How to Write a Novel

Most popular posts

An image of an open lockbox suggests that the omniscient narrator is the keeper of a vault that can selectively reveal the right information to the audience at certain times

The Omniscient Narrator: Balancing What to Tell and When

The omniscient narrator sees everything. Every private conviction, every hidden fear, every gap between what a character believes and what...

Motorcyclists on a curved track conveys the fast-paced action of a story following the fichtean curve

The Fichtean Curve

The Fichtean Curve takes a different approach from other story structure models. Most structure templates take a little time to...

Substack logo on white

Writing Short-Form Articles for Substack

If you’re like me, and wondered if being on social media and doing book promotion was even compatible with the...

A man solemnly wears a lot of many hats that he needs to sell — is this what you want your writing to represent?

“Too Many Hats” — Why Your Screenplay Loses Focus

“Too many hats” is one of the most common traps a screenwriter can fall into, and it almost always begins...

When excavating photographs and old memories one may find what they need in memoir ideas for their next stories

Memoir Ideas: Finding the Story Only You Can Tell

Some writers believe you need to have lived a dramatic life in order to write a great memoir, but that’s...

A man holds a duke by the hair with a knife to suggest a sometimes simple and violent heart of a central conflict. More quickly identified.

Central Conflict

Though you may love and care about your protagonist, there needs to be a central conflict in your story. You...

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...