Growing a Novel
I’m a qualified adult education tutor as well as an author and the following notes are based on the creative writing courses I devised and taught for the Workers Educational Association in Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, West Yorkshire. I hope they are helpful.
Don’t be complacent or believe the saying that ‘everyone has a novel in them’. They don’t. To decide to write a novel without learning the craft of fiction writing first is a bit like trying to perform open heart surgery without any medical training (except that no one should die as a result, of course). Re-read favourite books and bestsellers looking carefully at the characters, plot and conflict to see how they were constructed, join a writers circle (the good ones encourage constructive criticism), enrol on a creative writing course or at the very least read as many books on creative writing as you can. Here are the ones I recommend:
Sol Stein Souvenir Press
Sol Stein Souvenir Press
James Frey St Martin’s Press
Dianne Doubtfire Allison and Busby
This is a crucial question you need to address before you write a single word. If you would like to get your novel published by a mainstream publisher, you can’t just write the novel you want to write, you have to write a novel readers will want to read and publishers will want to buy.
If you are not prepared to do this you may want to think about self-publishing but be realistic about the number of copies you will sell. Occasionally a self-published book will break through and hit the bestseller lists and perhaps be snapped up by a big publisher but it is extremely rare. If you only want to see your novel in print and are happy selling a few dozen copies to family and friends and don’t want to make a career or any money out of it, self-publishing is your best bet.
Most adult novels are categorised into two main areas, commercial and literary. Commercial novels are the best-sellers and blockbusters that appeal to a large number of people and sell a lot of copies. They tend to have a fast-paced plot.
Literary novels tend to be more character-driven with more emphasis on fine prose. Characters are explored in greater depth, there may be little action but big issues and themes are explored.
Some novels cross-over or fall between the two categories.
There are then different genres of novels such as chick-lit, crime, historical, science fiction/fantasy, thrillers and sagas.
At any given time different genres may be fashionable or unfashionable. New genres are always popping up (I DID A BAD THING is being marketed as part of a groundbreaking new genre, chick-noir). However be wary about following a fashion/trend because it may take several years to write your novel, several to find and agent and publisher and another year before it hits the bookshelves, by which time trends will have changed. Do try to have a clear idea about who your readers will be, an agent and publisher will need to be able to see this.
If you want to get a novel published you have to write a book readers will want to read but it should still be something you want to write. The saying ‘write about what you know’ is misleading. That will only work if what you know is interesting. By all means choose a setting or location which is familiar to you but think of it more about writing about emotions which you have experienced. Try to pick a theme that a lot of people can relate to. The novel needs to be about something which fascinates you, which you will not get bored with. And most importantly, don’t forget the conflict. It won’t work without it.
Somewhere in the region of 80-100,000 words is a good average. Anything less than 65,000 words wouldn’t be considered long enough for an adult novel (although teenage novels are usually 40,000 – 60,000 words). If you write a first novel of over 120,000 words it may prove more difficult to get it published.
Ingredients for a novel
Novels require the following basic ingredients:
A strong PLOT and potential for sub-plots.
Lots of CONFLICT, both internal and external.
A strong central CHARACTER who captures the reader’s imagination and will need to change and grow during the course of the novel.
Strong supporting characters and an interesting SETTING.
A THEME/PREMISE which will be explored during your novel.
If you haven’t got any of all of these don’t try to force them. Ideally they will come to you, things you think about, people you have met, emotions you have experienced, situations you find fascinating, themes that keep you awake at night.
When you have got all of the basic ingredients (or as many as possible) do the equivalent of putting the dough in the airing cupboard and leaving it to rise. To do this you don’t need to write a word – you simply need to let whatever you have grow in your head. Think about whether the original idea is strong enough to sustain a novel, whether a new character or plot needs to be developed, whether good parts can be kept, bad parts thrown away.
Think about the idea for the novel in any spare moment. If it is a good one it will keep you awake at night, it will interrupt your thoughts and leave you with no option but to work on it. If you lose interest, so will the potential readers.
Before you go any further, ask yourself some fundamental questions about your novel:
Is the idea original and attention-grabbing?
Do I have an interesting central character for my readers to identify with?
What does the character want? What obstacles are in their way? Are the stakes high enough?
Where is the conflict coming from?
Whose story is it? Will I have one point of view (PoV) character or several? Why? Will I write in first or third person for each PoV character?
Is my plot strong, progressive but not too complicated?
Where would be the best place to start? Why?
What time span does this novel cover? Should I tell the story chronologically in a traditional linear way or might I want to jump about in time, use flashbacks, several parts etc?
Do I have some idea about where I am going with this story?
What is the premise/theme?
Is there a big dramatic question at the heart of the book?
Will the ending be sufficiently satisfying?
Only when you are happy that the novel idea is strong enough should you continue.
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