5 Steps Needed To Write A Novel

1 – Finding A Topic

What are your interests?

What do you like? What do your readers like? How would you like to change the world? What would you like to change in the world? Do you want to change the entire world or just your world? Are you wanting to educate, entertain or both? How would you like to see your characters grow, change and evolve?

Our series did not start out as a novel, book, blog or short stories. It started out as a dream and then a poem in 1999. So how did I/we choose a topic? It was through prayer and asking for guidance in regards to what we should focus on.

2 – Having A Passion

What can you do to show your readers who your characters are?

If advocacy is your passion, how can your character show or lead to a better way of living? If giving glory to the Father is your passion, how can you keep your characters from falling off into temptation? If academics are your passion, can the nonprofessional understand what you are trying to say? If horror is your passion, what can you do to scare the crap out of your readers without scaring them off the read?

My passion is helping others find a loving Father who will help and teach others who He is and how He can bring light to those who are hidden, buried in the dark.

3 – Research Your Topic

Why do you need to research our topics?

Once a topic and the passion have been determined, research is the next step. Names, birthdates, locations, jobs, how accurate do you want your story to be? Do you want to use real places? Do you want to use real businesses, services, ministries?

Our novels are based on fictional characters and their stories are fictional, but the stops, businesses, services and ministries are real. Google maps is awesome in being able map out roads, destinations and even the interior of some businesses. Google scholar is also a wonderful basis for finding information.

4 – Finding Support

Do you need support?

The support of others – friends, loved ones, co-writers, etc. is needed in order to be able to successfully write and complete a novel, blog or short stories.

My support consists of friends and loved ones encouraging me to write on and not give up. Giving Deborah, Pipi, Haulani and Alain, voices to be able to share what Daddy (My God) is doing in my life and theirs.

5 – Revisions and Editing

Is this the end of the work?

The last thing to do before sending off to a publisher is to go through the entire novel or short story to revise, update and edit what you have written.

This is where your supporters come in handy. Ask friends and loved one to read what you have written. Ask them to let you know what they think, if anything does not make sense. Additionally, if you use Microsoft word or Acrobat Reader they can be set to read what you have typed, so you can hear how it sounds, how it flows or where it stumbles.