How to write a good novel

A novel is a work of fiction containing at least 50 000 words. A work of fiction containing up to 100 000 words is a novella or novelette.

The great German poet, novelist and dramatist Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) advised would-be novelists to start with short pieces. He himself first made a name with his autobiographical novelette The Sorrows of Young Werther. His advice was apparently taken up by some of history’s great writers.

Leo Tolstoy started with novelettes such as Childhood, the Cossack and several others before he wrote War and Peace. W. Somersil Maugham started with a novelette Liza of Lambeth before he wrote bigger novels such as the Moon and Sixpence and Of Human Bondage. The success with small pieces encouraged them to try bigger works. And that is what budding novelists should also do.

Novels cover various aspects of life—love, hatred, war and peace. There are science novels, thrillers, adventure stories and so on. The would-be novelist should select the field in which he is interested and in which he has some personal experience.

One of the well-known French writers of the 20th century Andre Maurois, in his book The Art of Writing, says once the choice of subject has been made, one must jump into a book as one jumps into water.

“If one goes on testing the temperature with one toe,” says Maurois; “one will never learn how to swim. Once the plunge is taken, the swimmer will soon learn to adapt himself to cold and currents. The initial decision is what matters”.

Most beginners start with autobiographical novels. This is because a great novel has its origin in the authors experience of life, whether the novel is historical, science or social protest. It must reflect some aspect of the author’s life experience.

“Almost all great novels,” continues Maurois; “have as their motif more or less disguised, the passage from childhood to maturity, the clash between the thrill of expectation, and the disillusionary knowledge of truth.”

Once you have decided what type of novel you want to write, read some good novels—classics and modern ones—in that field and try to borrow something from them. Ask yourself: Why have these books been popular for so long? Do not be afraid to imitate. Great scientists like Sir Isaac Newton and playwrights like William Shakespeare borrowed freely from their great predecessors.

A professional in a sense writes wherever he is. He keeps a diary in which he jots ideas, themes and characters that pop into his head. Even dreams have been the source of material for the work of fiction.

Decide where and when you want to start writing. Creative writing is done in isolation not crowds. Have a special room where you can write without interruption. Have regular hours of writing just as you do have regular hours of working in the office or in school.

Plan your work. Those who do not give time to planning indirectly plan to fail. First decide the theme of our novel. This is the central idea, the message or moral the book will convey. You can appreciate what a theme is by reading fables or tales. Those which are good have clear themes such as the danger of crime, the faults of a cunning life or betrayal.

In your plan, jot down the theme. Then proceed to the plot. This is a series of events that will be included in the story of your novel. Some of these incidents will be imaginary, others will be based on what you have witnessed or read somewhere.

After the plot, work on the characters. These are persons that will appear in your novel as actors or victims. All great novels have a major character known as a protagonist. The other characters move around this major character. Names are not enough; they must have special attributes such as bravery, kindness or cruelty. The word to note in fiction is ‘verisimilitude’ which means the story and characters should be believable. If you say your protagonist was a man with four legs, who would believe this?

As you proceed, make sure the story has conflicts in it. Unless there is conflict in the story, readers will soon be boxed and throw the book away.

There should be suspense, which which creates curiosity as to what will happen next. The Baghdad tales called Arabian Nightmare are particularly good with the suspense. Read some of them if you have not already.

Remember, a writer is a re-writer or reviser. A good novel cannot come out of the first draft.