How to Write a Novel: A 12-Step Guide

You’ve always wanted to write a novel. But something’s stopped you.

Maybe you’ve tried before, only to get thirty pages in and lose steam because:

Your story idea didn’t hold up
You couldn’t overcome procrastination
You feared your writing wasn’t good enough
You ran out of ideas and had no idea what to do next

You may be surprised to know that even after writing over 190 books (two-thirds of those novels) over the last 40 years, 21 of them New York Times bestsellers (most notably the Left Behind Series), I deal with those exact problems every time.

So how do I overcome them and succeed?

I use a repeatable novel-writing plan—one that helps me smash through those obstacles. And that’s what I reveal to you in this definitive guide.

Imagine a finished manuscript in your hands, or your name on the front of a newly published book—does that excite you?

Better yet, imagine letters from readers saying your novel changed their lives, that your words gave them a new perspective. A renewed hope.

If other writers enjoy these things, why not you?

First, you have to write a novel. :)

This guide details the plan I use to write all my novels. I hope you enjoy it and that you can apply it to your own writing!

Contents

Nail down a winning story idea.
Determine whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser.
Create an unforgettable main character.
Expand your idea into a plot.
Research, research, research.
Choose your Voice and Point of View.
Start in media res (in the midst of things).
Engage the theater of the reader’s mind.
Intensify your main character’s problems.
Make the predicament appear hopeless.
Bring it all to a climax.
Leave readers wholly satisfied.

Step 1: Nail-down a winning story idea.

Is your novel concept special?

Big enough to warrant 75,000 to 100,000 words?
Powerful enough to hold the reader all the way?

Come up with a story idea laden with conflict—the engine that will drive your plot.

I based my first novel, Margo, on this idea: A judge tries a man for a murder the judge committed.

Take whatever time you need to sift through your story ideas and choose the one you would want to read—the one about which you’re most passionate.

It must capture YOU so completely you can’t get it out of your head. Only that kind of an idea will draw you to the keyboard everyday and inspire you to write the novel you’ve always dreamed of.

Step 2: Determine whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser.

If you’re an Outliner, you prefer to map out everything before you start writing. You want to know your characters and what happens to them from beginning to end.

If you’re a Pantser, you write by the seat of your pants. You begin with the germ of an idea and you write by process of discovery.

As Stephen King says, “Put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens.”

One or the other of these approaches will simply feel most natural to you. But many are  hybrids—needing the security of an outline and the freedom to let the story take you where it will. Simply do what makes the most sense to you.

(I cover strategies for both types here.)

Regardless, you need some form of structure to keep from burning out after 30 or so pages.

I’m a Pantser through and through, but I never start a novel without an idea where I’m going—or think I’m going.

Step 3: Create an unforgettable main character.

Before you start page one, you’ll want to understand your characters.

Your most important character will be your protagonist, also known as your lead or your hero/heroine.

This main character must have a character arc, in other words be a different, better person by the end.

That means he (and I’m using this pronoun inclusively to mean hero or heroine) must have potentially heroic qualities that emerge in the climax.

Your lead can have human flaws, but those should be redeemable.

You’ll also have an antagonist, the villain who should be every bit as formidable and compelling as your hero. Make sure the bad guy isn’t bad just because he’s the bad guy.