Before diving into writing a draft, investing significant time into planning and structuring your novel is time well spent. Comprehensive pre-writing preparation provides a solid foundation that can prevent plot holes, inconsistent characters, and sagging middles down the line.
Start by creating in-depth profiles for each main character. Details like their background, motivations, personality quirks, flaws, and emotional wounds allow characters to come to life in your mind before hitting the page. Brainstorm key relationships between characters as well.
Next, flesh out the parameters of your settings. Are they real or fictional places? What sights, smells, and sounds exist there? Define any rules, histories, cultures, and layouts central to each location.
With characters and settings established, map out the complete narrative arc chapter-by-chapter. Outline the major plot points, conflicts, and resolutions that drive your story forward. This provides a guiding structure.
Finally, summarize what happens in each chapter. These 1-2 paragraph breakdowns capture the essence without getting bogged down in details.
Following this planning process, you can proceed to write your first draft with confidence, knowing key elements have already been developed and sequenced. Your pre-writing preparations pay dividends in the resulting depth, consistency, and cohesion of your story. It’s time well invested.
The writing process depends on inspiration, but inspiration depends on preparation. Approaching a draft with a detailed roadmap in hand helps you travel farther and faster. The work you put in before writing your first sentence will strengthen every sentence that follows.
G.S. Wright 