Nobody can tell you what to write about in a novel. The best novel ideas originate from the writers’ own imaginations, who are passionate about what they are writing about and want to share it with the world. Many often, the question of what to write a novel about stems from the fact that the individual asking the question should be asking “how do I write a novel?” rather than “what should I write a novel about?”
When it comes to determining what to write about in a novel, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Whether or not they are seeking it, writers can discover inspiration almost anyplace. If inspiration hasn’t struck you yet, go out and find it. Traveling, whether to another nation or just on a day-long road trip, is one way to find it. Another alternative is to simply write. That’s right, take a seat and start writing an essay. The word vomit technique, in particular, is an excellent way to get your creative juices flowing and generate ideas you may not have realized you had.
Understanding how to write a novel is a complicated process that rivals figuring out what to write a novel about. The important thing to remember is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a novel. Some authors can sit down and allow their ideas lead to them through a story that comes alive on paper in sync with the flow of ideas, sentence by sentence, page after page. Others require extensive notes, outlines, and other forms of planning just to get comfortable with the thought of sitting down and starting to write a novel. Understanding how to write a novel in your own style comes from either experience or research, whether you are one of the two or somewhere in between.
Character Development
It’s simple to decide to create a novel and have a direction in mind. Things get tough during the writing process, especially when it comes to creating people worth spending hundreds of pages getting to know. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating characters for a book, but there are lots of pointers to get you there.
Character development, along with how to write a novel, should be at the top of your list of writing tips. Each character represents a piece of yourself that you have yet to explore as a writer. As a reader, they are journeys into the minds and deeds of people that we would never have had the opportunity to experience on our own. This is why, while creating a book, character development is so vital.
Because you can’t begin to build a character until you know where they’re headed, this component of book writing ranks alongside learning how to structure a novel on the priority list for new writers. Each character’s every word and action not only defines who they are but also adds to the plot and keeps it moving from the first word to the last page of your novel. As a result, for the first step in character development, I recommend that you have a general notion of what your work will be about, even if you despise the idea of an outline and prefer to wing it.
What Should You Write?
Feed Your Imagination
It’s time to take your novel concept and grow it into something worth writing an entire book about if you’ve finally come up with one. To keep ideas organized and succinct during brainstorming, I recommend using storyboards or some other sort of outline. Here are some components of the story to consider as you brainstorm ideas for your inspiration piece:
What kind of book is it? (Genre/audience targeted)
Who’s there? (Characters)
Can you tell me where it is? (Scenario)
What happens next? (Plot)
Make a writing
Of course, the point of all of this is to finally finish that novel of your dreams. Use the ideas from the first phase as a guide as you finish the novel that has been gnawing at your mind for months, if not years. Now that you’ve decided where you want your novel to go, you can:
- Make one or two drafts.
- Carry a notebook with you to jot down ideas, fragments, and other bits and pieces that will be pieced together into the story.
- Research.
- Make your own writing area.
Master it
It’s a good idea to go back to the beginning once you’ve written a draft or two and clean it up. Making sure your copy is nice and polished before looking at publishing it is a wonderful method to assure quality writing, whether you do it yourself or hire a handy buddy who you trust to proofread without going overboard with the red ink. The following are some crucial points to remember:
Edit it till you’re satisfied with it and want to show it off.
Demonstrate your work to others. A different viewpoint could help you better what you’ve opted to write about.
Always remember to take advice with a grain of salt. Always keep in mind that your novel and ideas are yours. Take criticism with a doubt. Get a second view if required before taking harsh advice too seriously.
