How To Start Writing A Novel Today

Many writers dream of crafting a well-written, compelling novel that publishers can't wait to get their hands on and that readers will love. However, they often forget the most important step that will help them make this dream a reality. If you are serious about writing the best novel you possibly can, don't overlook this critical first step.

Creating a Compelling Vision

Your first step is to explore and develop your novel ideas so you have a clear road map to take you from the beginning to the end of your novel. By clarifying the essential details related to your characters, the core settings for your story, and the structure of your plot, you will eventually clarify the overall concept for your novel and have a usable road map to help keep you moving forward through the process of actual writing.

Get To Know Your Characters

To start with, you'll want to really explore who your characters are and what is important to them. Starting from the seed of your initial ideas, you can give each character depth and dimension by asking yourself a series of key questions about their lives and motivations. As you go through this process, eventually your characters will come alive for you in your imagination. You will know them and feel for them and feel invested in where they are headed. To help you get there, explore the following questions for each character:

Who are the key players in your story?

What do they look like, how old are they, what makes them unique?

What is their personality like? habits, idiosyncrasies, temperament.

What is their background and history? What key experiences deeply influenced who they are today?

What do they love/hate/fear?

What are their heartfelt dreams for themselves and their lives? What obstacles are in the way of achieving them?

Use this time to really connect with your characters on a deep level. Once you feel invested in them and feel you understand the essence of who they are, you're ready to go on to the next step.

Create Your Novel's World

For the next step, take some time to explore the central locations and environments for your novel until you can really imagine yourself there. Here are some questions to get you started:

Where does it take place: country, state, region?

Time frame for your novel: When does it take place and over what period of time?

Describe the key places that your novel takes place: how do they look and feel?

Describe the seasons that are experienced in your novel.

What are the meaningful objects for your novel? i.e. an old love letter, a trunk in the attic, an inherited book collection.

Map Out the Journey for Your Novel

In this next step, you're going to work out what happens in your novel step-by-step. You want to work it through until you have a storyline that feels interesting and compelling and culminates in a powerful climax. There are a variety of different methods for structuring your novel but at the most basic level, they all need you to answer the following essential questions:

Where are your main characters starting from?

What do your main characters want to happen at this point?

What is keeping them from having what they really want?

How do your characters get past these obstacles to get what they want?

When it comes to basic structure, here's a simple outline to follow: Typically, your main character will make a change that helps them progress toward their goal about a third of the way through the plot. Then, they encounter some obstacles that make them falter at the half way point. Then about 2/3 of the way through, they'll backtrack and lose what gains they've made. From this point, they move toward the climax as they make a renewed commitment to their goal and experience ultimate success.

Taking the Time For This Crucial Step Leads to Success

If you take the time to complete this important step, you will be rewarded with an inspiring, step-by-step blueprint that will guide you through the vast expanse of your novel. I encourage you to take the time to get to know your characters deeply, imagine your settings vividly, and know the through line of your plot. Having these ideas clearly thought out ahead of time will make the process of writing your novel easier and more enjoyable that you would have ever thought possible.