How To Write A Novel Even Though You Have No Idea

I’ve always been interested in writing a novel. The problem is that I don’t know what to write about. 

And I’m not alone: many people have an idea for a story but aren’t sure where to start. In this article, we’ll talk about how you can use your interests and passions as the basis for creating the plot of your novel!

Key Takeaways
1. Embrace the blank page as a canvas for possibilities.
2. Start writing with a character, scene, or concept.
3. Allow your story to evolve organically.
4. Use prompts and exercises to spark creativity.
5. Revise and refine your work to shape the narrative.

What You Should Write About

Write what you are passionate about (ie: if you have a passion for baking, write a novel about baking)

Write what you are good at (ie: if you have been playing an instrument since grade school, maybe write a novel based on your experiences as a musician)

Write about something that interests or fascinates you (ie: maybe there’s an odd thing in your town that everyone does but no one talks about it. 

Maybe there’s some weird legend attached to it and the whole thing has always intrigued you. Maybe this is the next big American horror story.)

Write about something scary or embarrassing from your past (you may not want to tell everyone else but writing is therapeutic!)

Write about something proud of yourself for doing (like getting through college debt-free!)

Generating story ideas is a fundamental step in the novel writing process. Check out our article on how novelists come up with story ideas to discover creative techniques that can spark your imagination.

Decide Who Your Main Character Is

• What their personality is like?
• How do they relate to other characters?

What are their goals and motivations, both in the story and in life outside of the novel? 5. What flaws do they have that make them interesting? 6. What strengths do they have that make them interesting? 7. How will their backstory impact them in this novel (and on a narrative level)? 

8 All of these things should help you answer: how would I describe my main character if someone asked me what he/she was like right now (in this moment)? You should answer this question before moving on to the next step of creating a plot around your protagonist!

Create The World

The world is the location and period where your story takes place. It’s also the people, animals, plants… weather, temperature, climate… history, culture, and politics of that location. It’s everything!

You can use real-life inspiration for your world-building. Are you from a small town in Texas? Google “small towns in Texas” and take notes about what you find out about them: t

Their population size (approximately how many people), their shape (square? or circular?), whether they have a central downtown area or not, and if so what stores are located there? 

Do they have any tourist attractions nearby like natural features like lakes or mountains? Are there historical sites worth visiting? 

Can you get an idea of what kinds of jobs are available to residents living there now? This might give you some more ideas for characters that could live there too!

Taking the creative plunge is the first step towards writing a novel. Learn about practical strategies in getting your creative plunge off the ground and start your writing journey with confidence.

Give The Main Character A Problem

The main character should have a problem. This is important because it gives the character something to do. The problem should be important to the main character and not easily solved by them. 

It should also be something they cannot solve on their own, and they must solve it within the course of your novel’s events. 

This last requirement can often be tricky; if you’ve made your protagonist too weak-willed or too cowardly, then their struggle may seem trivial compared with everything else going on in their world (or even completely unimportant).

The best way to handle this is by making sure that whatever problem your protagonist’s faces is tied up with some larger issue at stake in their life a job loss will feel more urgent if they have kids who need food on the table; 

A relationship breakup will hurt more deeply when financial pressures are keeping both partners together out of necessity rather than love; personal failings like alcoholism become more tragic when someone is depending on them, such as an elderly parent or spouse with health problems requiring constant care or supervision

Get The Main Character To Move Toward Something

Here’s what you need to know:

The character’s goal must be clear and specific. Why do they want it? What is this goal going to do for them? What will happen if they don’t get it, or fail in some way along the way?

The obstacles that stand between your character and your goal should be tangible and real. How will these obstacles tamp down on your character’s chances of success, or even make success impossible altogether?

The main character who doesn’t change at all during their journey is not going to hold anyone’s interest for long enough to finish reading the book or even start it! 

Make sure that if you are writing a novel with an antagonist (a villain), then he or she has some sort of flaw that creates tension throughout the story.

If you’re eager to start writing your novel but don’t know where to begin, our quick advice in writing a novel will provide you with actionable tips to overcome initial hurdles and dive into your storytelling.

Give The Main Character Goals That Are Worth Reaching For

The main character in a novel should have a goal that is worth reaching for. The goal can be anything from saving the world from an evil dictator to finding out why a whale is singing in your basement. But it should be difficult to achieve, attainable, and important to the story.

Think of your goal as the end-all-be-all of your novel’s plot points. If you don’t have one, then your story won’t go anywhere and will probably be extremely boring (and no one wants that).

Keep Track Of The Main Character’s Internal Monologue As You Write

The only way to discover what your main character is thinking, feeling, and saying to himself is by keeping track of it. As you write, try to imagine what he or she might be thinking at that moment. Write down what comes into your head as you go along. 

If the character says something out loud and then internally reflects on it later in his or her thoughts, write both parts down in separate paragraphs don’t mix them up!

Time Lapse, Or Chapters In One Day, Can Be Helpful When It Comes To Deciding What Happens

One of the best ways to get through a time-lapse is to decide what happens next. You can do this by writing down the scene and then going through it again until you have decided on the next event in your novel. 

This will help you stay focused on what needs to happen next, rather than wandering off into other areas that do not contribute much to the plot or storyline at hand.

One thing that needs to be taken into consideration when using this technique is whether or not there are any subplots involved in your storyline. If there are subplots involved, they may require more attention during each step of writing.

Because they will likely be more complex than most sections within a particular chapter would be without them being included here; therefore more thought needs applied before adding them back into play at all times!

Crafting your first novel is a significant undertaking. Explore our list of 14 essential tasks for writing your first novel to ensure that you’re equipped with the knowledge and tools to navigate this exciting journey.

Reduce Ideas Into Sentences And Paragraphs

Next, reduce your ideas into sentences. Your first draft should be a full-blown stream of consciousness, so don’t worry about grammar or word choice yet. 

Focus on getting your ideas out in the order they come to you. Once they’re on paper, you can always go back and clean up the wording later.

As you do this, even if it feels like writing gibberish at that point in time, make sure to leave spaces between ideas that are unrelated so that when we get around to creating chapters later on (if we ever do), it’ll be easy for us to see what belongs where!

Next up is coming up with supporting details for each of those main plot points and again, these don’t have to be perfect yet; just write down whatever comes into your head when trying to think about how each plot point might play out in real life! 

For example: “Mary went out shopping with her friends.” This sentence doesn’t tell us much about Mary or her friends or why she’s going shopping; 

But eventually, those details will come together into something much more interesting for readers than just saying “Mary went out shopping.”

Look At Your First Draft And Ask Yourself Why You Like It Or Don’t Like It

The first draft is never the final draft. It’s just a way to get started, and it’s probably riddled with problems. Even so, it should be interesting enough to read on its merit. If what you have written isn’t interesting, there’s no point in continuing!

The first draft is also a chance for you to experiment with different styles of writing that might work better than the style you initially intended. 

For example, maybe your protagonist originally spoke in epigrams like Oscar Wilde or Dorothy Parker but now she sounds more like Yoda or Shakespeare (in other words: bardlike). 

You can try writing her dialogue as an introspective monologue by making every line sound like a poem (“My name is Alice; I am sad about my life”) or as a series of dramatic speeches (“Help me!”). 

You can also change your protagonist’s age from 16 years old to 32 years old (this story wouldn’t be as interesting if it was told from the perspective of someone who hasn’t “lived” yet) or make them older than their parents instead of younger (which would mean changing some names).

Consider Using A Technique Called Getting Carried Away, Which Means Going Over The Story Too Much Before You Write It Down

Another method of getting started is called “getting carried away,” which is a technique where you write down everything you can think of about the story before actually writing it down. 

This helps get you a feel for where the story is going and what you want to write about, so when it comes time for actual writing, things won’t be so daunting. The downside to this method is that sometimes it’s hard not having any idea what will happen next!

Write Down Different Versions Of Scenes Until You Get A Good Feel For Where They Lead

Write down all the different versions of the scene. If a scene is not working, write down every possible version of that scene in your mind (or on paper).

Write down all the different ways to resolve it. How could you resolve each version? What would happen if one character got hit by a bus at that point? Or what if someone else came in and changed everyone’s minds about everything? Write down all these ideas as well.

Write up some more interesting beginnings for this section or scene. This might be harder than it seems I recommend taking some time to brainstorm before starting to write anything in earnest! 

For example, what if instead of saying “Hi,” John said something like “I love you” instead? Would that make things better or worse for our heroines?

To Make Writing Fun, Try To Determine What Makes You Laugh Or Cry When Thinking About Your Story

Writing is a form of art, as well as an exercise in imagination. The ability to express yourself through writing is a way for you to learn more about yourself and your abilities as a writer.

Writing is an effective way to share stories with others, either by telling them orally or publishing them for the world to read. 

This can be done on paper or through digital media such as books and websites. Writing can also entertain people if it’s written in humorous terms (i.e., comedy novels).

Anyone who writes has the opportunity not only to entertain others but also themselves! If you enjoy writing fiction stories then continue doing so because many benefits come with it including self-discovery!

Developing effective writing habits is key to producing multiple novels. Discover insights into productive routines in our article on writing habits that boost novel productivity, and learn how consistency can drive your creative output.

Conclusion

If you’re not sure where to start, try writing about your experiences or the things that you find interesting. 

You will inevitably come across many stories as a writer, and sometimes those stories can be adapted into a novel of their own. If you have an idea for a book already, then by all means write away!

Further Reading

Don’t Have Ideas? 7 Tips to Write When You’re Stuck: Learn practical strategies to overcome writer’s block and generate ideas for your writing projects.

How to Write a Book When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing: Gain insights into the process of writing a book even when you’re unsure of your direction, with guidance from experienced authors.

Writing When You Have No Ideas: 7 Tips for Creativity: Discover effective techniques to tap into your creativity and write engaging content, even in moments of uncertainty.

And here’s the FAQs section:

FAQs

How can I overcome a lack of ideas in my writing?

To overcome a lack of ideas, consider trying brainstorming techniques, freewriting, or exploring different perspectives to spark your creativity.

What if I want to write a book but don’t know where to start?

If you’re unsure where to start writing a book, begin with outlining your story, developing your characters, and exploring different plot possibilities.

Are there methods to stay motivated when writing feels challenging?

Yes, staying motivated involves setting small goals, taking breaks, and reminding yourself of your passion for writing to maintain your enthusiasm.

How can I find inspiration for my writing projects?

Seek inspiration from various sources such as books, movies, nature, personal experiences, or engaging in new activities that can trigger fresh ideas.

What strategies can I use to overcome writer’s block?

You can overcome writer’s block by changing your environment, breaking your writing into smaller tasks, and allowing yourself to write imperfectly as a starting point.