How to Write A Novel

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Overview

Need help writing a novel? You're in the right place! This section of the Novel Goggles website is dedicated to helping creative writers of all kinds to write better novels.

The Poster on this page gives a comprehensive overview of what processes you can use to help you write your novel. It introduces the topics that we intend to expand upon over time, resulting in a detailed set of guides for each subtopic.

How to Write a Novel v1.0.0 Copyright © 2025 Exceptional Invention (Pty Limited). All Rights Reserved.Brought to you by Novel GogglesCopyright © 2025 Exceptional Invention (Pty Limited). All Rights Reserved.Brought to you by Novel GogglesCopyright © 2025 Exceptional Invention (Pty Limited). All Rights Reserved. How to write a Novel v1.0.0 © 2025 by Exceptional Invention (Pty Limited) & Lionel Basson is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ How to write a Novel v1.0.0 © 2025 by Exceptional Invention (Pty Limited) & Lionel Basson is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Short StoryNovellaNovelNovelette7500 Words, typically divided into scenes but not chapters17 000 Words40 000 Words75 000 WordsRough Word-count GuidelinesEpic175 000 WordsGeneral Manuscript Formatting Guidelines for Editing • 1-inch Page Margins • Font: Times New Roman or Arial • Font Size: 12pt • Double Line Spacing • Include Page Numbers • Header: Book Title and Writer Name • Title Page: Title of Book, Writer Name, Contact Information (All Centered) • Optional Table Of Contents • Start Chapters on a new Page • Format Chapter Titles Consistently • Indent the first line of a Paragraph (0.5 Inch) • No extra spaces between paragraphs • Scene Breaks indicated by blank line or symbol such as "#" While the above is a good starting point, always check with your editor for their specific requirements. https://app.novelgoggles.comThis poster is brought to you by Novel Goggles:• Book Planning Software• Book Writing Software• Pantsing, Plotting or anywhere in-betweenNovel Goggles*Maybe a past event at this location affects a character. Maybe the ominous conditions, environment or landscape affects a character.Version : 1.0.0Motivation Do you struggle with the feeling that sometimes you just don't "feel" like writing, or just can't get started? You tell a friend: "I just can't find the motivation to write." Well, I have news for you. Counter-intuitively, motivation does NOT help us to start an activity. It actually helps us to CONTINUE the activity once started. In order for motivation to "activate", you need to start the activity. So the challenge is in fact the act of starting and overcoming your own mental inertia or activation energy for the task. A few tips about overcoming the activation energy required to start: • Remove and reduce obstacles that stand in the way of starting to write: ○ Keep your writing area clean and uncluttered, ready for you to sit down and write without having to do any additional work. • Schedule your writing time and stick to your schedule. • Even if you don't "feel" like writing, sit down and try to write during your scheduled writing time. If you're still struggling after 20 minutes, only THEN should you consider leaving it for another day. • If you're struggling to start on one aspect of your story, try working on a different aspect. For example, work on scene or character sketches if you're struggling to get started writing a specific scene. • It can be useful to have a friend hold you accountable: Commit to sending them your latest efforts once every week or two weeks. Writer's Block & Getting Stuck Writer's block and getting stuck with your story are not always the same thing. Where writer's block is more of a creative lull or void, getting stuck can also be about not knowing what your story is missing or how to change it to solve some problem. While they are distinct problems, some of the same solutions can be applied to both: Overcoming these hurdles • Read this poster and/or go over your plot outline. Something might jump out at you as the next step! • Working on your plot outline (scene sketches, character sketches, setting sketches or story structure) is a productive way to get past writer's block or getting stuck. Beyond being useful in and of itself to help you craft your story, the process might trigger an idea that helps you overcome the hurdle facing you. • Jot down ideas that you have while you're going about everyday life, then look through them when you're blocked or stuck. • Go for a walk or do some other outdoors activity. • Let yourself be bored and let your mind wander. • Get enough sleep. A Writing Habit or Routine Developing a writing habit can help you to write more regularly. Writing more regularly can help you improve your writing. A few tips for cultivating a writing habit: • Add writing days to your schedule • Stick to your scheduled writing days, even if you're not "feeling" it. • Keep the activation energy low: ○ Remove obstacles in the way of writing. ○ Keep your writing area clean and ready for writing. Keep your writing tools handy. • Hold yourself accountable. Even better, get a friend or writing buddy to hold you accountable. Adding Practice to your Routine Getting better at anything requires practice, why would writing be any different? Writing shorter form content can help you with many aspects of your writing. You can practice everything discussed on this poster on a more manageable scale by writing short stories flash fiction or even just writing scenes in a form of experimental writing, where you try out new ideas. Writing Prompts Writing prompts can be an excellent tool to use to practice writing and to jump-start your creativity. There are many available online, or you can use generative "AI" to create some to your liking. "AI" in YOUR Writing Generative "AI" based on Large Language Models (LLM's) have exploded onto the global stage. The main ways that "AI" are creeping into your creative writing endeavours are through: • Spelling & Grammar checking • Rephrasing Tools • Generating Content (Text, Images, Audio and Video) Spelling & Grammar tools are the least problematic and make writing easier for everybody. I see no issues with using tools to help with this. Generating content to use as writing prompts is similarly useful without major drawbacks. Rephrasing and generating content to use directly is something different that I don't want to use in my creative writing or something like this poster, but you have decide on the issue for yourself. If you do use generated content, I feel that you should disclose that to the reader, especially when the generated content is used directly without modification. I would be inclined to think of it similarly to crediting a second author. If you didn't write everything yourself, then don't take credit for writing everything yourself. For me personally, I take pleasure and pride in writing something myself. Using generated content in that process would diminish the value in it for me.MarketingWebsiteMailingListsSocialMediaBlogsReviewsAdvertising&Promotions If you intend for your writing to become a source of income via self-publishing, then you should put time and effort into building an audience and following, marketing yourself and your writing, long before you start to publish your stories. Some marketing ideas:Reasons for Writing Why do YOU write? You might write for a variety of reasons, some of which are listed below. Regardless of your reasons, learning more about the art of story-telling can help you. For your own enjoyment & Creative Outlet If you write purely because you enjoy the creative exploration and outlet, learning more about crafting better stories can enhance your enjoyment further. If you already find writing satisfying, imagine how satisfying it will be to see how your stories improve when you start applying your knowledge of structure and plot, and effective plot outlines. To explore an idea & share it If you are writing to explore an idea and share it with others, then why not aim for more engagement and greater impact? Structuring and pacing your stories will help you to more effectively convey your ideas to others through your stories. To convey a message Trying to convey a message? Why wouldn't you want that message to be delivered with maximum reach and impact? Readers are more likely to stick with a story that keeps them engaged at all times. Structure can help you analyse and optimise your story to avoid lulls and dips. To make money Are you writing with the aim to make money? Writing stories is not quick or easy, so why not use all of the tools available to you to ensure the greatest likelihood of success?Consider the story structure and plot elements when working on your plot outline. If you're using Novel Goggles, you can link your scene sketches, character sketches and setting sketches as well as linking scenes into story arcs. Both Pantsers and Plotters can make use of Plot outlines. Plotters will start the process of writing a new book by creating their plot outlines, while Pantsers can derive great benefit from creating and updating plot outlines during the process of writing or while analysing a completed draft. Plot outlines are meant to be a tool to help you manage and improve your story. Use the parts that work for you. Reader Engagement A great story keeps your readers engaged from start to finish. How do you keep them engaged? Here are a few ideas: • Start by grabbing their attention with a captivating Hook early in the story (this can sometimes be as early as the first sentence in your book). • Craft characters that they can relate to and care about. Allow important characters to evolve and grow throughout the story. • Move the story forward in every scene and sequel. • Use action, conflict, pace, tension, suspense and mystery, positioned appropriately within the story structure. • Avoid a lag or monotony by adding a twist or having the protagonist try a new approach towards the middle of the book. A note on story Genres Different genres often emphasize different aspects of story-telling. Furthermore, some genres may tend to make heavy use of a specific story structure. When writing in that genre, it is good to know what your readers might expect and diverge from that with clear knowledge of what you're doing and why. You should tailor your story structure, plot outlines, and world building efforts appropriately. Finally, typical word count guidelines for different story types can also differ by genre. For example, fantasy novels tend towards the longer end of the novel word count range, while romance novels may tend towards the shorter end. A few of the common story genres are: • Science Fiction • Fantasy • Action Adventure • Drama • Romance • Mystery • Thriller • HorrorFactionsCulturesLanguagesHistoriesReligionWorldBuildingEcosystemsGeographyPhysicsMapsMagicTimelinesFaunaFloraEconomicsCurrenciesIndustriesTechnologyWeatherPeopleRacesSentientSpeciesPoliticsTrade The diagram above shows the elements of world building that you can consider. This poster is too small to cover the topic of world building in detail as it can become wildly complicated. For now, simply knowing the elements of World Building is good enough. You can do further research yourself and If I create a World Building poster in the future, I will reference it here in an updated version. Focus on the aspects of World Building required by your story and try not to get so caught up in creating the world that you never get to writing your story. Some stories will demand more world building than others and some genres generally demand more world building than others. You can even add elements of your world building as appendices to your books for readers to scan or peruse: For example maps, histories, languages and details about factions.World BuildingAct IEndMiddleBeginningExpositionSequence 8Sequence 7Sequence 6Sequence 5Sequence 4Sequence 3Sequence 2Sequence 1Act IVAct IIIAct II(~ 20-25%)(~ 50%)(~ 20-25%)None of the WordsAll of the WordsResolutionFalling ActionRising Action This is the bulk of your story and most of the action happens here. The Protagonist has decided to act and, from here, they tackle a series of obstacles, working towards the ultimate goal. They face setback after setback, a series of ups and downs, attempts and failures. Try to vary the reasons for their failures and allow them to develop and grow. Watch out for a lag near the middle of the book. The four act structure with a mid-point is used to mitigate any possible lull. Throw in a twist to change things up. If a twist isn't a good fit for your story, use the midpoint as the point where the protagonist changes their approach after realising that they were going about achieving their goals in a way that isn't going to work. The protagonist struggles on throughout the middle of the story, ending in Plot Point 2. Here, things go horribly wrong and it appears that there is no hope of success. What will the protagonist do now? After the major setback of Plot Point 2, the Protagonist gains some new knowledge, tool or other plot device that restores hope. The story rapidly intensifies until the Climax, where the outcome is finally decided. After the Climax, action winds down. Story and characters arcs are brought to completion to give the reader a sense of closure. If relevant, something might be added to entice the reader to read a sequel. The Hook must grab the reader's attention as soon as possible. Get them interested in reading the story. The Exposition introduces the characters and the world as they are now, before the inciting incident. It should be long enough to properly introduce characters and setting but should reach the inciting incident before it gets boring. The Inciting Incident is the event that disrupts the protagonists world and they struggle with the decision of what to do from this point until Plot Point 1, where they finally decide to act. There is now no turning back.ClimaxPlot Point 2MidpointPlot Point 1EndingInciting IncidentHook The specific Structure shown here is just an illustration of ONE possible way that you could fit the plot elements into a structure. There are many well-known structures and if you're comfortable with the idea, you can position plot elements in a structure of your own devising, if it best suits your story to do so. As an example, you may decide that your story is best started in the thick of things (in medias res).GoalMiddleOutcome*BeginningConflict&ObstaclesEndReactionDecision*DilemmaSceneSequel*Keep the reader engaged, endscenes/sequels with them wantingto know what happens next.ActsSequencesBeginningMiddleEndActionReactionScene & Sequel Scenes and their counterpart, sequels, have well-defined accepted structures. In each scene the relevant characters have a definite goal, there is some obstacle holding them back and there is a definite outcome. In each sequel, characters react to recent events, contemplate some meaningful dilemma and make a definite decision. End each Scene or Sequel such that the reader wants to know more. What about Chapters? Many writers divide their writing into chapters in distinct documents while they're writing. Chapters actually do not form a meaningful part of the story structure, they can be fairly arbitrarily distributed. Chapters basically exist to give the reader a logical place to put down the book. Chapter boundaries coincide with scene boundaries (although chapters may contain multiple scenes), giving the impression that chapters are more important than they actually are. Considering scenes is a more logical way to divide up your story while writing, from a structure and plotting perspective. That is why Novel Goggles uses scene-based plotting and writing. Sequences are just another tool for dividing your story into smaller pieces. In this case, a sequence groups a number of scenes that deal with a related part of the story. Scene & Sequel, the most crucial of structural elements. Each scene or sequel drives the story forward through actions, events and decisions. Acts are not some mysterious or arcane remnant of times past. They're a tool to help you position the relevant plot elements for: • enhanced reader engagement • avoiding lulls and boring stretches of prose • maximising the impact of your story.Flat Arc*NegativeArc*PositiveArc*SceneSketchesCharacterSketchesCharactersSettingFore-shadowingActionsDialoguePace&TensionPOVInteractionsMotivesGoalsBackstoryDesiresConflictTraitsRelationshipsPastEventsPastActionsGuilt,Shame,PrideTrauma*Characters developacross scenesEndAppearanceAlignmentWhere?RoleProtagonistAntagonistDeuteragonistTertiary CharactersLove InterestConfidantFoilPastRelationshipsEvents&ConflictPlotOutlinePhysicalEffects*EmotionalEffects*IndependentDependentSettingSketchesLocations&World MapsGeneralAppearanceDistancesBackstoryDate&TimeWeatherCharacterInteractionsStory ArcsRelationFitPlot Outline A plot outline is a road-map of your story. The plotter will reference and update it while they write and the pantser can use it to help analyse a draft and make notes before starting the next draft. At its simplest it is a collection of scene sketches, character sketches and setting sketches that summarise the characters, places and events in your story. By structuring your plot outline according to the structure and plot knowledge from 2A, scenes containing the relevant elements of plot can be placed in the most effective positions in your Sequences and Acts. You won't need to add detail on ALL of the elements shown here in every plot outline that you create. Select the elements that are important for YOUR story and go into the level of detail that works best for YOU personally. Like your manuscript, your plot outlines are mutable and will change and evolve as you write, edit and revise. You can iterate through the process of creating and updating your plot outlines and add more elements and details with each iteration.2BPlotPlotElementsHookIncitingIncidentPlotPoint2RootClimaxExpositionRising ActionFallingActionPlotPoint 1ResolutionMidpointMinorClimaxes+Plot What is Plot? Plot is the cause-and-effect sequence of events that make up your story. Some of these events have particular significance and warrant careful placement within the story structure. These are called plot elements and are explicitly named for plotting purposes, e.g.: Hook, Inciting Incident, Climax, etc. In other cases, whole sequences of events are grouped together and named, e.g.: Exposition, Rising Action, etc. 2A - Story Structure & Plot Story structure and plot are not mysterious black holes that suck the creativity and enjoyment from writing. They are TOOLS for YOU to use during your writing and plotting activities. They're available to help you take your imagination and make it accessible for others to enjoy. 2B - Plot Outline & World Building Plot outlining can be useful throughout the writing and revising stages of the writing process. Your plot outline should follow your story structure and lay out the road-map of your story for quick and easy reference while you write or revise. Book planning and writing software Software designed specifically for planning and writing books can help you to leverage your new knowledge of story-telling. For the user's of the Novel Goggles book writing software: The ideas and processes on this poster underpin the development of the software. Novel Goggles is striving to make the concepts outlined here accessible to anyone who wants to improve their writing. If you think this is a cool idea, consider supporting us by .subscribingStructureEngagementPace&TensionExpectationStructureInterestingDepartureStory Structure & Plot Writing YOUR Best Book is all about knowing what aspects to story-telling exist, what tools are available to you, which of each of these apply to your specific story, and forging your story by applying these tools to your creative ideas. This section focuses on Structure and Plot. Structure Enhance the impact of your creativity using Structure. Your readers consume many stories in the form of books, series, movies, etc. From these, they have come to expect stories to progress in a certain fashion. Structure helps you to meet those expectations, or to depart from them in a interesting or captivating way. It can also help you to avoid lulls in action, pace and tension and thus maintain engagement with the reader. You should consider the structure of the story as a whole as well as the structure of scenes.2A2 - The Writing Process Think of writing as more than just the act of sitting in front of a keyboard and tapping your creative ideas onto the page. Think of it as a process: A process of shaping your ideas into an engaging story using structure and plot. An iterative process aimed at maximising engagement and impact. Two crucial aspects to focus on during the writing process are the story structure & plot (2A), and your plot outline & world building (2B). Whether you are a Pantser or a Plotter, Story Structure and Plot Outlines are excellent tools for crafting YOUR best stories. The Plotter might lay out their structure and plot outline before they start writing. The Pantser might write an entire first draft without consciously considering these aspects. However, the Pantser should analyse and evaluate their writing within the context of structure and plot. The structure that they ended up creating during the writing flow may need adjustments. They can create a plot outline during the analysis and evaluation of their first and subsequent drafts. Doing this will make it far easier to evaluate their story progression and character development, identify plot holes and missing or badly placed plot elements. WritePlot OutlineAnalyseNotesWritingInitialPlot OutlineLet Draft N = 1Publish/ShareFormattingGood Enough*Revision/EditingAdd DetailReferenceDraft N&OutlineStart DraftN = N + 1ResearchThe Plotter Plotters like to plan out their story before they start writing. This outline is then referenced and updated throughout the writing process. The Perfectly Pedantic Plotter The Perfectly Pedantic Plotter goes into just the right amount of detail with their initial plot outline, and then updates and revises it as they write and analyse their manuscripts. Research Both Pantsers and Plotters should keep their research notes handy during the writing process.Plot OutlineWriteAnalyseNotesDraft N&OutlineStart DraftN = N + 1Good Enough**It will never be perfectand you'll never be 100% happy with it.Revision/EditingWritingAdd DetailReferenceLet Draft N = 1The Writing Process Writing is an iterative process of transforming your story ideas from mental form into a written narrative that can be enjoyed by others too. The result of writing your first draft might not be a polished story that you're happy or excited to share with the world, but don't let that get you down. First focus on getting your story onto the page, then you can start more in-depth analysis and revision to refine your story into a masterpiece. Do NOT constantly edit your work, but DO add detail and notes to your Plot Outline while you write. The Pantser Pantsers prefer to formulate their story idea, then sit down and start writing with minimal or no further planning. Characters appear as if out of the ether and take the story in new and interesting directions. Events unfold seemingly without the writer's control. This is the world of the intuitive pantser. While this is an excellent outlet for creativity and can result in some truly captivating characters and scenes, it does not easily result in a finished and polished story. To help the Pantser create a complete story, I propose "The Pantser of Unreasonable Effectiveness". The Pantser of Unreasonably Effectiveness Start writing the story in the same way as your run-of-the-mill Pantser but: Create some form of structure and create scene, character and setting sketches as you progress through your first draft OR after you've finished the first draft. Analysis of your manuscript and revision to create a subsequent draft will be all the easier.2GenreMain CharacterWho?What isat stake?ObstaclesConflictEndSuccessFailureRelationshipsPastFalseInformationGoalWhy?Writer'sViewpointCentralIdea/messageExternalConflictInternalConflictPossibilitiesThemePremiseExploring & Refining Your Story Idea So you have an idea for a story, but what now? You could just leap straight into Writing or Plotting, but I would suggest taking a few extra steps before you do: Process your raw story idea into a dense Premise, theme and set of possibilities for story direction. Write down one or two sentences that capture your idea and the crucial elements required to turn it into a story: Who is it about, what is their goal, what stands in their way, and (optionally) how does it end. Don't forget to consider your themes: What ideas or messages are you trying to convey to the reader? What is your view on those ideas or messages? From what perspective will you approach them? Lastly, take your premise and themes and consider what possibilities they present for your story. Don't just go with the first direction that presents itself. Explore some less obvious possibilities, for example: What are the consequences of success or failure for the protagonist? Are there relationships that could unexpectedly influence the story direction? Is the protagonist perhaps acting on false information? Once you've got your Premise, Themes and Possibilities polished, you are ready to dive into process 2: The Writing Process.1Who is this poster for? This poster is for anyone who is interested in creative writing and wants to write a book or improve their writing and story-telling. As writers, we are often advised: Write more and read more to improve. One of the ways that reading more helps you to improve as a writer is by subconsciously learning about structure and plot when reading stories that use them effectively. Why not access that knowledge directly as well? I posit that you can maximise your improvement if you also learn more about story-telling and apply that knowledge as you write more and read more. The aim of this poster is not to to prescribe how you should write stories, it merely provides ideas and information in the hopes that it can help you to improve the quality of your stories and the effectiveness of your writing and story-telling. It is not exhaustive, but it is thorough. When to reference this poster • Right now! Take a look at what is here so that you know what might apply to YOUR writing. • When working on a new story: During the story idea process or writing process. • While analysing or revising a manuscript. • When you get stuck while writing or plotting. • When you have writer's block: Something here might help you explore a new aspect of your story. Let's Get Started I would like to present to you a holistic approach to writing a story that you can apply to YOUR next story. While this poster may appear daunting at first glance, it is based on a few simple principles and you need not take in everything at once. My approach favours learning about what is available but only using what you need right now, then iterating over the various steps and delving deeper with each iteration. I will divide story writing into two processes: The process of exploring and refining your story idea and the process of writing your story. 1 - Exploring & Refining Your Story Idea Taking some time to refine and explore your story idea will pay dividends later. Think of your initial idea as a seed. It needs to be nurtured and supported so that it can grow into an impactful and engaging story. How to Write A NovelNESWNESESWNWWarning: Brilliant Books are built on more than they appear.Will this poster guarantee that your next book is brilliant? No, but it will certainly help you move towards that goal.How to write a Novel v1.0.0 © 2025 by Exceptional Invention (Pty Limited) & Lionel Basson is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Lionel BassonExceptional Invention (Pty. Limited)Exceptional Invention (Pty. Limited)EnglishHow to write a novelHow to write a bookCreative WritingStorytellingWriting a bookwriting a novelJanuary 2025How to Write a Novel v1.0.0Lionel BassonThis poster cover's the topic of how to write a novel. It starts with a summary of who it is for and when to reference it before continuing with a brief introduction on refining your story idea and the writing process. The story idea exploration & refining process is then described in detail, followed by a detailed explanation of the writing process. Two additional aspects are introduced and described for the writing process: Story Structure and Plot, and Plot Outlining and World Building. The bottom of the poster contains some general tips for creating a writing habit, using generative AI, hacking motivation and writer's block.

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