30+ Novel Writing Tips to Finally Write That Book
Would you love to see your name on the cover of a book?
How about a book club covering your novel?
Have you considered writing it, but felt too intimidated to even begin?
Or maybe you’ve doubted yourself: “Can I really make this happen?”
Every writer has been there. The trick about novel writing, and maybe about anything, is you just have to do it.
It won’t be painless or perfect. But if you have a story, it’s your duty to let it out.
We’ve divided these novel writing tips into 3 sections: before you write, while you write, and after you write.
Read and absorb these suggestions. Then, put your fingers on the keyboard, and make that dream a reality.
Before You Write
Every writer is different. Some love to plan every move. Some throw machetes when you suggest an outline.
If it works, it works.
However, a majority of writers find prewriting and planning helpful. Don’t speed past this phase. Save yourself a massive amount of time by clarifying your story. And give yourself a better chance at completing this novel, rather than petering out because the story grew confusing or lacked substance.
Structure is helpful. But don’t let it stifle your creative spirit.
A balance should be achieved where you have a roadmap, but you’re also open to where the journey takes you.
If your plan is too formulaic, you’ll write a rigid story with transitions that try too hard. If you have no plan at all, you might fumble around in the dark for a few months, then give up.
So, before you write, get inspired, plan your story, and create discipline as a writer.
Tips for Inspiration
#1. Read Other Writers — Writers read more than they write. Get voices in your head, put great writing in your subconscious, and learn intuitively what makes a good story tick.
#2. Let Your Story Idea Grow — Storytelling is everything. Look around at real life, movies, and books for story ideas. Think of a great setup. Think of a great dilemma. Spend time creating a juicy plotline. You don’t have to know every detail. But think of your novel’s main premise or idea, and how the plot could tell it.
#3. Let Your Characters Grow — Another starting point is to begin with your character, then find the story through them. Find inspiration in real life, whether that’s yourself, friends and family, or random acquaintances. Use these real people as springboards to develop interesting personalities. What do they have at stake? How can they change throughout the story?
#4. Let Your Setting Grow — From what world will your story grow? Create an unforgettable setting, even if it’s a place we all know. What unique details bring this place to life? What would only someone who lives there know? What would this place feel like?
#5. Do Your Research — Start diving into your world and characters. Go to the location if it’s a real one. Read and research to load your head with possible material. Know far more about your characters than ever meets the page.
#6. Have a Purpose for Your Novel — Writing a novel is a huge undertaking. You need a reason to sustain the project. What theme or universal value can this story tackle? Why does this story matter to you? Make sure your story idea lights a fire inside. Novel writing is a long process, and having a purpose will be fuel for the journey.
Tips for Planning
#7. Write Your Elevator Pitch — Boil down your story into one sentence. What is it about? How would you describe it in one sentence to a stranger on an elevator? Study the loglines, or one-sentence summaries, for great movies. If your story isn’t compelling in one sentence, you need more brainstorming.
#8. Create a Map or Story Structure — Most stories follow a basic structure. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Master the form that is already proven. Study the three-act structure, and create a narrative arc, focusing on your character’s transformation.
#9. Create an Editable Storyboard — As you map out your arc and story structure, break down your plot into scenes or major events. Write them on note cards that can be moved around. Or use a program such as Evernote or Scrivener.
Tips for Discipline
#10. Create a Daily Writing Regimen — The most common methods are:
- Write every day — Don’t give yourself a choice to opt out. Commit to time every day with your butt in the chair.
- Write to a word count — Word count is a subjective goal. Some writers will write 2,000 words a day. Some will write 500. The number is less important than committing and following through.
- Write to a time limit — Write for a set time, such as one or two hours every day.
- Write to a deadline — Some writers prefer deadlines. For example: a finished first draft in 6 months. Write it on the calendar, then break down mini-deadlines to get you there.
#11. Write in the Right Space at the Right Time — Maybe you’re motivated by the active, public energy of a coffee shop. Maybe you need solitude and silence. Perhaps you write best before others wake up. Perhaps you write best as a night owl. Plan your space and time of day, then schedule it in. Literally write it on the calendar.
While You Write
As your ideas take shape, and you feel the burning desire to follow your story, you’ll know it’s time to write your novel.
The writing stage is reserved for, you guessed it, writing.
Your focus is to write daily without excuses or distraction.
During the writing phase, you should only be writing, or inspiring yourself to write. However, be cautious of “inspiration.” Procrastination takes many forms, and “seeking out inspiration” is one of them.
Nevertheless, you will need to replenish your well at times. Below are some craft tips to ensure your writing process doesn’t lose steam.
Keep Yourself Writing
#12. Write, Don’t Edit — The first draft is not for revision. That comes later. Keep your pen hot. Keep your words flowing.
#13. Create Placeholders — Need more research? Need more backstory? Stuck on a scene? Create a placeholder. Type “TK” as a placeholder, or another symbol, so that you mark the spot. Once editing, search for your placeholders in the Find function and resolve them.
#14. Create Accountability — Team up with a writer friend. Send each other daily texts to confirm goals and motivate each other. A simple text, “Reached word count,” is all it takes. Or find a friend or partner to be your cheerleader, always driving you back to the chair.
#15. Use Distraction Blockers — Apps such as FocusWriter or Write or Die break the power of distraction in various ways. See if one works for you.
#16. Enjoy the Writing Process — Stress blocks creativity. Though writing a novel is hard work, enjoy the process. Remain playful. This is just the first draft.
#17. Don’t Give up — Remember #6: your writing purpose? When you inevitably feel uninspired, come back to your purpose. Keep writing. See the first draft to completion. You can do this.
Keep Yourself Inspired
#18. Pull from Real Life — You did early research, but continue observing and recording the real world. And when you feel stuck, mine your personal experiences for treasure.
#19. Keep your Characters Human — One-sided characters are boring to read and boring to write. Keep your characters flawed and 3-dimensional. Don’t flesh out a character. Flesh out a human being in story form.
#20. Show, Don’t Tell — A perhaps annoying, but essential tip. Trust the reader, and allow their imagination to do work. Demonstrate the action of your novel mostly through scene and dialogue, rather than summarizing. Your reader will thank you, but scenes are also more dynamic for you to write. Keep yourself in the action of your story.
#21. Let Questions Guide Your Story — Ask yourself: what does this character have at stake? What is in conflict with their needs? How would they respond if [insert event] happened? When you get stuck, start asking questions. Then, answer them.
#22. Use Pacing to Create Rhythm — Set the pace, speeding up and slowing down your story as needed. You’ll continue editing pace throughout this manuscript, but it can also serve as your rhythm while writing. Follow the pace, and let it sweep you along.
After You Write
At this stage, you have a completed draft of your novel.
Great. You’re done, right?
Nope. It’s time to get back to work. Editing, though, is a change of pace from writing your first draft.
You now have time to slow down, articulate, clarify, and polish.
Some writers enjoy this process the most. Great writing is little more than great editing, so seize this opportunity to wrestle with that first draft, and make the changes that will help your story become a serious work of art.
Editing Your Novel
#23. Make It Shine — You wrote it down, now clean it up. This is the time to take the sloppy writing of your first draft and create great, heavy-hitting prose. Editing, though, is a process. Allow for multiple passes.
#24. Give Time Between Edits — Time will create a more objective vantage point on your work. Take a breather before your first edit, and in between each pass.
#25. Make Big Edits First — Simple proofreading is for the end. Start at the branches before you focus on twigs. Make big structural changes first. Remove scenes. Add them. Move them. Rework them.
#26. Focus on Themes — The first draft will reveal more about your themes and how to develop them. See what’s there, and where the most juice is. Then, embed these themes throughout the story.
#27. Home In on the Transformation — You started with a sense of the narrative arc, but once the first draft is done, you can sharpen the focus on this arc.
#28. Home In on Craft — Keep your writing primarily in the active voice, write with vigor, use power words, evoke the senses, and use descriptive language.
#29. Cut Out the Filler — As your second and third drafts become better, tighten your composition and clean up each sentence.
#30. Work With Beta Readers — Don’t rush this. The sharper your manuscript, the better feedback you’ll receive from beta readers. Find writing groups or writer friends to give you global comments on what is working and what isn’t.
After You Finish: Publishing Your Novel
What do you want with this book? Do you want a traditional publishing deal? Do you want to self-publish it or find a small press? Or is this novel just for you and friends or family?
There’s no right or wrong. Remember, this is your novel.
#31. Find an Agent — If you want to traditionally publish, you’ll need an agent to pitch your work. Find an agent in your genre and pitch to them using a query letter.
#32. Pitch to Medium-Size Publishers or Small Presses — The big New York publishing houses aren’t your only options. You may be able to pitch directly to smaller publishing houses. These presses don’t have the same reach, but they offer a more intimate publishing process.
#33. Self-Publish Your Novel — Self-publishing has grown rapidly. While publishers offer an editing process that can improve your novel, self-publishing provides authors with freedom over expression. And you can decide how to package and market the novel.
But that’s future talk. For now, dig into your story idea, write it, then edit it.
Then?
Enjoy the fact that you worked hard, that you followed through, and that you’re now an author.
