How to Not Write a Novel Key Guidelines

If you search the internet you will come across numerous websites that provide information on how to write novels. However, you can also get information on how to not write a novel. It is especially useful to those who are just starting out as it tells them what to avoid so as to come up with a good novel.

The first thing you ought to know about how to not write a novel is that you should stick to showing and avoid telling the reader what to expect. When writing a novel, your aim should be to keep readers glued through intense suspense and action. Therefore, when creating your dialogue and actions, it is crucial that you show not tell your readers what is going on. When you show your readers the emotions of the characters, you draw them in. What is more, you make them experience the story for themselves thus keeping them interested. Once you finish writing your novel, you should read through it and edit any sections that are akin to summaries.

Failing to have enough action and conflict is how to not write a novel. The only way you can make your novel compelling to the readers is to include sufficient challenges, conflict and pain. You must understand that your book ceases to be a novel and becomes a compilation of incidents if it does not have adequate conflict. If you are just a beginner, it is vital that you talk to skilled writers. They are best placed to provide you with information on how much conflict and challenge to incorporate in your novel.

Using a lot of narrative even before your story begins is also included in how to not write a novel. You should bear in mind that where there is too much narrative in the first chapter, readers do not wait to read the second chapter. Ensure that you read through your finished novel and edit out any narrative that precedes an action scene. If you have read some of the best selling novels, you may have noticed that they do not contain a lot of narrative. This is because narratives are only interesting when they serve as back stories.