Hey there, future novelist! So you’re ready to write a book? That’s fantastic! Whether this is your first time putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) or you’re a seasoned writer starting your next masterpiece, I’m here to walk you through the entire journey.
Before We Begin: How to Use This Guide
Think of this guide as your writing companion, not your taskmaster. You don’t need to follow everything in perfect order – writing is a creative process, after all! Feel free to jump around to whatever section speaks to you right now. I’ve organized everything into clear sections, and you can always come back to any part when you need it.
Let’s Start with the Basics: The Pre-Writing Phase
Building Your Story Foundation
Every great novel starts with a spark – that exciting moment when an idea grabs you and won’t let go. Let’s nurture that spark into a flame! Here’s what you’ll want to think about:
- Define your core story idea/premise
- Identify the main conflict or central problem
- Determine your genre and target audience
- Establish your theme(s)
- Choose your point of view (POV) and tense
- Decide on the overall tone and mood
Helpful Tools:
- Brainstorming Software
- Mindmeister: https://www.mindmeister.com
- XMind: https://www.xmind.net
- Miro: https://miro.com
- Story Structure
- Save the Cat! Novel Writing Software: https://savethecat.com/novel-writing-software
- One Stop for Writers: https://onestopforwriters.com
- Writing Prompts
- Reddit Writing Prompts: https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts
- Reedsy Prompts: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts
World Building
- Create the story’s setting and time period
- Define the rules of your world (especially for fantasy/sci-fi)
- Map out important locations
- Establish societal structures and customs
- Research necessary historical or technical details
Helpful Tools:
- World Building Platforms
- World Anvil: https://www.worldanvil.com
- Campfire Blaze: https://www.campfirewriting.com/write
- Map Creation
- Inkarnate: https://inkarnate.com
- Wonderdraft: https://www.wonderdraft.net
- Research Resources
- Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com
- JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org
- Internet Archive: https://archive.org
- Timeline Creation
- Aeon Timeline: https://timeline.app
- TimelineMaker: https://www.timelinemaker.com
Getting to Know Your Characters
Your characters are about to become your closest friends for the next few months (or years!). Let’s make them feel real:
- Create detailed profiles for your main characters, including:
- Physical appearance
- Personality traits
- Background/history
- Goals and motivations
- Fears and weaknesses
- Develop their character arcs
- Define relationships between characters
- Create profiles for supporting characters
- Design antagonist(s) with clear motivations
Tools like Charahub (charahub.com) or One Stop for Writers’ Character Builder can help bring your characters to life.
Plot Planning
- Outline the basic plot structure
- Identify major plot points
- Inciting incident
- Key conflicts
- Climax
- Resolution
- Plan subplots and how they connect
- Create a timeline of events
- Identify potential plot holes
- Plan chapter breakdown
Helpful Tools:
- Plotting Software
- Plottr: https://plottr.com
- Scrivener: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener
- Outlining Tools
- Workflowy: https://workflowy.com
- OmniOutliner: https://www.omnigroup.com/omnioutliner
- Visual Planning
- Trello: https://trello.com
- Notion: https://www.notion.so
The Writing Phase: Time to Bring Your Story to Life!
Now comes the exciting (and sometimes intimidating) part – actually writing your novel! Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it step by step…
The First Draft: Your Story Takes Shape
This is where the magic happens! Remember, your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect – it just needs to exist. Here’s how to make it happen:
- Set yourself up for success with a writing schedule that works for you. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, find your best writing time.
- Create a cozy writing space where you can focus and let your creativity flow.
- Set realistic daily or weekly word count goals. Even 500 words a day adds up to a novel in a few months!
- Write that opening chapter – don’t worry about making it perfect yet.
- Keep moving forward with your rough draft. Resist the urge to edit as you go!
- Maintain a simple style guide to keep things consistent.
- Keep track of your plot threads and character arcs as you write.
- Make notes about areas that need more research or revision later.
Pro tip: Tools like Scrivener (literatureandlatte.com/scrivener) or Ulysses (ulysses.app) can help you organize your writing. Need help staying focused? Try Freedom (freedom.to) or Cold Turkey (getcoldturkey.com) to block those pesky distractions.
Revision Phase
First Pass: The Big Picture
Congratulations on finishing your first draft! Now, let’s make it even better:
- First, take a break! Let your manuscript rest for a bit – you’ve earned it, and distance gives you fresh eyes.
- Read through your entire manuscript, taking notes but not editing yet.
- Check if your plot hangs together seamlessly.
- Make sure your characters stay consistent (and compelling!).
- Verify that your story structure works.
- Address any plot holes you’ve discovered.
- Strengthen those character arcs.
- Look for any pacing issues that need attention.
Helpful Tools:
- Editing Software
- AutoCrit: https://www.autocrit.com
- Fictionary: https://fictionary.co
- Note-Taking
- Evernote: https://evernote.com
- OneNote: https://www.onenote.com
- Text-to-Speech
- Natural Reader: https://www.naturalreaders.com
- Voice Dream Reader: https://www.voicedream.com
Second Pass: Fine-Tuning
Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty:
- Tighten up your prose – every word should earn its place.
- Cut any scenes that don’t move the story forward.
- Make your dialogue crackle with life.
- Enhance your descriptions where needed.
- Smooth out those scene transitions.
- Double-check your timeline for consistency.
- Polish your grammar and punctuation.
- Format everything properly.
PerfectIt (intelligentediting.com) and EditMinion (editminion.com) can be great helpers for this stage.
Helpful Tools:
- Editing Tools
- PerfectIt: https://intelligentediting.com
- EditMinion: http://editminion.com
- Word Analysis
- WriteWords: http://www.writewords.org.uk
- Formatting
- Vellum: https://vellum.pub
- Style Guides
- Chicago Manual of Style: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org
Final Preparation & Publishing
Beta Reading & Polish
- Select beta readers
- Collect and analyze feedback
- Make final revisions
- Write synopsis and blurb
- Prepare query materials (if traditional publishing)
Helpful Tools:
- Beta Reading Platforms
- BetaBooks: https://betabooks.co
- Critique Circle: https://www.critiquecircle.com
- Query Resources
- QueryTracker: https://querytracker.net
- Manuscript Wishlist: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com
Professional Services & Publication
- Find editors and proofreaders
- Get cover design
- Format for publication
- Choose publishing path
- Set up marketing plan
Helpful Tools:
- Professional Services
- Reedsy: https://reedsy.com
- Editorial Freelancers Association: https://www.the-efa.org
- Publishing Platforms
- KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com
- IngramSpark: https://www.ingramspark.com
- Draft2Digital: https://draft2digital.com
- Marketing
- BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com
- Book Funnel: https://bookfunnel.com
- MailerLite: https://www.mailerlite.com