Four Steps to Planning and Plotting Your Novel

Four Tasks to Complete Before Writing the First Page

Apr 14, 2009

Before you begin your novel you should have a workable outline, biographies of major characters, random scenes and research at hand.

Before you write the first page, as many crucial decisions should be made about your book as possible. This will save time and frustration later on and assure that you have what you need to concentrate on writing the book itself and not getting sidetracked. If you start with a workable story outline, biographies of major characters, random scenes, and with research at hand, the actual writing of your novel will go a lot faster and smoother.

A good plot outline serves as a guide and blueprint for the finished novel. Having a plot outline will ensure that you have enough material to make a complete novel. Developing the plot outline also points your novel in the right direction. You should know the major theme of the book, the obstacles the protagonist will face, and have some idea of the outcome. If you can’t come up with a complete plot outline, at least have a workable plan for the beginning, middle and end.

It is almost impossible to write a book without first knowing something about the main characters. Before you begin, make at least a short, one-page biography for each main character. The biography should give a physical description of the character. It should also tell a little about his past as well as his personal goals and aspirations. Having a biography to refer to will help keep your characters consistent in their appearance and their personality traits.

Get a feeling for your book by writing a few random scenes. What inspired you to write this book in the first place? Likely, it was a particular scene. Writing a rough draft of a few of the major scenes first will help you to find the focus of your novel. For now, don’t try to edit them and make them perfect, just get the feeling down before it is lost.

Even contemporary books need a little mental footwork. A writer should have a working knowledge of the setting in which the novel will take place. If the story is set back in time, the writer will also have to know a little about the chosen time era, the way people acted and dressed. Now is the time to get the basics ready and at hand. Otherwise, you will have to stop and start while you look up every detail, which can greatly distract from the creative flow. For now, do only the basic research that will be needed to write the book, take notes, and file them so you will have them at hand. Don’t delay your book to do detailed research, as this can turn into an ongoing project, but make sure you know enough about your setting to do a convincing job.

The copyright of the article Four Steps to Planning and Plotting Your Novel in Fiction Plots & Pacing is owned by Vickie Britton. Permission to republish Four Steps to Planning and Plotting Your Novel in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.