| How to write a novel the easy way? Can it be | | | | compelling. Plot is compelling when it's driven by |
| done? | | | | life-like |
| Absolutely. Learning how to write a novel doesn't | | | | 7. CHARACTERS. Characters are the people in |
| have to be complicated. When you follow a step | | | | your story. Think of them as the train that |
| by step process, you can take the complexity of | | | | carries your plot along. Characters only carry |
| how to write a novel and "dumb it down" to such | | | | along a plot in a compelling way when they have |
| a simple system that it becomes almost like paint | | | | clear |
| by numbers. | | | | 8. MOTIVATION. Motivation is the psychological |
| Easy novel writing is a series of connections. You | | | | and experiential explanation for why your |
| know, like "the foot bone's connected to the ankle | | | | characters do what they do. Once you have a |
| bone." | | | | central motivation for each main character, you |
| In the case of novel writing, your connections | | | | can easily create |
| look like this (feel free to add the "Dry Bones" | | | | 9. CHARACTER SKETCHES. Character sketches |
| tune to this list as you read it if you know it): | | | | are your character's bios. These include |
| IDEA is connected to | | | | everything from physical characteristics to history |
| QUESTIONS, which are connected to | | | | to personality to favorite color. Great characters |
| CONFLICT, which is connected to | | | | are rich with detail and they live in equally rich |
| STORY QUESTION, which is connected to | | | | 10. SETTINGS. Settings are the place of your |
| THEME, which is connected to | | | | novel. You can create settings that your reader |
| PLOT, which is connected to | | | | can easily visualize when you create |
| CHARACTERS, which are connected to | | | | 11. SETTING SKETCHES. Setting sketches are the |
| MOTIVATION, which is connected to | | | | who, what, where, why, and how of your |
| CHARACTER SKETCHES, which are connected to | | | | settings. They consist of diagrams, pictures, and |
| SETTINGS, which are connected to | | | | other specific information to make settings unique |
| SETTING SKETCHES, which are connected to | | | | and interesting. You get this information and |
| RESEARCH LISTS, which are connected to | | | | every other fact you need to support the story |
| RESEARCH, which are connected to | | | | of your novel from your |
| SCENE CARDS, which are connected to | | | | 12. RESEARCH. Research will answer all the detail |
| SCENE CARD FILE, which is connected to | | | | questions, and if you do it right you'll have a good |
| PACING, which is connected to | | | | balance of enough information and not too much |
| QUERY, which is connected to | | | | to bog down the story. Once you've done your |
| SYNOPSIS, which is connected to | | | | research you can create |
| FIRST PAGES, which are connected to | | | | 13. SCENE CARDS. Scene cards are index cards |
| DRAFT, which is connected to | | | | that contain outlines of every scene in your novel. |
| REWRITE, which is connected to | | | | Scene is a specific chunk of the story, one that is |
| SUBMISSION, which is connected to | | | | its own closed loop. Every good scene has a |
| SALE! | | | | purpose and it leads to the next good scene. This |
| Whew! Seem like a lot. Well, it is a lot. But that | | | | is how you create a |
| doesn't mean it's complicated. | | | | 14. SCENE CARD FILE. The scene card file is |
| Let's break it down: | | | | where you put all your scene cards. Since each |
| 1. IDEA. Your novel idea is the basic concept. For | | | | scene has its own card, you can easily rearrange |
| example, the idea for my novel, Alternate | | | | scenes as needed to create perfect |
| Beauty, was that an obese woman finds herself | | | | 15. PACING. Pacing is the rhythm of the novel. |
| in an alternate universe where fat is beautiful. This | | | | You take the reader for a thrill-ride, and then you |
| is kind of intriguing, but it's certainly not enough | | | | slow things down. Speed up, slow down. The |
| for a novel. So you have to start asking | | | | story questions you created when you plotted is |
| 2. QUESTIONS. To flesh out an idea, you need to | | | | what helps create the speed flow. When you |
| start asking questions. Your seed question needs | | | | have your novel paced well in the scene cards |
| to be "What if". For instance, what if the woman | | | | you're ready to write a |
| who was in the alternate universe began losing | | | | 16. QUERY. The query is the one to two page |
| weight. You throw out a bunch of answers to the | | | | letter needed to submit to an agent or editor. |
| what if question, and then you pick one that | | | | When you write it before you draft your book, it |
| tickles your fancy and ask another what if | | | | embeds your theme and central plot in your mind. |
| question. It goes like this: Once the woman begins | | | | It also helps you write the |
| losing weight, she ends up as unhappy in the new | | | | 17. SYNOPSIS. A synopsis is a narrative outline of |
| universe as she was in the old. So what if she got | | | | the novel, told in a compelling way but placing all |
| fed up with being unhappy. Etc. etc. | | | | essential information in a concise package of only |
| As you work through what if questions, you | | | | 10 to 30 pages or so. If you can put your story |
| throw in "Why" questions. Why does the woman | | | | in this space, you'll find it incredibly easy to then |
| lose weight? Why is she unhappy? | | | | take the skeleton of the story, fill it in with the |
| Keep stringing these questions together and you'll | | | | meat of your scene cards and write a |
| begin to find your | | | | magnificent first |
| 3. CONFLICT. Conflict comes from a character | | | | 18. DRAFT. The draft of your story is the natural |
| wanting to get something and being blocked in | | | | result of all the connections that have come |
| some way from getting what he or she wants. A | | | | before. It's simply sitting at the computer and |
| good novel makes characters' lives miserable | | | | using all the elements you've created to spill the |
| before everything turns out in the end (either | | | | story onto the page. Once it's there, you can |
| good or bad). You weave your questions together | | | | 19. REWRITE to polish the words to pristine |
| in a way that reveals your character's desires and | | | | perfection. Then you're ready for |
| what obstacles preventing him or her from | | | | 20. SUBMISSION. Submission is easy when you've |
| achieving those desires. It's the conflict that keeps | | | | done all the other work. You already have a |
| your reader guessing when you keep creating | | | | query, synopsis, and polished manuscript. So you |
| 4. STORY QUESTIONS. Story questions are the | | | | just need to hit Writer's Market and find a list of |
| secrets you keep from the reader so the reader | | | | agents or editors to whom to send your query. |
| has questions in his or her mind. You layer the | | | | When the agent or editor asks for more, you'll |
| conflict, one upon the other, so the reader has to | | | | send the synopsis and eventually the draft, and |
| keep reading to satisfy his or her curiosity. All the | | | | one day you'll get the call telling you that you've |
| story questions, when answered at the end of | | | | made a |
| the novel reflect the | | | | 21. SALE. This is when you scream and jump |
| 5. THEME. The theme is the central message of | | | | around and go out and buy your favorite meal |
| the novel-the statement you want to make | | | | and then be annoyingly perky for weeks on end. |
| about the human condition. The theme is the | | | | And just like that, you've created a novel readers |
| unifying element of everything you put in your | | | | will love. All because you followed a |
| 6. PLOT. Plot is the story-the culmination of | | | | paint-by-numbers system for how to write a |
| conflict and story question. It's not just what | | | | novel. |
| happens in the novel but why what happens is | | | | |