How to Write a Novel

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Look for inspiration from other novels or from your surroundings, past experiences, stories you’ve heard, or events that appeal to you. Carry a notebook with you at all times and write down any words, sentences, or expressions that come to mind. Think about the genre of the novel you intend to write. Visualize the setting of the story as well as the characters that will appear in your story. Figure out the central conflict and then develop the story from there. Outline the main outline of the story and do the necessary research. Set a daily routine that you can follow on a regular basis and write your first draft. Edit yourself, share with a few others, and review your manuscript until you are satisfied with your work!

Table of Contents

Build a fictional world

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Inspiration. Writing a novel is a creative process, and you never know when good ideas will pop into your head. Carry a notebook and pen with you so you can jot down every thought that comes to mind wherever you go. Maybe you get excited about something one morning on your way to work or school, or while you’re sitting dreamily over a cup of coffee. Inspiration can come at any time, so be attentive and listen wherever you are.

Don’t wait for inspiration to come on its own. Writing is like digestion – you won’t be able to absorb nutrients without the ingredients you need. For example, have you noticed that sometimes an idea pops up while you’re doing something completely unrelated? That’s because when you observe an object or phenomenon, you are letting it seep into your subconscious, and that information continues to be processed subconsciously. At some point, it will return to your consciousness. Sometimes moments like these turn out to be great sources of ideas – in fact, random ideas can help you create ironies or twists in a story. .
As a creator, you need endless inspiration. Sometimes writers find it difficult to find ideas. All writers encounter this problem from time to time, and the best way to deal with it is to find inspiration.
Inspiration doesn’t have to come from a book – it could be a TV show, a movie, or even a trip to the gallery or gallery. Inspiration can come in many forms!
Record in your notebook the passages, short paragraphs, even sentences that come to mind. Those notes would later become a more complete part of the story.
Think of all the stories you’ve heard – oral stories from your great-great-grandfather, a news event that interests you, even a ghost story you’ve heard since childhood. still haunts you to this day.
Think of an event from your childhood or past that you still have in your memory. Maybe it’s the mysterious death of a woman in town, an old neighbor’s obsession with tracking down a pet, or a trip to London that left an indelible impression on your mind. For example, the ice scene in the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude is described based on the author’s own childhood experiences.
Some say you should “write about what you know”, others say you should “write about the unknown about what you know.” Think of something in your life that has inspired, bothered or intrigued you – how would you develop that theme in the story to make it more complete?

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Consider the type of story you want to write. Not every novel is entirely within a certain genre, but it is helpful to consider your intended genre and audience when starting to plan your writing. You should read all the major works on your chosen genre to get a good understanding of how to compose a novel according to the standards of that genre. If you’re still undecided on which genre to choose or are confused with more than one, that’s okay – it’s more important to understand the style and character of the work you’re planning to write than to stick to it. a particular genre. Consider the following options:

Literary novels are seen as works of art containing deep themes, symbolism and complex literary arts. You can read classics by great authors and consult helpful categories like “The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time” according to the daily “The Guardian”.
Commercial novels are for entertainment purposes with the expectation of selling a lot of copies. This type of fiction is divided into many genres, including science fiction, mystery, detective, fantasy, romance, historical fiction, and many others. Many novels in these genres are written according to predictable formulas and are written in series.
There is no clear line that distinguishes between literary fiction and commercial fiction. Many authors of science fiction, fantasy, detective stories and the like still have works as complex and meaningful as those who specialize in “literary” fiction. Just because a novel is a best seller doesn’t mean it’s not a work of art (and vice versa).
No matter what genre you’re interested in or want to focus on, read as many novels as possible in that genre. This will give you a better idea of the traditional features of the work you are writing about – from which you can complement or challenge those characteristics.
Part of doing research (see also research below) is reading other novels of the genre or traditional feature you want to write about. For example, if you’re going to write a novel set in the second world war from a French perspective, read other novels on the subject. How will your story be different from the works of other authors?

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Consider the setting in the story. Once you’ve decided on the genre (or genres) you’re going to write about, let your imagination run wild and envision the setting of the novel. The setting can extend beyond the city your characters live in; You have an entire universe to imagine. That setting will determine the mood and tone of the story, and also affect the problems your characters will face. As you outline the features of the new world to be created, think about the following questions:

Is the setting of the story based on places that are familiar to you in real life?
Does the story take place in the present or at some other time?
Does the story take place on earth or somewhere in the imagination?
Will the story revolve around a city or neighborhood, or does it span multiple locations?
What kind of society is the context in?
What is the structure of the government apparatus and the social structure in the story?
Does the story take place over a period of a month, a year, or decades?
The atmosphere in the story is covered with a gloomy color or is filled with optimism?

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Character building. The most important character in the story is the main character, depicted with unmistakable personality traits and thinking patterns. The main character doesn’t have to be a favorite, but there is often a connection to draw the reader into the story. One of the pleasures of readers when reading works of fiction is the feeling of recognizing themselves and living with the characters they love.

The main character and other characters in the story don’t have to be likable, but they do have to be interesting, such as the character Humbert Humbert in the novel Lpita’ , a character that can be said to be mean – as long as he We have attraction.
Your novel also doesn’t have to have only one main character. You can create multiple characters that draw the reader into the story and influence each other harmoniously or through conflict, and you can even play around by telling the story from different perspectives.
Your world can include other characters as well. Imagine characters that will interact with the protagonist, acting as friends or as the protagonist’s background.
You don’t have to know exactly what characters will be in your novel before you even start writing. In the process of writing a story, you may realize that the main character actually turns out to be one of the supporting characters you created, or maybe the main characters silently appear at times when you don’t want to. expected.
Many novelists portray the characters’ thoughts as real people, they ask themselves what the characters would do in such a situation and try to keep the characters “real”. there. The characters must be carefully crafted in your mind so that they can lead the reader into your fictional world.

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Visualize the plot. This step will determine the success or failure of the novel. There are many stories that build very good characters but the plot is not good. If you don’t do this well, the audience will turn away from your story. Creating conflict is the most common way to compose a plot. Regardless of genre, most novels contain some kind of contradiction. The tense situation will develop until the conflict reaches a climax and then is resolved. However, not every novel has a happy ending; What’s more important is that it motivates your character’s actions, providing change and meaning throughout your novel.

There is no formula that will help you create a perfect plot for a novel. Although the usual treatment is development (building up the plot and tension in the story), conflict (the novel’s main crisis), and problem solving (the final outcome of the story). crisis), but that’s not the only way to make up the plot.
You can start with a contradiction and go back in time to explain why it is important. For example, a girl is on her way home to attend her father’s funeral, and the reader may not understand why this leads to the main conflict going on.
Your novel doesn’t have to neatly “resolve” the conflict. You can leave some endings out of the way (if readers like your story, they’ll be more than happy to finish that ending (speculation, build upon the original work, discussion, and the like). .
A novel does not need to be in chronological order either. It can start in the present, go back to the past and return to the present, even start in the past and take a step forward twenty years – use whatever method you want to tell your story. . An example of a novel that doesn’t keep up with time is Julio Cortázar’s Hopscotch .
Read some of your favorite novels and follow the plot. Let’s see how their novels stick together. The novel is even more interesting if not in chronological order.

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Identify the narrator. Usually the novel is told in the third or first person, although it can also be written in the second person or a mixture of different perspectives. First person is “I” told directly from a character’s point of view; the second person, although less common, refers to the reader as “you” and tells the reader exactly what they are doing, and the third person describes a character or set of characters from an outside perspective .

You don’t have to decide on a novel’s narrator before you even pen your first sentence. In fact, you can write the first chapter – even finish the first draft – before you have a better idea of using first or third person to narrate the story.
There is no rigid and strict rule that dictates the appropriate angle of view for each type of novel. But if you’re writing a novel with a wide range of characters, a third-person perspective can give you full control of the characters in the story.

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Consider starting from scratch. It’s great to start composing when you already have ideas about genre, plot, characters, and setting. However, you shouldn’t get bogged down in those details at first when you’re planning to write a novel. You can get inspiration from simple things – an event that happened in the past, a conversation you heard at the supermarket, or a story your grandmother once told. That may well be enough to spark your interest in writing and start creating something out of what you already know.

If you’re too preoccupied with details before you even start writing your first draft, you’ll probably stifle your creativity.

Drafting

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Consider outlining the main points. Every novelist has a different method for starting a new novel. Outlining the main lines can be a great way to map out ideas and set small goals for you to achieve while working towards the larger goal of completing the whole novel. But if you write randomly and don’t have all the details or any details in mind, then what you should do is let inspiration guide you and write down whatever you feel is right. – until you come across something really fascinating.

Your outline doesn’t have to be in a straight line. You can outline the direction of each character’s development or draw a Venn diagram that shows how the stories of different characters will intersect.
That sketch will be the manual , not the contract . The main goal here is to kick off the writing process with a visual illustration of the story’s progression. It will certainly change as you begin the writing process.
Sometimes a rough outline is more helpful after you’ve finished writing a draft or two of your novel. This will help you better understand the structure of the novel you are writing and help you see what works or doesn’t, and where it should be expanded or shortened.

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Choose an effective work schedule. To complete your first draft, you’ll have to choose a time and space that meets your goals in the creative work. You can write at certain times each day every morning or every night, write in impromptu minutes, or write in long bursts three days a week. No matter what your schedule, you can’t be successful by just writing when you’re inspired – that’s just a myth. You will have to treat writing as a real business and stick to a regular schedule whether it’s “interesting” or not.

Create a creative space that helps you maintain your daily routine. Find a cozy place where you can relax and free of distractions. Invest in a chair that will help you avoid back pain after hours of writing. Obviously you won’t write the book in an hour; This work will often take months, so protect your back.
Your writing plan may also include things you need to eat or drink before or during writing. Does coffee make you more alert and alert, or does it make you jittery and hard to work? Does a full breakfast keep you energized or does it make you sluggish?

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Conduct research. The amount of material to research will depend on the novel you intend to write. You need to know, research, and learn as much as you can about the setting of the story you’re about to write (starting with the character’s culture, location, and era). For example, when you write historical fiction with the background of the revolutionary war, the research material will have to be much richer than when you write a youth novel inspired by your experiences. in your own high school. However, no matter what kind of novel you plan to write, you should still do enough research to ensure that the events in your novel are more accurate and believable.

Take advantage of the library. You can find almost all the information you need in your local library, and the library is also a great place to sit and write.
Interview people. If you are not sure if the topic you are writing about is correct, you should find someone knowledgeable in the field and ask carefully.
Research work also influences the scope and content of the novel. As you read more about the period or subject you intend to write about, you may discover some very interesting new details – and this can change the whole direction of the novel you intend to write.

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Write the first draft. When you’re ready, you can sit down and start writing the first draft of your novel. Don’t worry about refining your writing – no one will read your draft except you. You can write without judging yourself. The first draft of a novel doesn’t have to be brilliant – it just needs to be done . Don’t hesitate and hold yourself back. The most difficult parts of the novel may turn out to be the most intriguing of later manuscripts.

Commit to writing every day – or as often as you can. Understand that you are on a mission. Many very talented writers go unnoticed and unread because their desk drawers are full of unfinished novels.
Set small goals — you should complete a chapter, a few pages, or a certain number of words every few days to stay motivated.
You can also set a long-term goal – say you’re determined to finish your first draft in a year, or even in six months. Pick a “deadline” and stick to it.

Edit

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Write as many drafts as necessary. Maybe you get lucky and only have to write three drafts to finish the novel. It may take you up to twenty drafts to be satisfied with your work. It’s important to slow down and think about when your novel can be shared with others – if you let others read your manuscript too soon, your creativity could be jeopardized. suffocate. Once you’ve drafted enough and feel ready, you can move on to the editing phase.

When asked what was the hardest part of writing the ending of A Farewell to Arms (after having rewritten it twenty-nine times), Ernest Hemingway famously replied, “Finding the right words”.
After writing your first draft, leave it for a few weeks, even months, then sit down and read it again like a regular reader. What parts do you notice need further explanation? Which sections are too long and tedious?
A good rule of thumb is this: If you skip long passages in your novel, so do other readers. How would you trim or edit those heavy parts to make your novel more engaging?
Each of your new drafts or versions can focus on dealing with one or more aspects of the novel. For example, you might write a brand new draft that focuses on making the narrator more interesting to the reader, another draft that refines the development of the context of events, and a second draft that refines the context of events. three main romance developments in the story.
Repeat this process over and over until you have a draft that you can proudly recommend to others. It may take you months or years to reach this stage; So be patient with yourself.

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Do self-editing. When it’s time to write a complete draft of your novel, you can start editing. Now you can focus on trimming unnecessary paragraphs or sentences, removing any clumsy or repetitive phrases, or just smoothing out your sentences. There’s no need to edit every sentence of the first draft – most words will change by the time you finish the final draft anyway.

Print the work on paper and read it aloud. Trim or edit anything that doesn’t sound right.
Do not regret written passages, such as a passage that has no effect on the progress of the story. You need to have the courage to make the right decisions. That passage could certainly be used in another work.

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Show your work to the world. First you need to choose someone you fully trust to get used to the feeling of having someone else read your work. It’s not always possible to get candid responses from people who love you and don’t want to upset you, so you should consider getting more outside opinions in one or more of the following ways:

Participate in a writing instruction program. Local universities and creative centers are great places to find these programs. You will critique the work of others and also receive comments for your own.
Start a creative group. If you know a few people who are also writing novels, arrange to meet with everyone once a month to share your progress and get advice.
Advice should only be viewed as a reference. If someone tells you that a chapter is superfluous, ask someone else’s opinion before deciding to cut it.
If you’re really determined to finish your novel, you might consider taking a creative writing course. Courses like these create a supportive and comfortable environment for you to share your work with others. Moreover, it also motivates you by setting a deadline to complete the work.

Advice

If you feel stuck while writing the story, imagine a character standing behind you and telling you what they would do in that situation.
Write about anything you want. If you’re a fan of science fiction, you probably won’t enjoy writing historical fiction.
“Writing for myself and not for the public is better than writing for the public that isn’t for me.” Write the story the way you want. There are markets for every genre, and there’s definitely room for your novel if it’s really good and interesting.
Read lots of books (especially those with a similar or related theme) before, during, and after you finish your work. This will bring you many benefits.
Remember to build characters with personalities (including points of view) that have similarities and differences when compared to each other and to yourself.
There are many text editor apps (e.g. Google Keep, Astrid Tasks) on smartphones/iPods/tablets that are extremely useful for jotting down ideas that come to mind when you are anywhere. anywhere. Some devices also have office/word processing tools that allow you to write when you’re busy.
Keep a journal and read more, as this will help you improve your writing skills. Remember that if you want to change something, you have to change it. Your novel might shift the subject from wars in the Middle East to conflicts in high school. This can happen, regardless of whether you’ve just started writing or are halfway through. So, make sure to think through every aspect before you start writing.
Write one page a day, whether you’re inspired or not.
Sometimes a character is perfectly crafted – except for the name. Look for baby naming suggestions, which provide names and their meanings to refer to when writing stories. There are also many websites online that can generate names and/or explain what names mean. You can also try using language translation software to translate Vietnamese words (like “Warrior”) into foreign languages and use them to name characters if it suits your story. You can even mix and match words from different languages.
You love your stories, but not everyone does. Ask 3-4 trusted friends to read your story before sending it to a publisher. Remind everyone that your work is copyrighted in case it gets copied.
Occasionally re-read your drafts. If you find an error in the plot, don’t try to change it right away (unless it’s a major bug). You should just highlight those errors and correct them in the editing phase.
Keep a dictionary and encyclopedia nearby to help you with correct expression and correct spelling.

Warning

When writing a novel, you shouldn’t be overly sensitive to feedback.

Steps

Build a fictional world

Drafting

Edit

Advice

Warning

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