by Denise Baer

Created on: August 25, 2009   Last Updated: August 27, 2009

I think it is presumptuous for anyone to write out steps for others to follow when writing a novel. Writing itself is a solitary journey and so are the steps you take on that path. The most important piece of advice I ever received was just write and forget about the rules while you travel with your characters to another place and time. When a writer has an idea for a novel then from there they may saunter or gallop to the finish line. Some writers live by outlines while others let the story tell itself. A writer might find the outline path easier to follow instead of putting pen to paper without path markers.

Now I do agree that sometimes writers would like some guide or suggestions on how to accomplish certain writing projects. Writing a novel is different from freelance writing, poetry, or short stories, etc. First, start with an idea for a story then with that idea come setting, plot and characters. There are so many places to get ideas, such as people watching, work, a character from a movie or book and believe it or not, the writings on public bathroom stalls.

Character description is good to write down, or you can have the character's appearance and personality swirl around in your head letting the plot transform them. Outlines do assist a writer in following the sequence of events, especially if the plot branches out into several subplots. I used a quick outline for my first novel, but found it too constricting. My second novel wrote itself with characters dictating where the story was going and how they were getting me there.

Whichever way you choose to start writing your novel remember to have depth to your plot and dimensions to your characters. You want to keep your reader interested in the story from beginning until the end, and have your characters grow in the process. When I write and revise my novels, I remember two things Samuel Johnson said, "... it is always a writer's duty to make the world better," and "fiction loses its force when it departs from the resemblance of reality." It is true that we should write to make the world better, which might take on the form of learning or entertainment value. Both of these effects make the world better by making the reader aware of a subject, or making them laugh or cry. Some might argue about his second quote, especially if your genre is science fiction or fantasy yet I still believe it applies. An idea or plot still has to make sense to be somewhat believable or it loses credibility.

My last suggestion is to have an end to your story. When you leave a reader hanging from fractured scenes, or hurried endings that is what your reader will remember. It is necessary to have a great opening line, as it is also necessary to have powerful closure. What steps you take to write a novel is up to you just make sure you can carry a rhythm throughout your story.

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