If You Can Write A Blog, You Can Write A Novel

Copy The Skills

I’m currently working on a seminar where I help people to construct a blog. Think of all of the training things you go on where people talk theory, you walk away and never put it into practice. This is different. The people working with me will walk away with a piece of content. They will write a blog. And I will teach them the same formula I use -

• Come up with the idea
• Write the core paragraph (the meat)
• Develop an intro
• Come up with a header and sub header
• Write an outro with call to action
• Fill in the blanks

This is a sure-fire way to write an engaging piece of content that is structured and ready for the world. But the question is there. Can you copy this for your novel?

Copy The Skills, Copy The Formula

For a novel, there is a lot more meat on the bone. In the past I have tended to start at the start and then write until I reach the end. But you don’t have to work this way. If the formula above works for a blog (and it does, I’ve written thousands of the things!) then could it work for a novel? Let’s take a look.

• Come up with the idea. That’s a good start. You need that for a novel too.
• Write the core. This is the bulk of the story. It is the story arc that we follow as readers.
• Develop an intro. This sets the scene. You can prepare the reader for the story that is about to come. It will include location and character as well as the world it is set in.
• Come up with a header and sub header. These are the book title and any chapter titles. I haven’t always come up with the title for my novels before they are written. The idea for the title often comes part way through, or even at the end.
• An outro. The conclusion of the book needs a lot of work to make sure it is perfect. Just like the start, it is the bit people will remember the most. Re-read and edit until it feels absolutely right.
• Fill in the blanks. You will go back and read the book again, making edits and checking for flow. This gives you the chance to fill in any blanks and complete the novel, ready for the world to see.

This just might work! It will be a much longer timeline, but maybe it will work. Drop me a line if you are in the North East and interested in the blog seminar, being held as part of Darlington Business Week.