How to Write a Novel





So, you want to write a novel! 
Great!
Let’s go into the nuts and bolts of it.

·         Remember, it all starts with a good idea. Something with a fresh twist or a new perspective. Once it catches your fancy, mull over it during your long evening walks, daydream about it while you catch that train and roll it over your tongue with a cup of strong coffee till the time it invites you and whispers softly in your ears: Hey, I am ready to be born.

·         Make sure that your idea has sufficient depth. After all, you are going to develop it into a draft of at least 60,000 words. If not, you may consider writing a novella or better still, a short story.

·         Write a detailed outline first and make sure that that your novel is well structured. Apart from the classic beginning-middle-end definition of the structure, there are many other aspects to be to be taken care of. I have written in detail about this particular aspect at: 


·         Your beginning has to be appealing and catch the reader’s attention from the word go. Equally important is your ending which can be either open or closed. You can get a few more tips on this part at 


·         From the outline, move forward and write out your first draft. Be spontaneous and don’t check your creative impulse. Just carry on.

·         Your protagonist should be a go-getter and doer. Don't let him be a passive character. His goal should be clearly defined right from the beginning. And don’t try to make him perfect. Let him be a lovable human being with his own set of flaws. He may also have shades of grey and instead be an anti -hero. You can read more on this subject at my blog post 


·         Your hero is as strong as your villain. So, work on your bad guy and ensure that he makes your hero’s task as difficult as possible. You may also decide that your villain redeems himself towards the end.

·         Apart from the main plot, you may work on a few subplots as well which support and associate with the main plot. But there is no need to overdo this aspect.

·         Similarly, you have to develop a supporting cast of characters but let it not be an aimless crowd. Work on each one of them till the time they all stand out distinctly be it their physical appearance, their manner of speech or their idiosyncrasies.

·         Keep your first draft away for a while. Then, come back and start that most important of activities, that is, editing. Keep doing it till the time each and every sentence shines like a mirror and you are satisfied with the outcome. You may also like to reorder your scenes for better effect and may be, delete a few to cut down unnecessary flab.

·         This is also the time to start working on the book description. This is something which usually appears on the back cover of your novel and generally, it is the first thing that a reader notices about your writing. If it appeals to him, he buys the book straightaway. I for one decided to create a video for book description of my first novel ‘Babysitter’ in addition to a textual description.

You can watch this very interesting video at:

·         You would also be required to take a few decisions like whether you wish to publish it as an eBook or as a paperback edition or both. I decided to publish ‘Babysitter’ as an eBook initially and kept the option for a paperback edition open once the novel started doing well. Here is the link for my eBook:


·         Last but not the least, writing a novel and getting it published is just one part of the game. You should now gear up to market your book as well. We would discuss this issue in one of my next posts.

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