So You Want to Write a Novel? 5 Steps to Turn Your Thoughts into Fiction

You've had an idea for a story and you can't get it out of your head. You daydream about your new characters, fantasise about their adventures, yearn for their story to be told...

Well, why not tell it yourself? Writing a novel can seem a tricky task, but if you break down the planning process into manageable chunks and give yourself an outline to follow, you'll have written yourself a whole story before you know it. But where should you start?

Sort out your characters

Characters can make or break a story. No one wants to accidentally write a Mary Sue, and no reader will stick with a story for very long if they don't care about any of the characters. Make sure you know your characters - give them flaws, make them imperfect, learn about their dreams and ambitions. Make them feel human, and even if they're the most diabolical of villains, people will want to keep reading.

Consider giving all of the main characters a profile. Jot down what you know about them, and think about what you haven't considered yet. You don't need to know what their favourite food is or whether they prefer summer over winter, but consider their temperament. Visualise them in different scenarios - that don't happen within your plot - and write about how they would react. Would they be more likely to climb a tree to save a kitten, call for help, or walk away?

Learn your characters inside out and writing them will come naturally.

Write your plot in one paragraph

If this sounds difficult, it's because it is. Narrowing down the contents of a novel into one paragraph is tricky on purpose. It makes you focus on the big events. There isn't enough space to go into how or why, or what motives were behind the actions. Think about which events keep the plot moving forward, and write about them in as little detail as possible.

If you want to practice this before applying it to your own work, try to summarise your favourite film or book in a paragraph.

Expand your paragraph into a beginning, middle and end

In a separate document, split your paragraph in three to define a clear beginning, middle and ending. Take each section and add in more details. Here, you're allowed to describe how the events have taken place, but don't write too much. The purpose is so that you can refer back to each section whilst you are writing to ensure your plot moves along as intended, without you getting too sidetracked along the way.

Add further detail until you have an outline

In another separate document, take your beginning, middle and end, and add in all the other pieces of information that you deem relevant to your story. Here you can acknowledge side stories, make notes on character interactions, add in tidbits of information you need to remember, etc. There are no real rules for this part, add in whatever you feel you necessary to complete your plan!

Start writing!

Now that you have a clear idea of how your story develops, get to writing! You have your plans alongside you to keep you on track, and creative freedom to tell your story the best way you see fit. Though it may take some time, if you write a little every day, your novel will soon be complete, and after some editing, ready for the rest of the world.

Struggling for what to say? Check out my article on writer's block! Follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to be notified of future articles and writing advice!