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You always wanted to write a well-structured novel. But something stopped you. Maybe you tried after writing only 30 pages? Or lost momentum for some reason?
Your reason, of course, would vary! Maybe your story idea didn’t hook you or You couldn’t get over the procrastination – not knowing what to do next?
Even after writing more than 100 books in the last 30 years, it’s amazing to know that you may feel puzzled by enormous ideas. And it happens with authors or novelists. Perhaps, we deal with these issues exactly every time.
Nevertheless, how can we overcome procrastination or fears of writing and could actually succeed?
One way is to use a repeatable novel writing plan. It helps to overcome these obstacles. And that’s what we will tell you in this definitive guide.
Imagine picking up a finished manuscript or giving your name to the cover of a newly published book. Isn’t it attractive to you? Certainly, to everyone!
Better yet, imagine a letter from a reader that your novel changed their lives and your words gave them a new perspective. New hopes!
If other writers like these things, why not write with regularity?
First, you have to write a novel. 🙂
Make it a goal!
This guide will show you how to write a novel (based on the method expert authors write with). Hope you enjoy it and can apply it to your writing!
Page Contents
Novel (A Collection of Chapters, construct, story, Plotting, and Creative twist)
For the maximum part, novels are committed to narrating personal studies of characters, developing a closer, extra complicated portrait of those characters and the arena they stay in. Inner emotions and thoughts, in addition to complicated, even conflicting thoughts or values are normally explored in novels.
It is now no longer simply the memories themselves which are extra personal, however, the revel in of studying them as well. Where epic poetry and comparable sorts of storytelling had been designed to be publicly examined or eaten up as an audience, novels are geared extra closer to a person reader.
The following trends ought to be a gift for a piece to be taken into consideration a singular:
- Written in prose, in preference to verse. Narrators may also have distinct tiers of expertise or distinct factors of view (first character as opposed to 0.33 character and so on). While stylized novels which include epistolary novels do exist, the important thing difference right here is between prose and verse.
- Of widespread duration/phrase rely on. There isn’t any particular phrase rely on that routinely makes a piece singular, however in general, a quick novel could be taken into consideration as a novella, or even shorter than that could be quick fiction.
- Fictional content. Semi-fictionalized novels (which include ancient works stimulated through real activities or persons) exist, however, a piece of natural non-fiction could now no longer be categorized as singular.
- Individualism. Each at the web page and for the supposed audience.
In the ordinary vernacular, the unconventional has ended up related maximum carefully with fiction, in preference to nonfiction. For the maximum part, that affiliation stands: now no longer all fiction is novels, however, all novels are fiction. A non-fiction prose paintings this is of identical duration as a singular ought to fall into numerous different categories, which include historiography, biography, and so on.
Although a singular is normally a piece of fiction, many novels do weave in actual human records. This can vary from full-fledged novels of ancient fiction, which cognizance on a particular technology in records or depict semi-fictional narrative approximately actual ancient persons, to works of fiction that sincerely exist in the “actual” global and deliver that bags and implications. There are also early present-day works of ancient nonfiction that had been decorated with unconfirmed traditions or made-up speeches for dramatic effect. Despite this, for maximum functions we will count on that, while we`re speaking approximately novels, we`re speaking approximately works of narrative fiction.
7 Killer Steps On How To Structure A Novel in 2023
Step 1: Start with a Winning Story Idea and Nail it Down!
Is your new concept something special? Is it big enough to justify 75,000-100,000 words? Is it strong enough to hold the reader in place until it stops?
Answering these questions will help you to bring out an impressive idea. Also, come up with conflicting story ideas for search engine optimization that drives your actions.
For example, you can bring out an idea like:
“The judge attempts to prosecute a man for the murder he committed.”
Take the time to sift through your story ideas and choose what you want to read, the one that matters most to you.
It must capture you completely, so you can’t get it out of your head. Only such ideas draw you to the keyboard every day and inspire you to write the novels you’ve always dreamed of.
Step 2: An Outliner or a Pantser? Next, determine between these two!
If you are an outliner, you will prefer to plan everything before you start writing your novel. You want to know your character and what happens to from start to finish.
If you are a Pantser, you write on the seat of the pants. You start with the buds of ideas and compose into the discovery process.
As Stephen King says,
“Put an interesting character in a difficult situation and write to see what happens.”
Either of these approaches will feel most natural to you. However, many are hybrids. Well, you need the confidence of the outline and the freedom to guide where the story goes. Do what makes the most sense to you.
Step 3: Define your main character. And don’t forget to create it unforgettable!
Before you start the first page, you need to understand your main character. Your most important character will be the protagonist, also known as the leading role or hero/heroine. This hero must have a character arc, so in the end, he must be another, better person. This means that he (we use this pronoun to mean a hero or heroine) must have the potentially heroic qualities that appear at the climax.
Your lead character may have human weaknesses, but they must be redeemable. You also add adversaries and villains. They should be as impressive and compelling as your hero. Make sure the bad guys aren’t bad just because he’s the bad guys. 🙂
You must have a reason for him to do what he does to make him a worthy enemy, a realistic and memorable one. You also need a major orbital actor. For each character, define:
- What do they want?
- What, or who is stopping them from getting it?
- What are they going to do about it?
- What role do they play in the main story?
Use different names (with dissimilar initials) for each character, and make sure they look and sound different so that the reader isn’t confused. Limit the number you bring in early. If your readers need programs to catch up, you may not have them for a long time.
Your characters must be memorable ones. Inject humanity into them. If the character doesn’t feel real, it may lack the qualities that real people have. Of course, your protagonist has external problems, but it’s his internal turmoil that brings him back to the side.
Heroic, original, morally honest, physically strong? By all means! But he has to deal with fear, anxiety, and inner weakness. Give the reader a relevant person, a character to move on.
Before you start writing, imagine the strengths, weaknesses, and anxieties of each character. That will make your job much easier.
Step 4: Make a plotting. Expand your basic idea!
Can you believe best-selling novelists have no plot? Stephen King doesn’t have story plots. And there are others. It’s fascinating to hear no novel chapter structure, but here’s the downside:
You’re not Stephen King. Neither, we are!
The sale of your can of books went well when you started:
- Get your leading role into terrible trouble as soon as possible.
- All your character does to get out of this anger only makes it worse …
- … until the predicament looks hopeless.
- Finally, everything your hero has learned trying to get out of terrible trouble completes his character arc and gives him what he needs for ultimate success
Novel Chapter Structure
Every novelist proposed a story structure with a different name, but the basic process is similar. There are 10 to 12 chapters, and they all include several variations:
- Opener
- Exciting incidents that changed everything
- A series of crises that build tension
- Creative Climax
- Conclusion
No matter how you plan your novel, the main goal is to hurt your reader’s throat from the beginning, hook them to the ending and never let go.
Step 5: Begin In Amid Of Things. In Medias Res!
You have to grab your reader with a one-page throat.
This hack may work for thrillers, but it doesn’t mean that bullets are flying or fast-tracking. Simple, avoid too many scene shots and explanations and work on the good things – the gut of the story.
Brave writer Les Edgerton (don’t say I didn’t warn you), a courageous writer who writes novels for big boys, is too concerned that beginners first explain all the inside stories to their readers. He is essentially telling us to trust readers and move on to guess what’s going on.
The purpose of every sentence, in fact, every word, is to get the reader to read the following sentence.
Step 6: Engage the reader’s mind. Bring Theater!
Ever noticed movie fans say that they like this book better? The reason is apparent: The writing structure!
Despite all the computer-generated tech images, Hollywood can’t keep up with the reader’s theater. The images that our eyes evoke are far more imaginative and dramatic than what Hollywood can produce.
Your job as a novelist is not to get the reader to draw things as you see them but to inspire the theater of their thoughts.
Give enough to start the mental projector. Magic happens here.
Step 7: Add 38 story elements. Maximize Readability
For best novel structure, identify and address each of the 38 story elements and edit your manuscript yourself to improve the readability of your manuscript. You can test plots, settings, and key areas of your character to enhance your story and attract more readers.
Here are some off-the-shelf elements that can help you measure the overall structure and representation of the novel’s story arc.
- Scene name
- Story arc
- Purpose of a scene (only known after reading the entire story)
- Opening type
- Closing type
- Anchored
- Entry hook
- Exit hook
- Tension
- Conflict
- Revelation
- Backstory
- Flashback
- Scene middle
- Scene climax
- Action/sequel
- Reader knowledge gained
- List of characters per scene
- Point of View (POV)
- POV goal
- POV internal goal
- Goal related to the plot
- What if the goal fails
- Impact on POV character
- Impact on a protagonist
- POV knowledge gained
- Character in motion
- Location
- Dates and times
- Objects
- Sight
- Smells
- Sounds
- Tastes
- Touch
- Emotional impact
- Location split
- Weather
You Can Do It All!
The scale of the novel structure process should not overwhelm you.
Attack writing structure the way you would eat an elephant—one bite at a time. 🙂
Don’t let fear stop you. Use it as a motivation to do your best job.
What if …?
Take the plunge.
Focus on why you started this journey in the first place.
Follow the steps mentioned in this guide, and you may find yourself having the first copy of the novel published in your name on the cover around this time next year. For assistance, you may seek Mczell Book Writing to enhance your readability in 2023.
