How to Start a Novel

How to start a novel begins by writing a shortmain point is to begin with the basics. What parts
summary like those that will appear on the backare absolutely necessary and essential to your
when it is published. Many novelists will startnovel? Complete these parts first. Then, as you
writing a novel by defining its essence, a short,reread each of these parts once the rough draft
conscious statement of about 2-3 sentences, 5 atof your novel has been written, you will in all
most, which can later be trimmed even further.likelihood have many additional ideas and
With this statement or description of your novel,determine additional parts and scenes that will
the novelist or novel ghostwriter can then beginstrengthen your novel.
asking questions and filling in the blanks.Knowing how to start a novel can begin by
In other words, consider the summary of yourwriting a short, novel summary like those that
initial story to be similar to those that appear onwould appear on the back of the novel once it
the back of almost every published novel. Thehas been published. With this succinct, yet general
author has written a few sentences describing hisfew sentences or a paragraph, beginning novelists
or her novel, but has not told the potential readercan act as a potential reader, whose mind will
everything, or even spoiled the ending.naturally begin to form questions about the
Nevertheless, while at the book store browsingsummary. These questions -- who, what, when,
books to read, you will have a betterwhere, how, why -- are applied to the little bit
understanding about the novel by reading thethat is revealed with the summary on the back
back. At the same time, you will also have aof the book.
great deal of questions, which have been focusedIt is important that your novel answer all the main
or directed by the few sentences describing thequestions your readers will have. When you start
novel. This is how to start a novel.a novel, first write these questions as they relate
The answers to these questions, when applied toto the brief summary. How you answer these
your own short novel summary, will help you toquestion will be the creative part of your novel.
begin to outline your novel. Once the novel isHow and by which characters these answers are
outlined with a one to two sentence summary oftold is the creative part of your novel, which can
each chapter, you can then go about developingbe further developed once you have finished how
each individual chapter...just fill in the blanks. It mayto start a novel.
change slightly as you start chapter one, but the