How to Write a Damn Good Novel

Characters are to a novelist what lumber is to a carpenter and what bricks are to a bricklayer.

Characters are to a novelist what lumber is to a carpenter and what bricks are to a bricklayer. Create rounded characters. Develop three-dimensional characters with complex motives, conflicting desires, and rich inner lives. Go beyond stereotypes by giving characters contradictory traits and unexpected qualities. Build detailed character biographies, exploring their physiological, sociological, and psychological dimensions. Identify the character's core. Uncover each character's ruling passion - their central motivating force that drives their actions throughout the story. This passion should be rooted in their backstory and inform their decisions and conflicts. Characters should be determined and well-motivated, operating at their maximum capacity within the bounds of their established traits. Examples of compelling characters: Michael Corleone in The Godfather Scrooge in A Christmas Carol Emma Bovary in Madame Bovary

Story is struggle. How a character struggles reveals who he is. Create multi-layered conflict. Develop external conflicts between characters, as well as internal conflicts within characters themselves. Ensure that conflicts are evenly matched, with well-motivated opponents on all sides. Use conflict to reveal character traits, force difficult choices, and drive the plot forward. Maintain rising tension. Structure your story so that conflicts escalate and complications multiply, building pressure on the characters. Avoid static or jumping conflicts by having characters change incrementally in response to mounting obstacles. Create a "crucible" that keeps characters locked in conflict until the final resolution. Types of conflict: Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society Man vs. Self

Writing a story without a premise is like rowing a boat without oars. Develop a clear premise. Formulate your premise as a concise statement that encapsulates the core conflict and transformation of your story. A good premise contains character, conflict, and conclusion. Use your premise as a guiding principle for plot development and character arcs. Let the premise shape your story. Use your premise to determine which scenes, characters, and subplots to include or exclude. Every element should contribute to proving the premise. Be willing to cut beloved scenes or characters if they don't serve the central thesis of your story. Examples of strong premises: "Greed leads to self-destruction" (The Great Gatsby) "Love conquers all" (Romeo and Juliet) "Power corrupts" (Animal Farm)

A story is a narrative of consequential events involving worthy human characters who change as a result of those events. Craft a compelling narrative arc. Structure your story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start just before the inciting incident, develop the conflict through rising action, build to a climactic moment, and provide a satisfying resolution. Use a step-sheet to plan out the key events and character developments.…