8 Step Guide To Write A Fiction Novel

8 Step Guide To Write A Fiction Novel

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Have you been trying to write a fiction novel for years but failing to get it started? Or maybe you are writing it down but unsure where you are headed with it?

Writing a novel can be exciting and hugely satisfying, but it also requires a lot of hard work and creativity.

If you have been thinking about it, now is the time to begin somewhere. Following are the steps to help you get started: 

Here Is How To Write A Fiction Novel:

1 - Choose A Story Idea

The first step of writing a fiction novel is to choose a story idea. You might already have a fantastic idea in your head. In case you don’t, the following are some prompts to help you get started.

• Look for photographs or images that you could turn into a story.


• Any experience from your own life that you can utilize as a story.


• Popular stories you love that you could add a new spin to.


• Any headlines in the news that intrigue you.

At this point, it's acceptable if you don't know every detail of your idea. All you need is a fundamental idea, which we will develop more along the way.

As a struggling writer, you must have a list of potential ideas, so you can pick an idea from the list to get started.

Most successful writers are the ones who wouldn’t worry about what critics would say about it, how many readers will enjoy it, or what your friends will think of it.

Write a novel that you would like to read. Go with your instincts and select the concept that is appealing to you.

2 - Define The Central Conflict

Writer or not, we all know that every novel needs a good conflict. After all, a conflict is what adds excitement to a story. Nobody is going to like a novel that has a smooth daily life without running into an obstacle.

Once you have the story idea, make sure to come up with an excellent conflict to make your novel a hit.

Ask yourself these questions to come up with something extraordinary:

• What’s the protagonist’s primary goal in the story?


• What’s stopping the protagonist character from achieving that goal?

Give the protagonist a compelling motivation to want to accomplish their objective. Readers will become more engrossed in your story the more invested the protagonist is in achieving their objective.

It will be simple for readers to put the book down if they are included in this plot without any clear purpose. Readers would love if the protagonist's life, familial bond, or reputation is at stake.

After figuring out the protagonist's objective, start working on the obstacles they must overcome. These obstacles could be the protagonist's own weaknesses and worries, a terrible villain, or a force of nature.

3 - Develop Characters

After achieving a good story idea and central conflict, it’s time for character development. Start working on characters to figure out who your story is about.

Of course, you will have to start with the main character. Work on things like ‘What language does the character use? Is the character quiet or talkative? What is the sense of humor like? What does the character look like?

An easy way for character development is to assign your protagonist a weakness that somehow relates to the main conflict.

For instance, if your protagonist's main weakness is that she can't trust others, then the main struggle should make her learn to trust people in order to achieve her goals.

In this way, by the time the novel ends, she will have a changed relationship with trust, for better or worse.

It's time to consider the adversary and essential supporting cast members when you have the protagonist outlined.

For every one of your most significant characters, ask yourself the questions listed above.

You don’t have to figure out everything in one sitting. A lot of writers add characters to their books as they go along. You're in the correct direction as long as you are familiar enough with your significant characters to begin drafting.

4 - Set The Stage

After you've decided on your cast of people, you need to determine the setting and time of your novel.

Perhaps you should create a fictional setting for your story. Alternatively, you may wish to correct it in your backyard.

Perhaps a large metropolis, a tiny village, a forest, or a beach would be the ideal settings for your novel.

Another crucial element of the setting is time. Which era does your narrative take place in? What is the total amount of time that passes in your book?

Is it one night, like in A Christmas Carol, or does it span several years, as in each of the Harry Potter books, or does it span several decades, as in David Copperfield?

Make sure the setting complements your tale concept and central conflict, whichever option you decide on.

Your story's setting and time period will have a significant impact on the tone and ambiance of the work, and they may even have a big say in how the conflict is handled.

5 - Outline Plot Points

Another important step in writing a fiction novel is outlining the plot points. It will help you ensure you don’t run into roadblocks along the way.

You don't need to make a thorough plan if you're a pantser, which is a writer who prefers to figure out the storyline as you go.

To give oneself a feeling of direction, you should nevertheless outline the main plot points. Plan out the climax, the midpoint pivot, and the inciting incident, at the absolute least.

• The catalyst, sometimes referred to as the inciting incident, is an occurrence that throws your protagonist's ordinary life off balance and thrusts them into the story's central conflict.


• The story's primary conflict comes to an end at the climax when the protagonist either succeeds or fails in achieving their objective.


• The story's halfway pivot is a significant finding that raises the stakes and compels the protagonist to pursue their objective more actively.

6 - Pick The POV That Suits Your Story

Make sure to set the point of view before you start writing a draft. The following is a quick reminder of the four most common POVs in fiction writing:

• First person


• Second person


• Third person limited


• Third-person omniscient

Every alternative has advantages and disadvantages of its own. The first-person will feel more personal than the third-person omniscient, for instance, but the third-person omniscient allows you to access the thoughts and emotions of more characters.

Form and structure are directly related to the point of view as well.

First-person makes the most sense, for instance, if your story is told as a confession from one person to another. However, a second person makes the most sense if your story is a pick-your-own adventure tale.

7 - Write Your First Draft

It’s important to remember that initial drafts are supposed to be untidy, and it’s okay! It won't be flawless. This draft aims to get past the blank page and tell yourself the story.

If you are stuck at a writing point, you can always switch to a different scene. Many authors of fiction write their works out of chronological sequence.

Additionally, placeholders might help you stay on track. For instance, if you find yourself stuck on a chapter, you may quickly move on by summarising it in one or two phrases.

To immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the book, you could create a mood board or soundtrack.

If you fall short of your word count, try not to be too hard on yourself. Take any necessary action to reach the phrase "The End."

8 - Revision, Revision, And Revision

It's now time to polish that disorganized initial draft!

The first thing you should do is make broad developmental adjustments.

For the time being, hold off on making line-level changes like rewording phrases or adding commas. It is likely that those paragraphs won't even be necessary following your developmental revision.

Rather, concentrate on story issues, developing your character arcs, and, if needed, adding or removing scenes.

Once the structural problems are resolved, you may go back and fix the little things, like making sure your dialogue is understandable and transparent and that your transitions flow naturally.

Conclusion

If you don’t want to do all the hard work alone, hiring fiction ghostwriters online is a great way to become a famous writer. After reading this blog, we hope you know where to begin that incredible story of yours. Get in touch with fiction ghostwriters online, and they will take care of the rest in the best manner.

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