So you want to write a novel? Excellent! What’s that? You’ve written half of one and either chucked your computer out the window or buried your work in disgust? You’re not alone. Writing a novel can be a wonderfully fulfilling or unspeakably frustrating experience (or a little of both). My debut novel, THE DARK PROVINCE: SON OF DUPRIN, was not intended to be my first. I bitterly abandoned an old project to take it on, and when I did this I adopted a new attitude toward developing my idea before setting out to write the manuscript. I am now a firm believer that a proper development phase should be the first step in writing a novel.

Here are some tips for a successful development phase:

Designate a notebook for that particular novel and write any thoughts or feelings you have about the piece in it. And I mean everything: quotes from the characters, an intense dialogue, part of an action scene, a moment of intense romance. Write it all down. Even write your personal thoughts on the piece. Does it remind you of a time or person in your life past or present? A freewrite about how it relates can inspire a new ideas for your story.

Perform short freewrites describing characters and setting. Before I wrote THE DARK PROVINCE I knew Calvin Gooding’s family. I knew his strict father and the duplicity of his mother’s faith and gentle pessimism. I knew how deeply committed he was to his traditions. I knew he wasn’t married and how strongly he believed in abstinence. I also knew the history of the land of Duprin; its past wars, its landscape, even its level of technological advancement. Characters, their world, and the story comprise the sacred who, where, and what for your novel. The clearer the picture you can paint of these, the more prepared you will feel when you sit down to write your manuscript.

Frequently attempt to describe the story in less and less words until you can do so in fewer than 25 words. This will focus you more and more on what types of actions you’re looking for. It should include a description of the main character and what they need. For example: An epic fantasy adventure about a deeply religious man who must, to save his dying sister, defy his religion and follow his faith. (23 words) Example 2: A gutsy love story about two childhood friends from a dusty, desert town who must restore a mother’s legacy before it tears them apart. (24 words)

Brainstorm plot points for your story. You need a lot of these with 2 or 3 being particularly pivotal. The first major plot point happens about a quarter of the way through your story. It drives us into the main body of the book’s drama. The mid point happens half way through the story. It serves to kick up the second act drama and keep the action moving in the body of the story. Plot point 2 happens about three quarters of the way through the story with about one quarter left. It places the character at their lowest point or performs a dramatic reversal further deepening the main character’s incline toward resolution.

Develop your beginning and ending and then describe them over and over. I advocate knowing the beginning and ending of your novel before you start writing it; particularly if you’re writing something you want someone, someday to buy. A compelling beginning hooks the reader and invites them to read the rest. An ending must be satsifying to fulfill the story’s arc of action and inspire future readers to recommend it to their friends. Repeatedly describing them during development places them firmly in your mind and helps assure that they are ever present guides as you write the body of your novel.

Write a one-page general summary. When you have your plot points, beginning, and ending play a little connect-the-dots. Have fun exploring the events that will get you from one point to the next. In your previous brainstorm of plot points you probably came up with some good ones that didn’t end up being the major pivotal ones. Flip back to those. They may just fit well on your roadmap.

When you feel ready to write a chapter summary, set a deadline. Look at you – you’ve done all this great developmental work! You are close now to being able to write a solid first draft of a manuscript. Plan on devoting a certain amount of time to briefly describe each chapter. You can do in bullet or paragraph form. Either way works. Give yourself 2-4 weeks to complete this task, no more than 30 days. This will encourage you to trust the work you’ve already done. If you are unsatisfied when you complete this. Set a new 2-4 week goal for further development and revision.

A good development phase can help substantially on the journey of taking whatever piece your passion guides you to write and make it the best it can be. I find that the more effective my process is, the more my passion has room to breathe and inspire. Good luck!