Novels are a pain in the butt. There. I said it. I'm a novelist by profession and I'm saying it. They're long, they're complicated, they take too much time to write, too much time to publish, and by the time you've finished writing it, you've turned into a eccentric hermit. In fact, more than one writer has gone mad while writing a novel.So how do you navigate the twists and turns of creating a novel without becoming completely insane? Well, there are a few trusted techniques that many, if not most, novelists use to simplify the process and keep from going utterly mad. These techniques tend to be specific to novels. They don't translate well to screenplays or short stories, though they can be adapted for such things if necessary.
Outlining Your Novel
Here we are. The dreaded outline. Yes, I know it's a drag. I know sitting down and plotting out a novel point by point can be a little boring. Or it might be exciting, but then the entire process of writing the novel itself might just drag on because you already know the story. But outlines are almost always necessary.
Yes, I know that some novelists don't use outlines. I don't always use them. I've let stories just fall out of my head and they sometimes turn out well. But sometimes they don't. And even when the story is falling out of my head I jot down the basic idea just in case it stops falling out of my head. Wouldn't want to lose a perfectly good idea. So write it down.
In most cases, the idea won't be fully formed, which means you're not ready to write the novel itself. Walk through your main plot, take it point to point. Then do the same with any subplots that are floating around. Maybe you'll even be able to do a chapter outline, though this is not strictly necessary (but helpful).
It helps to post a general outline where you can see it at all time. It's a great motivator. One warning with outlines: don't marry them. Stories change over time. Don't be afraid to change your outline, or even abandon it and write an entirely new one. Outlines are a guide. Unless you carved it on a stone tablet, assume that you can change it whenever you wish.
Get to Know Your Characters
You're going to be with these characters for a long time. They'll be part of your life for a year, maybe more, maybe less. Because you're going to live and breathe these guys for an extended period of time, you need to know them. How they act, what they sound like, what they eat for breakfast. Families, friends, personality quirks, prejudices.
All these things will shape your characters, control how they will react to the plot you've constructed. So sit down and figure out your main characters. Then figure out your supporting characters. Everyone has a history, even that guy who's only in a single scene. A novel is the place for depth, so don't skimp on the characters. You have the word count. Use it.
Live Your Story
Do you find yourself reciting dialogue? Acting out scenes? Talking to thin air? Imagining the gritty details of what might happen next? If not, give it a try. Are you writing a novel set in the Middle East? Maybe some incense can help you set the mood. Medieval novel? Read some period books and get some appropriate music. Do whatever you have to in order to start living your story.
I spend a lot of time thinking about my story, my character, and my settings. They are as real to me as the world I live in. They are always in my mind, whether I'm cooking dinner for my children or watching a movie late at night. Because I'm always thinking about my stories, I come up with new ideas that might not have surfaced if I didn't spend so much time on my novels outside of simply writing them.
It's important to understand that writing a novel is more than just putting words on a page. Writing a good novel should consume you, should invade every part of your life. This doesn't mean locking yourself in a room for 6 months and ignoring your children. But it does mean that you look at the world through a different lens -- a lens created by your story. Try letting your story consume everything you do and see what happens.
Master Your Point of View
Before you start writing, think long and hard about your story. It's a long story. It's going to go on for a long time. Consider what point of view fits. Not just fits your story, though that is certainly part of it. What point of view suits you? Personally, I hate first person. Hate, hate hate. I hate writing it, I hate reading it, I hate first person point of view. I can sometimes do it for a short story, but a novel? No way. I will absolutely not be able to keep that up. It will drive me insane (and I'm already too close to the edge).
You have to go with what works, both for you and your story. If you like third person, if you're good at third person, use third person. Just beware of head hopping. Mustn't make the readers dizzy. Dipping into other points of view is fine, and often necessary, but don't do it so much or so often that your readers can't keep up. And always, always, let your readers know whose head they happen to be in.
Go through scenes that don't seem to be working and see if they could benefit from a different point of view. Maybe Jerry's point of view in that scene is irrelevant and Harold would offer more to the story. Experiment and see where it takes you. This could change the entire tone of the scene, or even of the entire book.
Remember that all these little techniques are just that -- techniques. You still have to fill in the blanks. You still have to write the story and develop the characters. Writing novels is a time consuming process. You won't finish in a weekend. But if you're ready to put in the time and willing to work hard, you can complete that first novel.
