How to Write a Novel as a Beginner: A 10-Step Guide

Apr 21, 2025

Writing a novel can seem like an overwhelming task, especially when you're just starting out. But with a structured approach and a little creativity, anyone can write a novel. Maybe you've been carrying a story in your heart for years or are just beginning to explore your imagination. This step-by-step guide will help you go from a simple story in your mind to finished manuscript.

Let’s break it down into 10 manageable steps.

1. Find Your Idea

Every novel starts with a spark, an idea that gets under your skin and won’t leave you alone. But where do these ideas come from?

Read Books

Great writers are great readers. Reading widely, both in the genre you want to write and beyond, exposes you to different storytelling techniques, voices, and themes. It helps you understand what’s been done and what you can do differently.

Try to analyze as you read: What makes a character compelling? Why did a plot twist surprise you? What emotions did the ending stir in you? Sometimes, you read a book and you think: the writer didn't explain that in a satisfying way... so maybe you could?

Use Writing Prompts

If you're stuck, writing prompts can be a lifesaver. Prompts encourage you to explore unexpected scenarios and characters, sparking creativity. You don’t need to stick to the prompt forever, it might just lead you to the seed of your story.

2. Create Unforgettable Characters

Characters are the beating heart of your novel. Readers won’t remember every plot detail, but they’ll remember how your characters made them feel.

That's why it's important to think about an unforgettable main protagonist, but to spend just as much time on your antagonist or your other characters.

A Protagonist with Strengths and Flaws

No one likes a perfect character. Your protagonist should have strengths that help them overcome obstacles, but also flaws that cause internal or external conflict. Maybe they're brave but impulsive, or compassionate but naïve.

Let's be honest here: strengths and flaws are not just here to make a character more real. They are also what will get them in trouble... or what will help them getting out. Your character needs an internal challenge to overcome. A flaw can also be a fatal flaw, one that will bring your character to their fall.

The Character’s Arc

Your protagonist should grow. That’s the character arc, the internal journey that mirrors (or contrasts) the external plot. Do they become wiser? Braver? Or perhaps more cynical?

To build a character's arc, you need to follow these steps:

What does your character want?
What stands in the way?
What they want isn't what they need (to grow and evolve). What do they need?
In what painful way do they find out what they want isn't the right answer?
Are they willing to make an effort to get what they need?

A character's arc isn't always positive. In a positive or flat arc, the protagonist usually overcomes the obstacles and makes an effort to get what they need, usually by sacrificing what they want (sometimes, that sacrifice eventually gives them what they want, but it's a bonus).

But in a negative arc, the main protagonist has no desire to work for what they need. What they want is more important, which usually leads to their downfall.

How Do You Write a Well-Written Character?

Well-written characters are simply not flat. Just think about yourself. You're not just a mix of qualities and flaws. You have goals (writing your novel, for example), and they're not easy to achieve. Life gets in the way, or sometimes, you stand in your own way! To write a good character, you need the same aspects:

Give them specific desires ;
Let them make choices, especially difficult ones ;
They can be passive at the beginning but make them active when it matters ;
Use dialogue and inner thoughts to reveal personality ;
Show, don’t tell: reveal character through action.

What to Avoid When Writing a Character?

The first thing you should obviously avoid is a cliché. The brooding bad boy has a tragic past, we're pretty aware of it. Tragic backstories are not bad, but in some cases, you can see it coming from miles away. But there are other things that you should pay attention to when writing a character:

Don’t make them too perfect or too evil ;
Don’t ignore diversity and complexity ;
Avoid flat, one-note personalities. Give every character a goal and conflict, even side characters.

3. Turn Your Idea into a Plot

Now that you have characters, it's time to put them through some trouble. A plot isn’t just “stuff that happens”, it’s about cause and effect. One event leads to another, shaped by character decisions and challenges.

Even if you're not a big fan of overly constructed structures, you need to know where your story is going. It doesn't have to be complex, a rough sketch is enough. You just need to follow this VERY simple method:

Put your character in trouble as soon as possible ;
They're doing their best to get out of trouble... but it gets worse ;
Just problems after problems after problems ;
The situation is now hopeless, everything seems lost...
But your character has learned along the way, and they finally find a way out!

The way out doesn't have to be positive, it all depends on your character's arc. If you're a pantser, this structure is enough to start. But if you're a plotter, you need a more detailed outline.

4. Outline Your Novel

Outlining helps you stay on track and avoid writer’s block. It doesn’t have to be rigid: think of it as a roadmap, not a prison.

Find the Good Structure

Choose a structure that fits your story. The most common are:

Three-Act Structure: Beginning (setup), Middle (confrontation), End (resolution).
Freytag’s Pyramid: Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement.
Hero’s Journey: A circular narrative structure involving call to adventure, trials, transformation, and return.

Pick one and use it as a framework to organize your scenes and turning points.

Follow the Plot Elements

Ensure your plot includes:

Exposition (introducing characters and world)
Inciting Incident (the event that kicks off the story)
Rising Action (challenges and stakes increase)
Climax (the turning point)
Falling Action (after the climax, consequences unfold)
Resolution (loose ends tied up)

5. Write the First Sentence of Your Book

The first sentence is your story’s handshake. It sets the tone and invites readers in. It is also called the hook.

Finding a Great Hook

A great hook sparks curiosity. It could be:

A mysterious statement
An emotional revelation
A quirky observation
Action mid-moment

Example: “The day I killed my father started like any other.”

Writing a First Chapter

The first chapter should:

Introduce the protagonist
Show their world
Present the first signs of conflict
End with a question or tension that makes us want more

A common advice is to avoid info-dumping or backstory overload. While you should get into the action quickly, I personally like a good info-dump in the first draft BUT you'll need to cut a lot (or move things around) when you start editing.

6. Create a Big Problem

Every story needs conflict. Without it, there’s no reason to turn the page.

Writing the Inciting Incident

This is the moment everything changes. It might be subtle or explosive, but it launches the protagonist into their journey. It should be unavoidable and push the character out of their comfort zone.

Inciting incident is the common name in a 3-act structure. In a hero's journey, it's called "crossing the threshold", not to be confused with the "call to adventure", which is just a first glimpse at the global conflict.

The roadblocks

The second act of your story is about problems. They are usually linked to the main conflict, but they are roadblocks, little challenges your characters have to face. They learn things along the way. And then...

7. Make Everything Feel Hopeless

This is sometimes called the "Darkest Hour" or the "Dark Night of the Soul." It’s the moment when your character hits rock bottom. They’ve tried and failed. All seems lost.

Why is this important? It sets the stage for redemption, comeback, or a hard-earned victory. It also shows what your character is truly made of.

8. Write the Climax

The climax is where everything comes to a head. The protagonist faces the biggest challenge, often the antagonist or the internal demon they’ve been avoiding.

Make it high-stakes. Make it messy. Make it satisfying.

Don’t Forget Falling Action and Resolution

After the climax, give your readers a moment to breathe with the falling action. Tie up loose ends. Reflect on how things have changed.

Questions to ask:

What did the character learn?
Did they get what they wanted, or something better?
How is the world different now?

9. Don’t Read Your Story Yet

Tempting as it is to dive into editing right away... don’t. You've just finished your manuscript and obviously, you want to start fixing mistakes, while all the details are still in your mind. Here's the thing: you've spent so much time thinking about every detail of your story, you're not objective anymore.

Give your manuscript time to breathe. Step away for a few weeks. This distance helps you return with fresh eyes and a more objective view. I give it at least a month, two is usually better.

Use this break to celebrate: you wrote a novel!

10. Start Editing

Now comes the hard part: revision. But this is where the real magic happens.

Can You Edit a Book Yourself?

Yes, and you should. Your first draft is just raw material. Read it through without making changes, taking notes instead. Then look into this:

Fix plot holes
Deepen characters
Improve pacing
Tighten dialogue, and dialogue tags
Cut unnecessary scenes

After self-editing, consider getting beta readers or hiring a professional editor for feedback.

What Is the Process of Editing a Book?

Big Picture Edits (Developmental Editing): Focus on structure, plot, pacing, characters.
Scene-Level Edits: Improve flow, dialogue, clarity.
Line Edits: Enhance sentence structure and word choice.
Copyediting: Grammar, punctuation, and consistency.
Proofreading: Final polish before publishing.