

A setting should be written in such a way that it triggers vivid visuals in their minds.

Building a setting is one of the top tips for writing a novel.

7. Devise a dilemma or conflict.

In order to write a bestseller, one thing that you absolutely must do is to create a huge dilemma in the life of the protagonist.

The dilemma needs to be of such epic proportions that it makes the reader wish that s/he could help out the protagonist.

Or atleast evoke emotions of great sympathy for the main character.            

8. Create an unforgettable climax.

This one’s a no-brainer, but you absolutely must write an unforgettable climax.

The climax of a novel is something that a reader anticipates the most. So, it is important that you make sure that the climax is not disappointing.

Also, the climax is not just the end of the story. It must tie up loose ends. And explain certain things that have taken place earlier in the story.

This is an important point to remember when it comes to writing a novel.

9. Set up a writing routine.

Whether you are a fiction writer or a non-fiction writer, none of the above-mentioned tips for writing would work if you don’t actually sit down and write.

Many writers find themselves on social media or other similar platforms engaging with complete strangers instead of writing.

Some also just end up online shopping when they should actually be working on their novel.

Don’t worry. Even seasoned writers fall victim to the problem of procrastination. Sometime or the other, it tends to affect all writers.

So, what do you do when you find yourself idling away at something that is doing nothing other than wasting your time?

You remind yourself that you need to continue writing. That is what you sat down at the work station for.

You need to start learning the patterns that you fall into, that stops you from carrying out your main task; which is writing.

You need to set-up a writing routine for yourself and do everything you can to stick to the plan.

This routine can include the time of the day at which you plan to start writing. And the number of hours you would continue to write till you need a break.

Another important thing you can include in your writing routine is to have a fixed word count that you need to achieve in a day.

If you can, you may also have a predetermined word count for every hour that you spend writing.

Ever wondered how to write a good light novel? Setting up a writing routine is a good place to start.            

For a writer, to finish writing a novel is one of the greatest joys of life. But weaving coherent sentences while trying to express your ideas is not always an easy thing to do.

So, you can use the above-mentioned tips for writing a novel.