Writing a Novel Outline

Deciding the if and how of writing a novel outline is highly debated among novelists. Some novel writers say that writing a novel outline is necessary at the outset. And others would say they can't get started with an outline. So, which way is the right way? In my opinion, the right way is the one that gets the work done.

Personally, writing a novel outline works for me. I have to know which way my story is going before I start. Some people need the certainty of points on paper to keep themselves on track. Writing a novel outline ensures your story will not drift off track and include scenes that stop the flow of events and action. Whatever it takes to help you sit down and write that novel, that's the right way.

Many people wonder about writing a novel in the best way, and sometimes I give the simple answer. You sit down and write it, which is true. But I know we all like to feel like we're on the right track, so here's how I write a novel outline. Over the years I have read hundreds of novels, and for many of these novels I have written a 1 to 3 sentence summary of each chapter. This helps me to understand the structure of the novel. When writing a novel outline, the initial outline might be very sparse. As you develop the story, and even after you have already written a few chapters, you will get a better sense of where you are going. At this point, writing a novel outline will entail writing the chapter outlines. They may change later, but they ought to make sense for now.

On average, a finished novel is about 80,000 to 100,000 words. I scheduled myself 1000 words a day. I owe my book a thousand words a day, no matter what. I don't go to bed until my work is done, and I don't take days off. I know myself, and if I take a day off, I'll be completely off schedule. Even if I write more than a thousand words today, I don't carry a balance. I still owe my book a thousand new words the next day.

I start my day by reading and editing yesterday's work, this puts me right back in the action so I can turn off my soundtrack and get to writing. Therefore, in 3 months, after writing 90,000 words, I'll have my first draft of a new novel. But that's just how I work. It's the right way for me, but it's not the right way for everyone. The only right way to write a novel is to sit down and start writing.

Writing an outline for a novel helps many novelists stay organized and write with purpose. Many times, writers who do not use a novel end up writing page after page and scene after scene that does not fit into the overall novel. A novel ghostwriter can help you to outline the overall story or to write and edit specific scenes.

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How to Create a Novel That Your Readers Won't Want to Put Down

There are five essential things you as an author must do if you want to create a novel that your reader won't want to put down: 1) create empathy with the main character and their quest; 2) captivate the reader with your tone of voice 3) engage the reader's emotions 4) keep questions open and 5) build up suspense.

First, though, you must remember that only a proportion of all fiction readers actually want a novel they can't put down. Some readers like a novel that has a gentle pace that can indeed be put down, to fit in with their lifestyle, and can then be taken up some time later and the story picked up again without the reader having to go back and remind themselves who certain characters are and how they relate to each other. This in itself is a skill to be admired. But here we are talking about the kind of novel which has its audience hooked from page one, in such a way that engagement with the story is absolute.

1) Empathy with the main character and his or her quest - a reader's attention will be lost unless strong feelings are aroused about the chief protagonist and the central question of the novel. Of course this varies through different genres; and the reader of hard-boiled crime fiction probably won't talk in terms of "feelings" at all, but nevertheless there will be a powerful urge to continue reading, to care about what happens and to want to know the answers to the questions the author poses.

2) Captivate the reader with your tone of voice - a captivating tone of voice comes from the narration and from the main viewpoint character - there are many errors to be made here; if a reader feels patronised, fed too much information, or antagonised by the voice of the novel, nothing can more swiftly guarantee that they will give up on the story.

3) Engage the reader's emotions - the reason why a reader cannot put a novel down is also a great deal to do with the emotional stakes - do we fear for the main character; do we hope for them; how strongly do we care about the outcome?

4) Keep questions open - posing questions and structuring the supply of answers - within classic story structure there must be one central over-arching question which is kept open throughout the course of the novel; and when that question is answered, the story is over. But beneath that question many others must be set, belonging to the sub-plots; and when answers are provided to these subsidiary questions, they must lead to others,and so on.

5) Build up Suspense - this involves the careful selection of information, and critical decisions about what can be revealed to the reader, when; and what has to be withheld until later. A writer must exercise skill, fine judgement and instinct in this. Another essential aspect of suspense has to do with viewpoint - what does each character know? It is vital that an author keeps strong control of this - and it is an area where mistakes can easily be made.

A truly unputdownable novel can make life rather difficult for a reader - you must have that open novel in your hand on the bus or train, whilst you are cooking, late at night in bed, even walking along the street... but making this happen can be great fun for a writer, and experiencing it is one of the greatest joys of being a keen reader of fiction. All readers can find ways of coping with it within their lifestyle - I certainly can!

S.C.Skillman

S.C.Skillman is the author of "Mystical Circles"- a psychological thriller. "Intense psychological drama in a beautiful setting." You can buy the book on Amazon and through the Kindle Bookstore, or visit the author's website to find out more, and click the secure payment gateway to buy a signed copy at http://www.scskillman.co.uk/.

On Writing a Novel for Publication - The Problem With Writing Material That Is Derogatory to Someone

Novelists sometimes have a great story on their hip that they're bursting to tell, but a character in the tale is fashioned around a real person with negative traits. So the question is, what's the best way to write about an unflattering characterization that happens to be true?

William Goldman Stated It Best

For anyone who might not be familiar with Mr. Goldman, he wrote BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, and THE PRINCESS BRIDE, among many other works. He mentioned in one of his memoirs that he'd written something which wasn't necessarily unflattering about a man he'd known years earlier, but for whatever reason the person took umbrage.

Mr. Goldman suggested that no one write anything negative about someone--if the text might be identifiable with the person being written about--until that individual is dead! As strong as that might sound, I think it's great advice. And to take this one step further, the family of the person can also be offended, and if it could be proved that the material was a deliberate smear, there could be legal ramifications, especially if the party wasn't a public figure.

Even the Most Innocuous Implication Can Be Misconstrued

Who wants to gamble with the way someone's waffle might go down on a given day? I know a writer who had to print a retraction because he misstated a man's occupation from 30 years ago. And this wasn't as if the fellow was the president of a company and he classified him as a clerk. This offended party was a medical technician and the author wrote that he was a lab technician. Both professions at the time carried the identical pay grade, and each continues to be viewed as a prestigious position. Go figure, but the man was dismayed because he felt that the lab technician title was debasing.

More Serious Scenarios Can Occur

If all it amounted to was a retraction, most writers wouldn't be too concerned about what they wrote about anyone. But if a character can be readily identified as the one depicted in the story, and the person feels libeled, let the fireworks begin! If a writer is considering someone as a template for a character in a story, and this person for example was a notorious shoplifter as a young boy in Chicago, my suggestion is to make the character a middle-aged woman in Tuscaloosa who reads fortunes. Seriously, it's not worth the risk. Remember, if the person being written about knows the writer, this individual will be acutely aware of whom the author is modeling the character.

Wait Until the Person Is Deceased and Then Look Further

I touched on this earlier. Even after the person is dead, I'd take a hard look at the individual's family and assess how the negative material might affect them. Only after every hoop is jumped through, and all the questions fully satisfied, would I then venture onto this turf. And I'd constantly ask myself if it's worth besmirching this person's name or family to try to sell my novel--when an imaginary character, adequately removed from the real individual and lineage, would serve my purpose just as well. Please think about this, as leaning to the cautious side of this equation might save a lot of grief and money down the road.

Robert L. Bacon, Founder
The Perfect Write®

New Free Manuscript Service for Serious Writers! The Perfect Write® is now providing a Free Opening-Chapter Critique and Line Edit. Paste the first chapter of your manuscript (up to 5000 words) to theperfectwrite@aol.com (no attachments). In addition to the critique, The Perfect Write® will line edit, if applicable, up to the first three-pages of your double-spaced material also at no charge.

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How to Write a Novel - Step One: Determining Your Motivations

Why would anyone write a novel? It is a long and arduous process to create a piece of quality work. It could easily take a year or more of agonizing over your keyboard to get all of the characters, plotlines, and descriptions just right. You will need to find people who will proofread drafts of your writing and give you honest and constructive feedback. In addition, you never know what will happen to the finished product. Most, if not all, writers want to see their novel get published, but there is no guarantee that will happen. The current outlook in the publishing industry is rocky, and the writers able to find an agent who will represent their work and see it through publication and into the hands of readers must have a combination of skill, talent, perseverance, faith, and luck. Most amateur writers simply watch their novel languish in obscurity never to reach the mass audience of their hopes and dreams.

Given all these challenges and discouraging factors, you would think that very few people would actually buckle down and write their first novel, but they do, every year by the thousands and the hundreds of thousands. It's remarkable, really, when you think about it, and you've decided that you're going to join them. You have a story to tell that's been floating around in your head, and you're finally going to take that next, big step. You're going to sit down and write your first novel. But how do you do it? How do you write a compelling, original, well-crafted novel that people are going to want to read?

There is no, single, correct answer to that question, since there is no, single, correct way to go about writing a novel. There are as many different ways as there are different writers. To help the would-be novelist, though, I have developed an eight-step plan that anyone can follow in order write a successful first novel. The process is too lengthy to cover in one article, so this will be the first in a series of articles that addresses this topic fully. Once that series of articles is ended, subsequent articles will help you navigate the tricky maze that is finding an agent and getting your novel published. This article will discuss the first step in writing your novel.

Step one is to determine your motivations for writing your book. This is important because it will help you determine how to write it as well as what to do with it once you have it written. You might be writing this novel just for the fun of it or just to be able to say that you did it. You may have a story inside you that you have to get out. You might want to touch people and move them with the power of characters, your themes, and your ideas. You might have come up with an original premise and have visions of becoming the next J.K. Rowling. This may be the culmination of something that you've been dreaming or planning on doing for many years. There are endless possible reasons, and a person could have a number of these reasons combined, but it is important that you get very clear right now on what your motivation or motivations are and even write them down. This will influence and affect every step of the way that follows. Once you've done this, you'll be ready to read the next article and move onto step two: Determining your writing style, routines, and best practices.

I have been writing for the past twenty years, and I had always dreamed of one day writing a novel and having it see print. My debut novel, A Far Cry, will be released in February of 2012. It is a young adult action/adventure story and the first novel in a projected series of three novels. I am currently writing a series of articles to help aspiring authors write their first novel and attempt to get an agent and get it published.

How To Write a Novel Set In Another Time

Whatever time period you chose for your next best seller, it has to be set somewhere and if the book isn't a contemporary one, then you and you alone have to make it feel real. Gather up any information you can, whether it's on the web or in a library or from your own books, and jot down notes or copy everything you can get your hands on. For instance, if your book is to be set in Ancient Egypt, then study hieroglyphics, monuments and pyramids, and even all you wanted to ever know about mummy making (as an example).

Some writers love to "method write". This is just about the same way that method actors get into their roles. Be an Ancient Egyptian for a day, if your novel is set in Thebes. This may seem a bit obvious but you have to really get a handle on it and be correct about what was used, spoken about, eaten, etc. in that particular era. What food did the people eat back then? The Ancient Egyptians used to think that our brains were useless and that the heart was the center of everything. Think about what the common people of the day used to smell, and how they used to feel. Use both your brain and your heart.

Write a good outline first to see if your timeline will work and add interesting facts that you can use as you go along. Key your characters' names and title your book from some important things you find out about your novel's setting and time period. For instance, for a novel about Ancient Egypt you can use real Egyptian cities like Thebes, along with its former name of Wasset, which lends authenticity to your descriptions. If you are writing Sci-Fi then using a newly created name from New York, such as Neo York.

Names are extremely important and they can help develop personalities Research names used for men and women in the period you are writing about. When you know the meaning of the name you can give your character a few of those traits and this helps build a genuine person in the reader's eyes. If they have empathy towards your character, then you've hooked them. If your thriller set in Ancient Egypt has a good name drawn from authentic writing of the period, such as Going Forth By Day is from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, or an intrigung one like The Mummy Maker's Daughter, then that keys into a serial killer being the villain.

Also important is the fact that even though you have good and evil people in your book, never make them one dimensional. If you are writing about a serial killer called Thoth in ancient Egypt then give him a few good traits such as being in love with the heroine, Meryneith. If you have a Nubian police chief called Kemsa in love with Meryneith as well, break up the relationship by introducing a stumbling block or two -- such as an evil slave owner called Quasshie and a corrupt police major by the name of Aapep (whose name means moon snake in Ancient Egyptian). See how it works?

If you'd like to find out more about how to write a best seller set in another time, then visit the author's website and pick up more useful tips and info and see exciting excerpts from his new novel, The Mummy Maker's Daughter.

Writing a Detective Novel

Writing a detective novel requires careful story planning, clues, criminals, and motive(s) among other things. The writer must be clear in the logical sequence of the story. It has to be well worded, articulate, free flowing, and make the reader a visual participant of the event taking place.

Unlike a movie where the director can convey through visuals, speech and sound, while writing a detective novel the writer must depend on his writing capability to express the scene, feelings, pain, happiness, suspense or anger. The writer cannot show these expressions but has to describe them in a manner that the reader feels he can see them and not miss the visual impact of a cinema.

Detective story building blocks while writing a detective novel could be:

• Who is the Detective: Defining a detective could be 'someone who is searching for the truth'.

• Brief outline of the plot. The blocks can be rearranged later as the story develops.

• Background about the detective. Who is he as a person? Some information about his personal life and interests.

• Can some of the detective's personal attributes be linked to the story? What motivates the person - as an individual and as a professional?

• Is there anyone else who assists him or her? It could be a colleague if the person is a professional Law Enforcement authority or an amateur could be a friend / family member.

• A brief overview of the crime or plot and what is the reason or motive of the crime.

• Who is / are the perpetrators or suspects. Create a brief description of each along with possible motive of each.

• What are the levels of opponents, for example a lone killer, gang with henchmen, etc. The most powerful of these could be the hidden opponent, possibly a close friend or business associate - 'the pal who turns out to be working for the opposition.

• Description of the sequel of the crime & the criminals steps to hide the crime.

• What are the possible reasons of the crime! Sub-plots could be woven into 2 - 3 stories mutually-exclusive where the investigation is carried out on each of the leads. Eventually one lead ends by exposing the criminal, the method of the crime and the reason or motive.

• When writing a detective novel, determine the apparent explanations for the crime, which the detectives will discover and follow before they find out the actual explanation?

• Clues and red herrings should be planted to make the story exciting.

• Some detailing on how the clues were handled leading to discarding the red herrings and why the balance few clues are pursued.

Some suspense can be built while writing a detective novel where the detective has to make a difficult choice in pursuing one trail even though the other trail is equally probable. The novel should be written in such a manner that the reader is eager to turn the next page. This forms the backbone of detective novels.

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Just The Right Words For Your Novel

Ever struggle for words? All writers do at some time or another, but when we get them, there's an incredible rush of adrenalin, and this can be hard to describe. Words used to depict everyday human emotions and thoughts and expressions can absolutely mean one thing in certain contexts, and other things when used in a different way.

First we start with a scene or even a few sentences. Keep in mind what genre your novel is in. Is the story for children or young adults? If adult, there are many genres and even blended genres to keep in mind. There can be a fine line between erotica and porn, for instance. There's also hard and soft romance and the former may also cross over into soft erotica.

Ideas and words may come at any time so if your routine is to settle into the living room to watch some TV and you've turned off your main computer, then keep (in the least) a pencil or pen and a notepad handy, but an iPad or a netbook also works great. Anything you see or smell of feel while watching TV or out and about can trigger a whole group or sentences or paragraph or a simple few words. Email yourself these thoughts and print them out the next day. Watch live plays and shows as often as you can.

We often cannot connect why watching an opera (especially if you haven't seen many) can trigger an entire subplot in your novel. All you need to do is to take the concept of feelings from something which has moved you, and translate them into your own words. Novels are best written by people who are native speakers of that language. Every culture has the written word and stories, so no matter where you are born, you can add your own unique words to any writing.

Make it a habit to learn new words, too. Be keenly aware of the often subtle differences between love, lust, sex, sensual, etc. Plainly spoken body part words used in erotica can make a powerful statement and be certain to stay away from any "purple prose". Try and vary your descriptions because too much of anything is boring and will make readers either drift off or away from your book.

If you are writing your first novel for Epublication then we can't stress enough how important a cover is. Be prepared to change the cover if the book isn't selling. People cruising the web for Ebooks often notice the cover first, then if you get them to stop and read a sample, they may want to read the rest. If you cannot design covers then get someone to do it for you, and concentrate on just the right words for your novel, instead.

If you'd like to find out more about how to write just the write words, and other interesting subjects for writers, then check out Huebner's latest novel, The Mozart Killer, on his blog.

So You Want to Write a Novel!

There are as many ways to write a novel as there are authors. Some authors are precious about their methods and procedures. Many authors go to University or College to learn how to write a novel. I am not giving courses a hard time but the important thing for most people, if they want to write a novel is that they write something. If you feel you need to polish up on writing or language skills or learn some new ones find the information from the best source that you have available.

Remember, no one learns to swim without getting into the water. It is the same with writing. Just give it a go! Practice the different parts of the process until you are happy with the result and like swimming a good coach will help you achieve quickly.

Read as widely as your time permits. I have found that I like some writers and not others. Their writing style, characters, or other factors interest me and I learn from them. Read different genres, it will broaden your outlook. I find that I now enjoy a greater variety of writers than I did before I started writing.

You can learn something from everybody and the local library will become a place of interest and excitement. Never be afraid that you might learn something new.

My view is that it does not matter where you start but that you finish what you start. There are no hidden secrets to the craft. Since writing is based on language use, the first consideration is that you write in a language that you are most comfortable. Having a high-level understanding of grammar makes the process easier as there is less editing required at the end. There are many people who can translate your novel into another language, if you do not know the language well enough. But remember, you first need to write!

Many people have told me that they have always wanted to write a book but do not have the time. Perhaps it is not a priority for them. Typically, a novel will have 70,000 to 120,000 words. Most people use a computer or laptop to prepare the information. To reduce errors in spelling and grammar, activate the spell-checker and grammar checker when writing. It saves time later. Each person enters information into a computer at different speeds. For me, when I am on a roll and have the plot in my head, I enter about 1,000 words per hour, so I need to allocate over 100 hours for the first draft of a typical novel. The more I write the quicker the words roll out!

Write regularly so that you retain the interest and learn from your mistakes.

The easiest way to kill the emerging novel is to be critical of it early. Finish the novel first. There will be sufficient time to polish it into the work that it was meant to be later.

It is pleasing when the words, 'The End' appear, but do not be fooled there is much work to be done.

Reading and writing are two great pastimes. I enjoy them both. My works are now available in Kindle and Paperback editions. They can be found through http://vur.me/giver2000/DNBOOKS
If you have any comments, please email me at DNivala@gmail.com.