Writing a Novel-Get a Character

Writing a novel is a noble undertaking. And a lot of work. A lot more than most people realize. But if it is your dream and desire to write a novel, then good for you! We’re going to cover the basics of writing a novel to help you out.

Big caveat to keep in mind: While there are some generally accepted standards for novels (romance novels are about a romantic relationship between two people, novels have a beginning, middle and end, etc.), there really are no rules for a novel. Every writing “rule” has been broken by some writer somewhere.

It’s good to learn the rules, so you can break them on purpose (to achieve a particular effect with your novel, perhaps). Breaking rules because you don’t even know that the “rules” exist isn’t going to get you very far as a writer.

So, rather than rules, we’ll talk about guidelines. The first guideline is to get a Character.

A Great Character

A novel usually has at least one character, though that character doesn’t have to be human (look at all the children’s books with animals as the main character) or even alive (vampire fiction, anyone?) A character gives your reader someone to cheer for or root against, and you want your reader to be involved in your story.

A Cast of One or Thousands

You can have one character or a few thousand. Though a thousand would be a lot to keep track of and all those people might confuse your reader. (Was that Mary With the Bad 80’s Perm who wanted to marry Jimmy the Grocer’s Delivery Boy or was it Mary With the Desperately Sad Attraction to Polyester Clothing? Neither, it was Carrie the Bungee-Jumping Goth who had the crush on Timmy the Geek With the Velvet-Lined Pocket Protector.)

Good, Bad or Really Bad

Your character can be sympathetic (a hero), a necessary evil (an anti-hero), or the worst villain to ever live. What you want is a character that your reader cares about. It doesn’t matter if the reader wants to see your character roast in a dark pit of burning napalm (which could be the villain or the hero, if your reader is a bit twisted). Wanting the character to roast means that your reader “cares” and that’s what you want. If your reader doesn’t care, they’ll set your book down quickly and move on to something that does engage their emotions.

So, the first ingredient for your novel… a character that your reader can really love or really hate.

Related posts:

1. Your Character Is NOT His Name & Weight

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