ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Top 5 Tips for Novel Writing

Updated on January 8, 2020
Anne Carr profile image

Anne has a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor's in Language.

You Can Do This!

If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish your goal of writing a novel.
If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish your goal of writing a novel.

A Writer’s Dream

Are you interested in writing a novel? Maybe you have had a great idea for a novel for a long time, but you just haven’t known where to start. Sometimes, we only see the big picture; we know what we want, but that goal can seem so far removed from us that we just give up right at the start. I don’t know how many times I have started a story but never finished it. There are writers everywhere who have this same problem. If we were to pile up all of the unfinished stories in this world, we’d probably reach the moon, or even further. If you want to write a novel, you have to be motivated to stay on track and continue.

Tip #1: Brainstorm and Outline

No great novel was written without a little bit of pre-planning. I know there are lots of folks out there who would say, “I don’t brainstorm, I just start writing.” However, I can’t stress enough the value of brainstorming and outlining when it comes to a story. Let’s say that you just decide to write whatever comes to mind and dive right into your story. Sooner or later, you might come upon a crossroads in your story; maybe you don’t know what to write next, or you’ve discovered a loophole in your storyline. That’s why it is so crucial to outline beforehand. You can solve a lot of problems ahead of time just by having a plan for your story. Consider using a plot diagram to help you get a sense of where you want your story to go. Focus on creating character profiles so that you can really get to know your characters before you start writing about them.

Plan Ahead

Use brainstorming and outlining as a way to plan ahead with your novel.
Use brainstorming and outlining as a way to plan ahead with your novel.

Tip #2: Schedule Time to Write Every Single Day

For those of us that like to spend hours and hours on a project, this might seem like a daunting task. Some days we are motivated to spend a lot of time on our writing, while other days it just feels like we can’t get anything out at all. Consider scheduling a little bit of time every day to write so that you will stay consistent. Even if you have writers block, that day, try to write something. You can even go back and work on editing things that you previously wrote. As long as you are taking the time every day to work toward your ultimate goal, finishing your novel, than you are better off than the day before. If you have a deadline in mind or any amount of time that you would like to have the novel finished, keep a record of it. Have that deadline written somewhere important so you can refer to it and use it as motivation to continue working on your masterpiece.

Tip #3: Edit, Edit, Edit

No one can just seamlessly write a novel without having to go back and edit or change things. Make sure you take the time to go back and proofread your writing, as well as edit any changes you think you should make. Personally, I have gone through so many different drafts of the stories that I have written. When I take a fresh look at a story, I always see ways that I can improve or change the story to make it even better. This is why it’s good to take your time. You might notice something a week from now that you didn’t notice before. The more you edit and proofread, the stronger your writing will ultimately become.

Tip #4: Take Time to Reflect

In all of the chaos of writing and working, you might be forgetting something crucial and essential to the process; taking the time to relax and reflect upon what you have achieved so far. Sometimes it is okay to take a break from your writing for a day. You might be making coffee, taking a shower, driving, and upon reflecting on your story, you could possibly come up with another good idea. Let your mind wander and see if you have an epiphany moment. These moments are honestly the best for writers because you can become so inspired just by taking the time to reflect back on what you’ve accomplished so far. In addition, if you are feeling defeated, take some time to yourself to really think about how far you have come. Chances are, you will feel even better about your progress and be ready to start back up again the next day.

Get Inspired

Get to know your audience and your genre and explore it. Study other authors and look for inspiration!
Get to know your audience and your genre and explore it. Study other authors and look for inspiration!

Tip #5: Never Give Up

Some people can write a novel in a month, and others take years, even decades to finally write that story they have always been wanting to write. Trust your process and don’t give up. If it seems impossible now, think about ways that you can make that dream happen for you. Don’t throw in the towel just because things get difficult. Instead, see this as an opportunity to push yourself even further than you thought you could go. When I am feeling down about my writing, I like to go to the bookstore and browse around. Sometimes this helps me see the bigger picture and understand why I am doing what I set out to do. I want to make an impact on the world around me and share my story with the world. That ultimate goal and purpose should motivate you to want to continue and succeed in writing your novel.

Make It Happen

Writing a novel can be a difficult task; there is so much work that goes into it, that it sometimes can feel overwhelming. The important thing to remember is that you are the one who is in control of your own destiny. Take the time to plan, focus, and reflect on how you can achieve your ultimate goal. With a little bit of thought, time, and persistence, you can write that novel that you’ve always been wanting to write.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)