The challenge of becoming a novel writer is often misperceived by aspiring novel writers. Some future novel writers perceive it as easier than it is and others think it is next to impossible. There is also a common misconception that avid readers can easily write a novel. Although reading certainly helps, like other forms of art, appreciating the art is different than creating the art.
Thanks to the easy availability of information on the Internet, many aspiring writers think they have mastered the craft of writing a novel. However, all those websites with tips and tricks for becoming a novel writer, including this one, can only teach the structure, techniques, and format of writing a novel. While learning these components are certainly a necessity, they are not a substitute for practice. The style of novel and the intricacies and nuances which make a novel unique and popular are dependent on the writer’s imagination.
Novels are comprised of one or more protagonists who fight for a cause and one or more antagonists with whom they struggle, forming the crux of the novel. However, the manner in which the characters are developed, the portrayal of the most important scenes, and the relevance of the content are all important in making the novel a success.
Early novels followed a linear structure and had characters communicating in bookish language rather than in colloquial language. However, writers such as Alexander Pushkin introduced characters who spoke in vernacular, making the characters more real and thereby conquering a large readership. Several successful novel writers have developed such maverick writing techniques in their effort to create a niche for themselves.
At a time when it was a common practice to write about superficial themes, Philip K. D