Becoming a novelist is the dream of many people. It is not easy to succeed in this profession, but if you have enough perseverance and dedication, nothing will stop you from achieving your goal. Here are some tips on how to become a novelist:
- Find Your Passion
You can’t become a successful novelist if you don’t love what you do. When you’re passionate about writing, it will not feel like work at all. You’ll enjoy every minute of writing and continue doing it without getting tired of it or feeling discouraged by rejections from publishers or agents.
- Read Books Often
If you want to be a good writer, then you must read books often because reading helps improve your writing skills as well as your vocabulary and grammar knowledge which are essential for writing fiction books successfully without any mistakes that could cost your readers’ interest in reading your book from start to finish!
How To Become Novelist
Novelists write long-form stories to engage, educate or entertain readers. Writing a novel can be a rewarding way to share your stories creatively and make connections with readers through your work. If you enjoy writing and telling stories, you may want to learn about the steps you can take to write and publish a novel.
In this article, we explain what a novelist does, describe how to become a novelist, outline helpful skills for this profession and provide tips to help you write a novel.
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What is a novelist?
A novelist is a writer who specializes in writing novels. A book can qualify as a novel if it has a narrative, characters and some element of realism within it. While most novels are fiction, there are some cases where a novelist might use details in their narrative that reflect true events. Novelists can work almost anywhere they have access to a computer and word processor, and many novelists enjoy working from the comfort of their own homes.
Related: 12 Tips for Starting a Career as an Author
What does a novelist do?
Being a novelist involves many responsibilities, but the primary duty of a novelist is to write stories. Most novelists conduct extensive research before they begin a first draft of their book to ensure they accurately represent any concepts, identities and locations they want to include in their story. Novelists also use this research to develop characters and their defining traits by applying those details as they write. Novelists usually spend a lot of time planning their story to ensure it makes sense as a narrative and follows the plot they want to develop.
Related: Understanding Narrative Writing and How to Use It
How to become a novelist
Here are the steps you can take to become a novelist and publish your work:
1. Decide the story you want to tell
The first step to becoming a novelist is to choose a story for your novel. Many novelists refer to their own lives when deciding the story they want to write so they can use their experiences as the basis for actions or events in the novel. You might also have an original idea for a story, which can result in a fascinating and unique novel. Regardless of where you find inspiration, it’s helpful to determine the story you want to tell before writing to ensure all elements of your novel relate to the story and contribute to the narrative.
Related: Storytelling: Elements of a Good Story and How To Develop Your Process
2. Create your main characters
Begin developing the characters in your novel. These may include the main character and surrounding characters, such as their friends, families and peers. Thinking about characters in the early stages of writing a novel can give you the chance to develop them fully, which can make a story more engaging. Many readers appreciate stories with characters they can relate to, so you might base some characters in reality or on figures or personalities that readers might recognize.
When developing characters, consider the following traits to help you describe their personalities, relationships and experiences:
- Names and ages
- Physical descriptions
- Locations
- Their typical moods
- Their tone of voice or speaking style
- Their hobbies or interests
Related: Round Characters in Fiction: Definition and Examples
3. Outline your plot points
Create an outline to organize the points of action in your story. This might involve using a word processor to write out your details or drawing a story map by hand. Outlining the main actions in your story can provide guidance to help ensure that your novel reaches each plot point in believable and interesting ways. An outline can also guide you through parts of your novel that might be challenging to write. You can refer to your outline to determine which action comes next in the story and how you can reach that point.
Related: How To Write a Storyline (With Tips)
4. Write a first draft
Begin writing your novel and complete a first draft. Many writers refer to their first draft as a rough draft because they almost always revise this draft after finishing it. One important detail to remember when writing a first draft is that it can be imperfect because you have opportunities to read and revise your draft after it’s complete.
Having a complete first draft is especially helpful if you anticipate doing many rewrites. This first draft can provide insight into the basic elements of what the novel might be like once you finish it. This can also aid the revision process because it helps you identify parts of your narrative you may want to change later.
Related: 26 Narrative Techniques for Writers (With Examples)
5. Revise and workshop your novel
Edit your novel according to observations you make while reading your first draft. You might also use this time to workshop your novel with peers or other writers. This can be especially helpful because a reader’s perspective may differ from your own, and feedback from others can offer insight into parts of your novel that work well and details you may want to revise. The revision process can take a while, but it can help you make sure your novel conveys the tone, style and narrative you want others to experience while reading your book.
Related: How To Respond to Constructive Feedback in 7 Steps
6. Submit your novel for publication
Once you’ve edited your novel, send your manuscript to publishers for consideration. This can be a very exciting process, as you’re able to introduce your novel to the world and start building an audience. Submitting a manuscript for publication can involve writing queries to literary agents, completing forms for specific publishers or printing out copies of your manuscript to send in the mail. You can find publishers for your novel by conducting research online and by speaking to other published authors or literary agents about what they recommend.
Related: How To Get a Publisher for a Book in 5 Steps
Skills for a novelist
A novelist uses their writing skills to succeed in the industry, which includes a comprehensive knowledge of grammar and an understanding of creative writing practices. Many novelists also have a powerful sense of self-discipline. This skill allows them to work independently on their writing and devote the necessary time and effort to finishing their novels.
Research is a large part of creative writing, and novelists can benefit from having exceptional research skills to help them develop the concepts they want to include in their novels and describe any real-life elements of their stories with accuracy. Here are a few more skills that can help a novelist in their career:
- Critical-thinking skills
- Focus and concentration
- Communication skills
- Editing
- Understanding of SEO concepts
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Reading comprehension
Related: Top Skills Needed To Be a Writer
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Tips for becoming a novelist
Here are some additional tips to help you pursue a career as a novelist:
- Read novels. Create a reading list with novels in your intended genre and read those books to become familiar with writing styles, plot points and character development. Analyzing other novelists’ work can help you identify strategies you may want to use in your own writing.
- Develop your voice. Every novelist has their own voice, which refers to a style of writing that helps authors make connections with their readers. As you write, pay attention to vocabulary, point of view and word choice to help you develop your voice as a novelist.
- Have a dedicated writing space. The physical space in which you write can affect your creativity and productivity. Create a dedicated writing space that’s free of clutter and distractions to help you focus on your novel.
- Market yourself. After you finish your novel, market yourself to help encourage readers to purchase your book. Create a website, use social media or attend industry conferences to promote your work to others.
