How do you plan your novel?

Question

How do you plan your novel before writing it? What are the steps you take? be specific, please. thanks.

Answer 1

Like First , I have several ideas.

I am writing them to a paper. Then , i see what idea is most  appealing to me , and i choose it like a main plot.

When I know the plot i'm creating the story.

When the story is in my mind , i am setting it down like a short review.

When I'm done with the story , i'm creating the characters. You can write down their names , their physical appearance , the positive and negative sides of their personality.

After that , i start with the writing.

Good luck

xx Greetings

Answer 2

i think if you plan your novel that will only hold back any good ideas that may develop

Answer 3

How do I plan my novel? Well, I don't do too much planning because I feel that restricts a writer. But once I get an idea in my head, I rush over to my notebook, grab a pen, and jot that idea down. Then, I set it aside for a bit to really begin thinking about it. Generally, I only write major points down--the things that I KNOW are going to be in my novel. Once I have those down, I begin to compile some character bios. Once I have that done, I sit down and start typing. I don't worry about anything. I just write because it's only a rough draft.

Writing a rough draft is easy; it should be. You don't want to let anything interrupt you while you let your fingers fly on that keyboard. Even if you get writer's block--which is often a sign of poor planning or procrastination--you need to force yourself to write, because once that re-write comes around, you have to devote every ounce of gray matter to that story.

Writing a novel is easy, writing a good novel is hard, writing a great novel is excruciating. First draft=second draft=10%. In my case, it equals about 40%.

But you can't really plan your story--it's like a news article. You have your interviews planned out, but then the person you're interviewing says something to one of your questions, and then you realize you need to take your story in a different direction because it will be better that way.

When I began doing the second draft of my novel, I added a lot of stuff that I didn't think was going to be in the book. Now that I'm on my final re-write, I took out that stuff, and added a few things I never thought I would ever add.

Writing is completely unpredictable. It's like an unplanned pregnancy. It just happens. You don't find good ideas. They find you.  

Answer 4

This is a very good question and most authors (even famous ones) will tell you that there is no plan, outline etc. It is all in their head. An author once stated that it is like a road trip. You know the destination, but how you get there is the fun part. There will be obstacles that you will have to solve. It is not how you get there, but how you make the journey. There is a magazine called Writer's Digest that can also give you some help.  

Answer 5

I don't plan. I get a good idea of what the characters and basic story are like, then I just start writing. If I analyze my story too much, I'll lose my original passion for the idea.

Don't get me wrong, I love people that can sit down and make outlines for each chapter of their story. But I don't think that's necessary. Plus, takes the fun out of writing.