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1. Conceptualize
One problem with writing a novel is that it can resolve itself in less than a hundred pages. Attempts at prolonging an end can seem artificial and choppy. The best way to ensure a lengthy plot is to come up with a good concept.
I define a good concept as having layers of complexity and depth, with room for growth in different potential plot twists. Although a simple and linear plot can be stretched out for hundreds of pages, you may lose interest while writing.
When I conceptualized my novel, I fleshed out a lot of the potential plot directions in my mind. I kept a journal of ideas I had on what direction the novel could take, and questions I would have to explore. I found the process challenging and unfamiliar. A lot of the ideas required careful research and consideration. Although difficult, the story was exciting to me. The novel challenged me to improve my own knowledge. This excitement kept me interested, it felt like an adventure. My emotional investment told me that I could make the concept into a novel.
2. Sketch the Plot
Maybe you have a clear idea of the end, maybe you have a clear idea of the beginning, or maybe just some things you want to happen along the way. I found it’s best to write what you want to write. If you had an idea of a dialogue between two characters, just write the dialogue. Don’t worry quite yet where it will be inserted in the novel. The dialogue may reveal events in your novel that need to take place.
I found that in my novel, the characters controlled the plot after I gave them some basic parameters; they broke the preconceptions I had of the novel’s direction. It was through their dialogue and interactions that I learned more about them and what needed to take place in order to reveal to the reader who these people were, and why they acted as they did.
Often, I would simply write in a journal a brief synopsis of what would happen at certain times. I think the most important thing is to record ideas as you have them, even if they are not in any particular order. The order will flesh itself out.
3. Research
My recent novel required a lot of research on morphology, evolution, physics, and other such things. I kept a journal on my research, recording thoughts and ideas. I later included some of these thoughts in an index file, which I will mention later.
I also read good authors who wrote in a similar vein. The idea was to saturate my mind with the thought processes of other authors.
Any references to activities that I never experienced before, I made sure to expose myself to, if possible. I tried to maintain acutely aware of the subtle intricacies of these experiences, in order to incorporate them into my work later on. The main thing is that I tried to make sure I was as close to the novel as possible in experience and knowledge.
4. Advanced Prep Work
One of my biggest regrets writing my novel is that I never paid attention to the formatting process. I used multiple word processing programs, cutting and pasting text, with no consistent style guide. This later created a lot of unnecessary work for me.
When I had my finished document, I first looked to submit it to Smashwords. I read their file submission standards and realized that I had to cut and paste my whole novel to notepad and back to Microsoft Word with appropriate style presets. Then I had to find all the text that was previously under italic and put it back into italic. Also, any styling I did previously, I had to redo under Smashwords guidelines.
Due to the digital nature of publishing, I recommend properly formatting a document in advance with style presets, instead of controlling paragraph spacing with an extra paragraph return, for example. Also, stick to one word processing program. Something about using multiple programs causes styling conflicts.
This is one of the rare circumstances when I put formatting over writing, simply because the time invested pays off in the end.
5. Keep an Index File and Sketches
In my novel, I created a fictitious city, High Creek. Since I had no real world references, I sketched out the streets of the city, the compass direction, and buildings where things would take place. If a particular place was featured in the novel, I would draw diagrams of the room, where things were. I found these sketches helped me keep the plot straight.
I also created index files. My primary index file was where I dumped little snippets of dialogue, events, and blurbs about what I wanted to happen. I left little notes of mistakes I had to avoid making, such as accidentally misspelling a character’s name, or something silly like that. I also included character profiles, which I recommend keeping in separate files, although I was too lazy to do this.
As I concentrated on a certain chapter, I cut the relevant text from the master index file, and created a chapter index file. When I wrote a chapter, I referenced this chapter index file regularly. Sometimes I would cut and paste whole sections of dialogue from the index file I already wrote weeks ago.
6. Write in Chapters
When I first started writing, I just wrote the story without dividing it into chapters. After about 40 pages, I was getting lost scrolling back and forth to reference previous events. After one comical bout of scrolling, I took the time to divide the text into logical chapters. Each chapter had a separate file. I found this helped keep things organized.
When I started a chapter, I had my chapter index file to help guide me through events that would take place. If I had new ideas, I would add to the chapter index file, then find a place for the ideas as I wrote the actual story.
I didn’t have a clear idea of how many pages a chapter would take. Often, I didn’t even know how it would end. I simply wrote it out naturally. Sometimes, the chapter would end itself at a certain nice concluding paragraph. Sometimes, I realized after the fact that I was transitioning from one chapter to the next, and would have to go back and find the page where the transition began.
Personally, I didn’t care if a chapter was 2 pages or 30 pages as long as the text supported itself. To me, a chapter is like a sentence—some sentences are short and to the point, while others are taciturn and melodious. The important thing is that the sentence supports itself. In the same manner, all I cared about was if the chapter supported itself in a coherent fashion.
7. Cut & Paste, Delete and Rewrite and Delete
I tried not to let editing get in the way of writing. I let the storyline flow naturally as long as it came to me. When I was at a loss for direction, I would go back and reread what I wrote. After reviewing and reworking the text, I would often get back into the flow of things, able to push a little further down the plot.
Sometimes, I would get to a certain point in the novel where things didn’t quite fit together. If it was a real mess, I would have to go into multiple chapters and rework small portions until the whole plot string resonated more clearly. A few times, I wrote over ten pages before realizing that I was going in the wrong direction; I had to delete ten pages and start over.
When I finished a chapter, I read it a few times. The first time, I would actually whisper out the sentences to find choppy or fragmented sentences. The second time, I would actually look for spelling and grammar.
For me, the whole process of writing is kind of messy, I have to go back and forth, moving bits and pieces to get events to resonate in a certain harmony. With patience, things came together nicely.
8. Get Feedback
As mentioned in my previous guide on how to improve writing, feedback is a valuable asset. When possible, share your writing with people you respect and who aren’t afraid to be honest. With feedback, you can see your writing through other people’s eyes, as it were… Just don’t get too caught up in what everyone else thinks, otherwise your writing will become too self-conscious, restrictive, and apologetic.
9. Scheduling, Taking a Break
I was fortunate enough to have an uninterrupted schedule to write my novel. I find this the best strategy for writing, because all the data is floating around in my head, and time spent away from the project causes me to lose the connections.
Otherwise, I suggest relying heavily on index files and sketches to record all the connections. In this manner, you can review your notes to start back up more quickly.
I find it difficult to force the writing process on a schedule, but I have found it useful to set aside a specific amount of time daily to write. If possible, I attempt to write in a similar environment to where the chapter takes place. If the setting is in a coffee shop, I write in a coffee shop, if it is in a forest, I write in a forest. Otherwise, I just write someplace comfortable with few distractions.
However, despite the most suitable environment and adequate time, it may feel impossible to write. Sometimes, I notice that I am being petulant and lazy—I simply have to force myself a little into writing. Other times, going for a run, bike ride, or other cardiovascular helps get the blood flowing in my brain, flushing the brain cells with oxygen and nutrients. If after cardiovascular activity, I can’t jump start the writing process, I take the day off. If I have the same problem the next day, I simply go on an adventure, a vacation of sorts. I completely change my surroundings and challenge myself to something. Often, I’ll go on a crazy hike that makes me tired. The important thing is to keep your mind off the novel while breaking the routine that is causing stagnation.
10. Personal Goals, Rewards
In the beginning, I set myself to 100,000 words for novel length. This gave me something to aim towards. I also set milestones for myself along the way with meaningful rewards.
For example, at 50 pages, I set a small reward for myself. In the same manner, I set every hundred pages thereafter. When I finished the novel, I provided myself with a more meaningful reward. These small steps and rewards helped give a sense of manageable progress. Of course the same idea applies when you publish and sell your first hundred copies, but that’ll be covered in the next article…
If you’d like to see the result of practical application of these steps, check out my new novel, My Travels with Eos
To improve your writing skills, view this guide
Found this page useful? Check out my new book, My Travels with Eos, or visit my gallery for prints
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