How to Write a Novel

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A woman is being chased by a stork in a picture used to represent historical fiction and the many ways it creates powerful images for readers.

Historical Fiction

If you’ve found yourself enchanted by tales of a bygone era, you’re likely a fan of historical fiction.  In this...

Every writer wants to know how to write faster, a race car visualizes how you may speed up your process in time

How to Write Faster

Every writer at one time or another thinks: I need to write faster. The page is blank. The clock is...

Proofreading Marks

Proofreading marks are symbols used to denote corrections to a manuscript. Many editors today use “track changes” features on various...

Pacing in writing is difficult for all writers. Imaged here is a woman who looks stuck while the world moves quickly around her.

Pacing in Writing

Many writers struggle to get the pacing right in their stories. We adjust scenes: adding, trimming, and attempting to hike...

A hand writing on papers with a red pen suggests the romance that can be found in the process of proofreading work

Proofreading

While your Editing Checklist is about clarity and pacing, and your Rewrite is about adjusting the structure and polishing character...

Conquering a giant rock is a parallel for the character who, rooted in dilemma, is guiding your audience through external conflict to make meaning of the madness in the world.

External conflict

Without tension or conflict, a story will not only be boring, but absent of meaning.  At the heart of every...

A woman in a red dress looking pensively to the corner of the frame to dramatize the difficulty of how to plan a novel
Blog
Alan Watt

How to Plan a Novel

Learn how to plan a novel by balancing creative intuition with a structured 90-day schedule, from initial inquiry to finishing your first draft.

Read More »
Blog
Alan Watt

How to Plot a Novel

Balance your character’s wants and needs if you want to learn how to plot a novel by using a central dilemma to turn events into a fleshed out story.

Read More »

Recent posts

A woman in a red dress looking pensively to the corner of the frame to dramatize the difficulty of how to plan a novel

How to Plan a Novel

Learn how to plan a novel by balancing creative intuition with a structured 90-day schedule, from initial inquiry to finishing...

How to Plot a Novel

Balance your character's wants and needs if you want to learn how to plot a novel by using a central...
how to write a novel

How to Write a Novel: Step by Step

“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” – W. Somerset Maugham There...

how many words in a novel

“How Many Words in a Novel?”

How many words long should your novel be? The short answer is . . . as long as it needs...

novels vs books

Novels vs Books — What’s the Difference?

The words “book” and “novel” are sometimes used interchangeably. But they actually mean different things. In this article, I’ll describe...

novel outline

How to Outline Your Novel in 5 Steps

Each writer has their own process. Some writers (often called pantsers) believe that outlining their novel limits their creativity, while...

novel structure

The Essential Guide to Novel Structure for Writers

A novel’s story structure is an essential aspect to creating a compelling narrative. While the beginnings of a story emerge...

novel

What is a Novel? Definition, History, and Key Characteristics

We use the word novel casually, as if it simply means “a long story,” but a novel is defined by...

Genres

Novel Genres: Top 9 Fiction Categories

When talking about your writing project with a friend, one of their first questions will likely be “What is the...

12 Maxims of The 90-Day Novel

12 Maxims of The 90-Day Novel

Have you thought about your creative goals for this coming year? If you’re planning to write your novel, here are...

Sell Your Novel to the Movies

Sell Your Novel to the Movies

When I did a book tour for my first novel, someone asked, “Have you sold the film rights?” And when...

Writing Fiction: Letting Go of Our Story

Writing Fiction: Letting Go of Our Story

“Danger lies in the writer becoming the victim of his own exaggeration, losing the exact notion of sincerity, and in...