The Elements Of A Novel
One of the keys to becoming a brilliant writer is understanding the elements of a novel.
Many people pay hundreds for creative writing courses for this information. But Scott believes that information should be free.
Here are the basic elements that you need to know and understand before writing a novel.
Many people pay hundreds for creative writing courses for this information. But Scott believes that information should be free.
Here are the basic elements that you need to know and understand before writing a novel.
The Setting
The setting is the first thing you need to think of when brainstorming a novel.
The setting is defined as the time, place and circumstances that the story is set in. This information doesn't need to be lumped into the first chapter of your book, it can be revealed over time as the story progresses. But you should still have this information pre-planned beforehand.
The setting is defined as the time, place and circumstances that the story is set in. This information doesn't need to be lumped into the first chapter of your book, it can be revealed over time as the story progresses. But you should still have this information pre-planned beforehand.
Time examples:
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Place examples:
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The Characters
The next thing you need to plan is the characters. Every book has main, major, minor and chance characters.
The main character is usually the protagonist and the one the book centres around. There is also an antagonist, which is the character who provides "friction" to the story - this is usually a villain or "baddie", but not always. Sometimes books have more than one of both. But you don't want too many main characters, otherwise the story becomes difficult to follow. Two is the norm (eg - Henry DeTamble and Clare DeTamble), three is fine (eg - Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook), any more than that is a push and requires a brilliant story (Hunger Games / Lord of the Rings)
The main characters are the ones that the story is centred around. The major characters are the ones that accompany the main characters and are important to the story. The minor characters are those who are important to the story but are not mentioned often. The chance characters are the random people that the main character noticed but never interacts with (much like extras on a TV show).
The main character is usually the protagonist and the one the book centres around. There is also an antagonist, which is the character who provides "friction" to the story - this is usually a villain or "baddie", but not always. Sometimes books have more than one of both. But you don't want too many main characters, otherwise the story becomes difficult to follow. Two is the norm (eg - Henry DeTamble and Clare DeTamble), three is fine (eg - Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook), any more than that is a push and requires a brilliant story (Hunger Games / Lord of the Rings)
The main characters are the ones that the story is centred around. The major characters are the ones that accompany the main characters and are important to the story. The minor characters are those who are important to the story but are not mentioned often. The chance characters are the random people that the main character noticed but never interacts with (much like extras on a TV show).
Main Characters
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Major Characters
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Minor Characters
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Chance Characters
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The Conflict
This is the problem that the main character faces or the goal they need to achieve in the novel. Without this, there is no story. Some examples might be escaping from prison, investigating and then escaping a haunted house, forming a love affair, murdering someone, toppling a corrupt government and so on.
Let's look at Lord of the Rings for example - the conflict there is that Frodo must take the ring to Mordor and destroy it. If you have read the book, you know that it wasn't easy. If you haven't read this book series, then Scott recommends that you do so and study the writing. It shows excellent usage of all the character types and everything else covered on this page. Self-learning is obviously much cheaper than paying for a creative writing course. |
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The Climax
This is the point of the highest tension in a book. The part that makes the reader hold their breath and sit on the edge of their chair. The climax needs to be brilliant and unpredictable.
This could be a prison break, an epic battle, a fight for survival between two people and so on. Books which lack a climax are ones which generally get low reviews from readers, the climax adds excitement.
This could be a prison break, an epic battle, a fight for survival between two people and so on. Books which lack a climax are ones which generally get low reviews from readers, the climax adds excitement.
The Resolution
This is added after a climax. The problem has been solved, loose ends have been cleaned up and the day has been won. Or lost, depending on your story. If you plan on writing a sequel, always leave one or two loose ends unresolved by the end of your novel.
A brilliant example of climax and resolution can be found in the Hunger Games trilogy. Multiple climaxes, in fact. Scott recommends that new writers study the Hunger Games trilogy, taking note of the conflict, climax, resolution and how there are still loose ends remaining by the last pages. Link on the right. |
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Details, Details And Details!
- The ocean was blue.
- The sun shined through the window.
- The mountains were big.
- A wind hit my face.
What's wrong with the sentences above?
They're boring.
You need to cram details into your novel. You need to describe everything immaculately. Close your eyes and visualise the surroundings, people and objects. Then describe them on the paper. Just as a painter would add even the tiniest details onto their landscape painting or portrait. Depending on your writing perspective, you also need to go into detail about the feelings and emotions that your character is going through.
- The ocean was vast and deep blue, as if it was crafted from the finest sapphires.
- The warm, bright, golden-yellow rays of the sun shined through the window, dancing through her hair.
- The jagged, icy-blue mountains rose into the sky and penetrated the clouds, reaching out to the heavens above.
- A cold breeze brushed my face, like a gentle flannel dipped in ice-cold water, chilling my cheeks to the bone
About 60% of your writing will be about details. 30% focused on your characters and 10% on everything else.
Books without details are a chore to read through, they give the reader nothing to think about or visualise as they read. Without details your book is as exciting as a doorknob and as useful as damp firewood on a nuclear submarine.