Guest blogger, Carole Gift Page, shares her Ten Steps in Writing a Novel, a technique she has taught as well as used in her own writing for over 30 years.
Step One: Begin with an Idea—for a particular THEME, a particular PLOT, or a particular CHARACTER. We covered theme in the last blog, so now we will cover plot and character.
PLOT: The action of your novel. Your main character encounters a series of complications in his effort to reach a specific goal or resolve a seemingly overwhelming problem. The plot must evolve out of the needs and motivations of your main characters and must in some way be crucial to their well-being. Remember, conflict is essential to plot! A story without conflict is merely a series of incidents that will not likely hold your readers’ interest.
If you begin with plot, ask yourself what type of characters would be most likely to be involved in such a plot and what theme might be conveyed?
CHARACTER: The person or persons who are central to the plot and through whom the theme of the story is revealed. They must be depicted realistically and evoke the reader’s empathy and emotion. Your main or viewpoint character should change in some recognizable way through the course of your story.
If you begin with character, consider what type of plot and theme would best demonstrate your character’s traits and inner qualities.