Whether it's science fiction, historical fiction or a first novel, writing a book is always a challenging exercise. Yes, there are no rules to writing a story, except the one set by the reader.
From this perspective, the narrative must be as solid as possible, so that the plot of the novel is not flawed in any way that would detract from your story.
And to succeed in writing a novel that holds up, regardless of the genre, one thing is vital: the story. It is the story that will determine both the structure of the novel and its literary quality. So, whether you decide to write your own story or to write hard-boiled fiction, the most important thing is that everything fits together.
Of course, it is worth repeating that in literature, writing a story does not obey any framework, any rules, and a plot that is structured for one will not be structured for another. However, there are some tips for writing the most universal story possible, and here are ours!
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Creating a Story for Your Novel: Finding Inspiration
Writing stories is one of the most accessible hobbies. All you need is a piece of paper, a pencil and/or a computer to get into the head of a fictional narrator, and inspiration does the rest. But if taking the time to write is apparently simple, inspiration is the key to building a novel worthy of the name.
You can't write a fantasy novel without a basic idea. You can't write a novel without knowing what it looks like. Does this mean that you have to be a reader to start writing? Not necessarily, but you do need to have an idea of what the novel will look like.
First of all, it is important to define the genre of the novel you want to write. This will give a focus to the inspiration and the search for ideas.
A novel is not written in the same way depending on whether it is a fictionalized biography of a king or a fantasy novel. The universes do not respond to each other, and each obeys specific codes.
Once you have defined the kind of novel you want to write, inspiration does not always come. Wanting to write a novel is a good thing, but when you want to trigger the ideas, it can be interesting to put in place some writing techniques.
For example, it can be useful to write down all your ideas on a piece of paper or a document, in order to identify which ones have the most fictional potential. It also helps to identify which ideas intrigue us the most and which we think are important to put into a manuscript.
Also, it is always good to put yourself in the context of the writing: if it is a historical novel, thinking from the point of view of a historian is more useful than from that of a child. Similarly, inspiration can come from a reading or a text or work that will solidify the story.
Yes, writing a novel does not happen without viable inspiration. But viable according to whom? According to us!
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The Viability of the Story
When it comes to writing a story, genre is important, inspiration is important, but it is not enough. You can write a novel that you are passionate about or that you think is original, but it is not sustainable and therefore does not last.
Because yes, let's not forget that writing a novel is above all writing over time. The plot of a novel has to be as complete and solid as possible, in order to last for dozens of pages.
And if writing short stories does not meet the same challenges, writing a novel here ticks all the boxes so that the idea is as flawless as possible. And who says "the idea", says, by extension: the story.
In this way, it is important to determine one's motivation for writing on a particular theme, for constructing a story in a particular way, etc. Is it just to be shared with friends? Is it just to get published? Is it just to please yourself (which is also a very good reason)? Etc.
The viability of a story also depends on what you want to do with it. Also, if you take a step back from your ideas, notes, etc., you can often see whether the novel will hold up over time.
This can be supported by a very useful tool for many writers: an outline.
Novels: Using an Outline to Plan and Create a Story
When you start writing, ideas can come from anywhere, and it is important to know how to channel them. Because the skill of writing a story is also the skill of knowing where you are going. This ability to anticipate can be helped by drawing up a plan.
The methods of writing differ from one novelist to another, but it seems obvious to state, first of all, that there is no common rule. Some writers decide to plan and others let their pen run wild as they write.
The main thing is to feel as good as possible about writing and constructing your story. However, when designing a plan, the idea is to know, from beginning to end, how the story is going to unfold, so that you have an overview.
Changes of course can happen!
Surprises often happen, and this can disrupt the flow of the plan, but having a basis, a structure, can help to focus the story. This can also help you when you get writer’s block.
If you feel more ready to improvise in the writing of a novel, let yourself be tempted: an improvised story does not necessarily mean a story that does not hold together.
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Finding a Coherent Narrative Point of View to Write a Story
The question of narrative point of view is crucial to the overall coherence of the novel and the story. The English language is so rich that it allows anyone to develop a way of writing.
Is the narrator a main character in the novel? Does he or she take an omniscient point of view? Is it a biographer's point of view, outside the facts? Resolving this question at the outset helps to give coherence, both in time and clarity, to the story.
And although some writers do not hesitate to change the point of view during the course of the story, it is nevertheless advisable to think about it beforehand, so that the reader is not lost.
This can be facilitated by the intervention of the characters, who are also one of the foundations of a good story.
Remember, different points of view can give a different feeling to a narrative – so don’t be afraid to play around!
Carefully Crafting the Opening of Your Novel's Story
Yes, the first few pages of a novel are often very important, both for the average reader and for a potential publisher. They set the context and atmosphere of the story in the mind of the reader.
It is not essential that the beginning directly explain the context, but it should whet the appetite to read the story. For example, while a historical novel should set the context of the period in the first few pages, a crime novel can leave the suspense hanging from the start, to make you want to read the rest.
Try different opening sentences to your story and give it out to different people! See which one resonates the most.
The Importance of Rereading to Build a Story in a Novel
From noir novels to romance novels, re-reading your work allows you to edit your story and to realise whether the structure of the book works or not.
From this point of view, reading and re-reading what you have written is often a good idea and is a real help when writing. This is also why, in the writing habits of authors, rereading is a regular occurrence!
However, when you are actually involved in your story, you can sometimes lose perspective and think that everything is as good as it is in your mind, even though the narrative is flimsy.
What if you were to have your work proofread? Not necessarily by a publishing house (which is supposed to receive the best version of the manuscript if you want to be published), but by a relative, a person whose job it is, an agent, etc.
There are a thousand and one ways to get feedback on your story. Feedback that can be invaluable in building the strongest possible novel.
Feeling ready to write? Start by writing a chapter and see what comes of it!
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