You can write a novel. Not someday, now.
With a clear plan, you can draft in short blocks and revise without panic. This guide breaks the work into 10 practical steps, from spark to clean manuscript. You will walk away with a strong idea, a focused theme, characters with goals, a working plot, a plan to draft, and a calm path to revise. Use tools you already have, like a notes app, index cards, a timer, or Google Docs. Small wins matter. One page a day adds up.
What kind of story do you wish existed, and why you?
How to write a novel does not have to be a mystery. You will move from purpose to pages with steady, simple actions.
Start Strong: Set Your Why, Big Idea, and Theme
Photo by John Diez
A tight foundation saves time. Your why cuts through doubt, a tested idea holds interest, and a simple theme keeps the story focused. You do not need jargon. You need clarity.
Quick checklist:
- Why: a personal reason you control
- Idea: personal, surprising, big enough for a book
- Theme: a short message that guides choices
5-minute exercise for each:
- Why: write one sentence about why you must write this book.
- Idea: list 10 what if questions.
- Theme: write your theme in five words or less.
One-sentence summary template:
- I am writing this novel because [why], about [idea], to explore [theme].
For a longer guide on the early steps, see How to write a novel by Nathan Bransford. It offers practical framing without fluff.
Find Your Why so You Stay Motivated
Your why is the personal reason you want this book to exist. It keeps you steady on hard days, when the middle sags or life gets loud.
Prompts:
- Who is this for, and why now?
- What do you want readers to feel at the end?
Mission sentence:
- I am writing this novel to help readers feel X by telling a story about Y.
Tips:
- Put your why on a sticky note.
- Read it before each session.
- Pick reasons you control, like learning, joy, voice, practice.
Common pitfall:
- Goals that depend on others, like fame or sales. Choose reasons you steer, not ones you cannot.
Example whys:
- I want my teen nieces to see brave, messy girls in sci-fi.
- I want to process grief through a mystery that ends with hard-won hope.
Choose a Novel Idea Readers Will Care About
Good ideas pass a simple test. Is it personal, surprising, and big enough for a book?
Try a 10-minute idea sprint:
- List 10 what if questions. Fast, no filter.
- Combine two for freshness.
Mini filter:
- Who wants this story?
- What promise does it make?
- What hard choice does it force?
Examples:
- What if a small-town baker runs for mayor, but her rival is her ex?
- What if a mage loses magic any time she lies?
- What if a historian wakes up in 1912 with a phone that only texts one person in 2025?
Keep an idea bank in your notes app. Add scraps from dreams, headlines, jokes, and overheard lines. Avoid chasing trends you do not love. Readers feel honesty.
For a structured approach to developing ideas into plans, many writers use the Snowflake Method. It starts small, then expands in simple steps.
Name a Clear Theme to Guide Your Story
Theme is the message under the plot. Keep it short. Examples: Love needs trust. Power has a price. Justice is messy. Freedom costs. Second chances heal.
Theme shapes choices and scenes. It nudges your hero and your subplots.
Quick exercise:
- Write your theme in five words or less.
- Write one way your hero will learn it the hard way.
Common themes:
- Family, justice, freedom, second chances, identity, forgiveness.
Tip:
- Let theme guide subplots and setting details too. If your theme is identity, show how names, uniforms, or masks matter in scenes.
Build the Core: Characters, Conflict, and Setting That Hook Readers
This is the heart. Readers stay for people, problems, and a world that pushes both. Keep templates simple, and test them with quick prompts.
Short examples across genres show how it works in practice.
Create a Main Character With a Goal and a Flaw
Define in plain terms:
- Goal: what your hero wants.
- Motivation: why they want it.
- Flaw: what trips them up.
Use this sentence:
- My hero wants X, because Y, but flaw Z gets in the way.
Sample combos:
- Detective: wants to solve the cold case, because a cousin was the victim, but pride keeps them from asking for help.
- Athlete: wants to make varsity, because it pays for college, but fear of failure makes them play safe.
- Mage: wants to heal a plague, because it took her sister, but anger triggers magic she cannot control.
Tip:
- Tie the flaw to the theme. If the theme is trust, give the hero control issues.
Add texture:
- One visible trait: chipped nail polish, a tattered scarf, perfect posture.
- One private fear: being ignored, being ordinary, being seen as needy.
Choices that reveal character:
- What they want most, what they fear most, what they refuse to do.
Define the Central Conflict and Raise the Stakes
Conflict is the force that blocks the hero. Name the opposing force and the cost.
Opposing forces:
- A person (rival, villain)
- A system (corrupt city hall)
- Nature (storm season)
- Self (addiction, fear)
Clarify stakes: what gets worse if the hero fails?
Stakes ladder:
- Personal: lose a job, a home, a relationship.
- Social: hurt a team, a town, a movement.
- Moral: break a promise, betray values, cross a line.
Logline template:
- When X happens, a Y must do Z or else W.
Example:
- When a drought hits, a stubborn mayor must ration water or else the town dies and her family turns against her.
Tip:
- Make the cost of action and inaction clear. If she rations, she loses votes. If she does not, wells run dry.
Avoid vague threats. Show concrete losses readers can feel.
Pick a Setting That Shapes Mood and Plot
Time and place can add pressure. Ask: where would this story be hardest for my hero?
Use setting to block, tempt, or expose. A busy market hides a thief, but it also hides witnesses. A starship offers tech, but fuel is scarce.
Sensory prompts:
- Sound, light, weather, crowd.
Setting beats that push the plot:
- A rule (curfew at sundown)
- A resource (one working radio)
- A risk (sinkhole pits after rain)
Example:
- A drought town limits water, so every choice hurts. Baths become bribes, gardens die, tempers flare.
Make a simple setting bible:
- A rough map, key rules, and a list of locations. Keep it in your notes app for quick checks.
Plan Your Plot: Simple Story Structure and an Outline That Works
Planning should help you write faster, not lock you in. Think guideposts, not chains. A loose plan reduces stalls and rewrites.
Use a beat list and a scene goal template. Index cards work, or a notes app on your phone. If you like to discover as you go, outline only the next few steps.
For a complete step-by-step roadmap, this detailed guide on how to write a novel breaks the journey into clear stages, from idea to publication.
Choose a Story Structure You Can Follow
Keep it simple:
- Beginning: hook and setup
- Middle: rising trials and a midpoint shift
- End: climax and change
A handy 6-beat option:
- Hook: show what makes this world and hero interesting.
- Example: A baker fixes a broken oven with a hairpin, showing grit.
- Inciting Incident: the event that changes the path.
- Example: The town begs her to run for mayor.
- First Threshold: the point of no return.
- Example: She files papers and loses her job.
- Midpoint: a bold action or truth flips the plan.
- Example: She debates her ex on live radio and wins public support.
- Dark Night: the worst setback forces a choice.
- Example: A scandal hits, she almost quits.
- Climax: final push meets the core flaw and theme.
- Example: She trusts her team, exposes the real fraud, and wins.
Tie beats to the hero’s goal and flaw. Do not force yourself to hit exact page counts. The beats are guideposts.
If you want a different route, this practical breakdown of the 10 steps to writing a novel offers a clean sequence many writers follow.
Outline Key Beats, Scenes, and Chapter Goals
Try 15 scene cards. On each card, jot:
- Who is in the scene
- What they want
- The obstacle
- The outcome
Scene goal template:
- In this scene, X wants Y, but Z happens, so next they will A.
Example:
- In this scene, the baker wants a permit, but the clerk stalls, so next she gathers signatures to force a vote.
Color-code if you like:
- Plot moves, character turns, theme beats.
Stop rule:
- Outline enough to write the next three chapters with confidence. Leave room for surprises.
Write and Refine: First Draft, Revision, and Editing Tips
Steady beats sporadic. Build a pace that fits your life. Use small targets, one rest day a week, and a simple toolkit. Draft for momentum, revise for logic, edit for clarity.
Suggested weekly rhythm:
- 5 writing days, 1 planning day, 1 rest day.
Toolkit:
- Timer, do-not-disturb mode, grammar checker, beta readers.
Finish line:
- A clean, readable manuscript that others can follow without asking basic questions.
Write a Fast First Draft Without Editing
Speed makes the inner critic tired. Consistency trains your brain.
Try short sprints:
- 20 to 45 minutes, then a break.
Aim for scene goals, not perfect lines. Use brackets to mark facts to check later, like [confirm street name] or [research cake terms]. Keep a running list of changes to make, but do not stop drafting to fix them.
End each session by writing the next line you will write tomorrow. It gives you a rolling start.
Mantra:
- Finished beats flawless.
Revise in Layers, Then Edit for Clarity and Style
Tackle one category at a time. It keeps your mind calm and sharp.
Simple pass order:
- Big picture: plot holes, stakes, and theme beats
- Character arcs: goals, choices, and costs
- Scenes: cut, combine, or move to sharpen flow
- Lines: clarity, rhythm, and voice
- Proofread: typos and tiny snags
Scene test:
- If the scene does not change something, cut it or merge it.
Read aloud to catch dull spots. Your ear hears drag your eyes miss. Invite one or two trusted beta readers. Ask for clear feedback on moments of confusion, boredom, and delight.
Quick proofreading checklist:
- Spelling, tense, names, timeline
Need more structure for revision? This clear primer on how to write a novel also covers common pitfalls and fixes, which can help you tighten your second draft.
A Simple Weekly Writing Plan
Here is a compact schedule you can copy and tweak. Use it as a baseline, then adjust for your life.
| Day | Focus | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Draft 1 to 2 scenes | 600 to 1,200 words |
| Tuesday | Draft 1 to 2 scenes | 600 to 1,200 words |
| Wednesday | Draft 1 scene, notes pass | 600 words |
| Thursday | Draft 1 to 2 scenes | 600 to 1,200 words |
| Friday | Draft 1 scene | 600 words |
| Saturday | Light planning, rest | 30 minutes planning |
| Sunday | Rest | Recharge |
Small targets grow into chapters. Five days of 600 words equals 3,000 words a week. In ten weeks, you have a short novel draft.
The steps are simple, and they work. Write your why, pick one idea, name your theme, sketch your beats, then draft in short sprints. Revise in calm layers until you have a clean, readable manuscript. These 10 steps will carry you from a blank page to a strong draft, then to a clear revision.
Pick your start date, copy a checklist, and text a friend your goal. Sit down, set a timer, and write the first line.
Your story begins today.
