The Basic Steps of the Novel Writing Process
Plan
The first step in the writing process is the planning stage. The planning stage of the writing process is crucial as it sets the foundation for the entire writing project. During this stage, a writer typically engages in several activities, designed to prepare for the drafting stage. This step is essential because once you sit down to write the first draft, you’ll be prepared to “just do it” without getting sidetracked or bogged down in details that may never make it into your final draft.
Draft
A well-planned story outline will make writing the first draft of your novel seem like a cake walk. When it comes to the drafting stage of the novel writing process, the most important piece of advice I can give you is to just start writing and don’t stop until it’s done.
Evaluate
Once you have allowed your first draft a few days to cool, it’s time to come back to it and evaluate what you’ve written. I recommend that you read straight through the draft, taking notes as you go. There’s no need to fix anything right now. Just make a quick note and then keep reading. Don’t even worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation yet. There’s no point proofreading when there is still writing to do!
Learn how to evaluate the various elements of your manuscript.
Revise & Refine
This is where the real work happens! Revising, editing, and proofreading are all important steps in the writing process, but they serve different purposes and involve different techniques. The key differences between revising, editing, and proofreading lie in the level of detail and scope of changes involved in each stage. Revising is focused on making broad changes to the content and structure of your writing, while editing involves more detailed improvements to the language and style of your work. Proofreading is the final step in the process, and is focused on catching any remaining errors or issues before publication.
Learn the individual steps required to revise and refine your novel draft.
Publish
To publish traditionally or independently? That is the question! There are costs and rewards attached to each avenue, and it’s important to know which is best for your novel!
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Sell Your Novel!
Once you’ve written and published your novel, it’s time to sell it!
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