Novels feel like they need a complete plot before you can start, but most working novelists begin with far less: a character, a want, an obstacle and enough sense of direction to write the opening chapters. The rest of the plot often becomes clearer through drafting.
Define the premise
A premise is a one- or two-sentence description of the situation the novel is built around. It is not the whole plot, just enough to know what kind of story you are telling.
Example
For example: “A woman inherits her estranged grandmother’s bookshop and discovers a decades-old mystery hidden in its accounts.” That single line already implies character, setting and a source of tension, without settling every detail of the plot.
Identify the protagonist
Decide whose story this is. Readers follow characters, not premises, so the protagonist needs to be someone whose experience of the situation is worth spending a whole book with.
What does the protagonist want?
A clear want, even a modest one, gives the story a direction and gives the reader something to root for. It can be external (find the missing letter) or internal (be believed), and often both at once.
What stops them?
Obstacles create the story. They can be other characters, circumstances, or something within the protagonist themselves, such as fear or a flawed assumption. Without something in the way, wanting something is not yet a story.
What happens if they fail?
This is the stakes: what the protagonist stands to lose. Stakes do not need to be dramatic in scale; they need to matter to the character in a way the reader can understand and feel.
Choose point of view
| POV | Effect | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| First person | Close, immediate, limited to what the narrator knows | Hard to convey information the narrator would not know |
| Close third | Intimate but slightly more flexible than first person | The most common choice in contemporary fiction |
| Multiple POV | Lets the reader see more of the story | Needs a clear, consistent structure so it does not confuse |
Changing point of view partway through a draft usually means rewriting a great deal, so it is worth deciding early, even provisionally.
Decide where the story begins
Start close to the point where something changes for the protagonist, not with extensive background. Readers can absorb backstory gradually; they cannot stay interested through pages of set-up before anything happens.
Sketch a beginning, middle and end
A loose sense of where the story starts, what the middle is broadly about, and one possible ending gives you enough shape to write toward, without locking in every scene. All three can change as the draft develops.
Start the first scene
Write the opening scene knowing it will likely be revised, possibly heavily, once the rest of the novel exists. Its job for now is to get the protagonist moving and give you a foothold in the story’s voice.
Keep drafting
The clearest sense of what the novel actually is tends to arrive partway through the draft, once the characters and situation have had time to develop. Keep writing forward, note anything that needs to change earlier, and address it on a later pass.
For more on shaping chapters and scenes as you go, see Writing Craft and Explore Fiction Authors.
Common mistakes
- Opening with pages of backstory. Readers need a reason to keep reading before they need history.
- Requiring the whole plot to be settled before starting. Much of a novel’s plot is often discovered in the writing of it.
- Switching point of view partway through without a plan. It usually creates significant rewriting later.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to outline the whole novel before starting?
No. A premise, protagonist, want, obstacle and rough shape are enough for most writers to begin drafting.
What if I do not know the ending?
That is common. Many novelists write toward a possible ending and revise it once the rest of the story is clearer.
How do I choose between first and third person?
Try writing the opening scene both ways. The version that feels more natural to write is usually the better fit.