Your Novel Idea

So you have an idea for a fiction novel. You know the beginning, the middle and the end. You’ve sharpened your pencils, taken the cover off the computer and you’re roaring to go. Who says you do not have a Nobel Prize winner at your fingertips? 

 

Before you start punching the keyboard with wild abandon, stop, take a deep breath and let’s go through your idea.

 

Novels are classed by genre. That makes it easy to categorise and even easier for you to market. Do a little research; go to your local bookshop and have a look at the back covers of some books. “The new Frank Peretti” and “Combines the passion of Francine Rivers with the suspense of Ted Dekker” could easily apply to any marketing spiel or reviews of a writer that you see. Frank Peretti’s genre is thrillers while Francine Rivers is arguably the market leader of contemporary Christian novels. Just the simple act of aligning a writer’s novel with Francine Rivers and Ted Dekker is enough to give potential buyers a pretty accurate view of what to expect from a novel. Genres even make it easier to share another writer’s readership. For example, as a non-established writer, it makes sense for comparisons to be drawn between yourself and other established writers because their readers will in a sense know what to expect from you and hence be drawn to your novels.

 

Fiction novels are generally categorised in four main groups; thriller, contemporary, romance and historical. Of course your novel can have all four combinations but in general, it’s best to stick to an easily identifiable category. It’s easy for your publisher to market and easy for your readers to identify. But then, you can also refuse to limit your work to simple categories because you are a writer and your creativity rebels against it.

 

Now that would be foolish…

 

Yes, another categorisation but one worth thinking about. In general, thrillers tend to be plot driven. The characters in the novel merely serve as a conduit for the novel’s plot. The writer has a story to tell and the characters provide the means by which to tell it. Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness are two examples of a plot driven novel. 

 

Contemporary novels are the opposite. The central character (s) provide much of the novel’s plot. In many cases, character driven novels focus on the character’s development and the way he/she deal with the things happening to them. The reader is swept by the events and challenges faced by the character (s) and they turn the pages wondering and asking, “Will she make it?”, “Will they make it?” “Oh Lord, let them make it!”

 

I’ll phrase it another way; will the plot hold the reader’s interest? Very often, a writer starts a project with the fiery jealousy of a newly erupted volcano. Nothing, absolutely nothing gets in the way of his/her new novel. They forget to eat and sleep and they spend their waking moments thinking about the novel. It consumes them. All too quickly they get to the middle and their interest wanes. The novel becomes an albatross and what they once looked upon with fiery passion becomes an object as detestable as the British weather.

 

I cannot promise that you will not get to this stage but I can give you a sure fire way of avoiding this kind of situation otherwise known as Writer’s Crossroads.

 

In the first instance, have a well-developed plot. Think it through. Use chapter outlines. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They help to keep you focused on the story and make it easier to spot holes. Chapter outlines give you an aerial view of your novel and untold opportunities to constantly review your plot, your characters’ development and your literary skill. Some publishers also request chapter outlines because they want to know how your story develops without reading the entire novel. Save yourself some time and preserve your future sanity. Write your chapter outlines before your start your novel. Again, this is a matter of preference but you wouldn’t have anybody but yourself to blame when an unplanned character comes out of nowhere and decides to take over your novel.

 

You have been warned…

 

I don’t know about you but I get pretty sick and tired of boring characters. They don’t seem to do anything but be the boring person the writer has made them to be. Give your characters a human face. Murderers, doctors, spies, people…they are not one person all the time. Doctors are human beings too. We tend to think of them as rational and logical human beings but take it from me; they are not like that all the time. I should know, my younger sister and brother are doctors. In her spare time, my sister likes to read romance novels and watch stupid films. And yes, we argue and love each other dearly. But when she goes on the A & E wards, she’s Ms Professionalism all the way. Her patients would never guess she had an argument about the existentialism of Milton’s Paradise Lost half an hour earlier with her older sister (moi).

 

Know your characters. Know what they wear, what they eat and even how they dress. Make them human, make them real and above all, give them life. The world is not interested in one dimensional characters because we as human beings are not one dimensional. God is creative and He has given us personalities, traits and mannerisms that make us who we are. Do you have evil characters in your novel? Give them life. Make them human. Give them character traits that would make the reader love them or loathe them. Your characters must connect with your readers in such a way that they become real to them. Is the character an assassin? What is his pet hate? Is it messy or boring jobs that offend and undervalue his skill as an assassin? Is your character a serial killer? Do they have nightmares? What is their weakness?

 

When you create your characters, breathe into them and let them live. If they don’t, your novel will die.

 

Research your market. Know who you are writing for. As a new writer, it is imperative that you are aware of the different trends of the fiction market. The last few years have seen a trend towards end time novels, no doubt spurred on by The Left Behind series. Terrorist novels are also beginning to make their way into the fiction market. Know the trends and ask yourself where your novel will fit in the trend. 

 

Who would buy your novel? Kids, youths, women or men? It’s important to know whom your novel would appeal to so you can adapt and market it accordingly. Frank Peretti’s Veritas Project is a case in point. The series is mainly aimed at youths but will still give hours of delightful reading for those not in that category.

 

Of course, you are not writing solely to appeal to certain sexes, economic groups or ages but it is something that you should think about.