It’s soul-consuming, and creating a feature-length work of fiction takes a great deal of time as well as dedication. 

But, you probably already knew that, right?

One of the most haunting thoughts for any budding novelist (the kind that wakes you up at night) is: will my idea support a lengthy work of fiction? Is it even worth writing at all?

You could argue that with the right level of care and development any acorn of an idea could flourish into a mighty work of fiction. But, in reality — some novel ideas are more viable than others.

While starting something that will eventually implode right in front of you on the screen after months of work is a daunting prospect, there are things you can do to test run your novel idea. And, we’re going to look at them here.

The core elements of a solid novel

Before you start to test run your story idea, it’s vital that you take some time to consider the very core elements of a solid novel.

Your novel should include:

A strong protagonist

Every great novel idea should accommodate a protagonist—or main character—that will compel people to keep reading as the story develops.

Check out these three tips for crafting a protagonist that will make your novel work.

A notable antagonist

In addition to an epic protagonist, almost every accomplished story features a notable antagonist or character that creates a sense of conflict at key moments in the plot.

Our guide to creating a compelling villain for your next story will help you get started. 

A clearcut goal or mission

For your plot to flourish from start to finish, it’s important to establish a clearcut goal or mission for your lead protagonist. Without a meaningful end goal, your idea might need a little more development. 

Naturally, all characters have abstract goals (journies or self-discovery or reaching dawning existential realizations, for example)—but if your story is armed with a physical goal or mission, it will go the distance.

Physical character goals include:

• Getting something physical.
• Causing something physical.
• Escaping something physical.
• Resolving something physical.
• Surviving something physical.

A strong setting

It’s no secret that a setting is pivotal to any successful story. But, when you’re writing a novella or novel, your setting must, almost, be a living, breathing entity that helps to bond the plot.

When you’re crafting your novel’s setting, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• Can my characters physically and emotionally interact with the space around them throughout the course of the story?
• Does my setting help to enhance my novel idea and give it direction?
• Are there elements or features that are likely to make my story stand out in its niche?
• Do I care about the story’s potential setting and will it motivate me to keep writing with pace and conviction?

If you’ve answered a staunch ‘no’ to any of these questions, it might be time to go back to the drawing board.

What to do before writing your novel

We’ve established the core elements of a successful novel idea (concepts that will give your plot meaning and direction). Now it’s time to look at the practical ways you can test run your novel idea before putting pen to paper or fingers to keys.

Create your storyline synopsis

If you’ve explored the core elements of a solid novel and you believe you’ve passed the test—good for you, it’s time to create your storyline synopsis.

For this exercise, your storyline synopsis is not a detailed account of the plot (you may not have fully developed your plot at this point, after all), but merely a one to two sentence summary of what your story is about. The who, where, what, and why, as it were.

Here’s an example of a synopsis for your reference:

The Silence of the Lambs: A young, ambitious F.B.I. agent must work alongside a manipulative, cannibalistic killer to help catch an active serial killer that is plaguing the nation with his heinous crimes.

Action: Write your storyline synopsis, taking the core elements of a solid novel into account. Once you’re happy with the outcome, step away for a day or so and read it again. Does it sound interesting and compelling to you? 

If the answer is no, you should go back and revisit your idea. You should also ask trusted friends or colleagues for their opinions on your synopsis—feedback is always invaluable to the creative process.

Research your niche

Does your synopsis jump off the page? Excellent, it’s time to start thinking about your niche or genre.

Looking at your synopsis and core elements, decide if you feel your idea fits into a particular niche or genre. Your idea could work as a sci-fi novel or a hard-hitting romantic tale for young adults—the choice is yours.

If your theme or subject does fit into a broad niche, conduct web-based research to understand your target audience and the scope of your potential novel category.

Here are tools and ideas to help you conduct valuable research:

• Use Google Trends and punch in key terms surrounding your novel’s potential genre to see what readers are searching for around the world. Here you will be able to see writers and novelists within a particular niche that are making waves and connecting with their audience. Read their stories and decide what you feel drives their success.
• Explore targeted hashtags across social media channels to see what books, stories, and authors are trending in your niche. #Bookstagram and #Bookish are good places to start.
• Visit independent bookstores or examine various book charts within your niche to see if your potential niche, genre or theme is an avenue you feel is worth pursuing.

Action: Take time to explore, research, and read. Document your discoveries to paint a clearcut picture of how people are interacting with novels and authors in your prospective niche or genre. 

Armed with this newfound information, pick a handful of books that are either performing well or that you respect within your niche. Decide whether your idea is too similar to these books and if so, search for an original angle that will offer a fresh perspective on a beloved or well-trodden theme. 

If you can place your story idea into a niche or genre and you have a unique angle to explore—you’re probably onto a winner.

Craft your elevator pitch

If you’ve reached this point, it’s likely that your novel idea is worth taking to the next level. But, before you give it the official green writing light, you should craft an elevator pitch.

Your elevator pitch is essentially a slightly longer, more detailed synopsis of your story that covers to the tale’s main protagonist, the primary conflict, what’s at stake, and a nod to the setting.

Here is the elevator pitch for my novella, ‘Not Every Room Has a View’:

“Samuel Jacks floats through his days venting a deep hatred for his industrial hometown to no one but himself, looking after his sick Aunty Mags, smoking endless piles of roll-ups, and making token efforts to write a novel that he’s probably never going to start, let alone finish. But then he meets an old flame and things start to unravel, fast. Can Sam make sense of the world around him and find inner peace or will he fall deeper into oblivion?

A mind-bending misadventure of love, lust, death, drugs, abandonment, and blurred realities, told through the eyes of a frustrated, fragile, bright, angry, and emotionally trapped young British male from the working classes.”

Action: Consolidating all of the discoveries and creative information from the previous steps, set aside ample time to craft a compelling elevator pitch. Again, step away and revisit it a day or so later.

Is your detailed synopsis enough to make you want to put pen to paper and explore your idea? Are your friends, colleagues or relatives intrigued? Great, go for it.

Writing a novel is a huge commitment but if you have faith in yourself and your idea, you will create something with depth and meaning. Test run your idea before writing your novel and you will know that it’s an avenue worth exploring.

Looking for more helpful info in writing your book? Check out our guide to novel word counts so you have a better idea of what you’re in for when writing your story.

Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

Fiction comes in many forms, and for those looking to read or write stories that can be enjoyed in a matter of moments, flash fiction is the answer.

If you’re looking to write a gripping, pocket-sized tale worthy of publishing, let’s consider this.

What is flash fiction?

If you’re new to this world and wondering, what is flash fiction? We’ll give you a quick explainer.

Flash fiction tells a condensed yet complete narrative, usually in 1,000 words or less. Also referred to as micro-fiction, it’s a story of extreme brevity.

The vast majority of flash fiction stories are even shorter than 1,000 words, falling between the 500-750 words, and some are as short as 50 words or less. Those 5o-word stories are also called Drabbles.

Ready to take your first steps into the magical world of flash fiction?

Here are three essential tips for breaking into flash fiction.

How to write flash fiction well

1. Be economical with your words

Ever heard of the term “Murder Your Darlings”? When writing a compelling work of flash fiction, this advice is essential.

Applied to flash fiction, this means you should only use words that are essential to the story and be ruthless when editing your work. Don’t be precious about frilly turns of phrase; flamboyant strings of words will only water down your message.

To write an effective piece of flash, aim for maximum impact with minimum words.

Take this six-word flash tale reportedly written by Ernest Hemingway:

For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.

This slightly ambiguous but incredibly tragic mini-story conjures up a range of emotions and a host of wild thoughts in one small, simple and complete sentence. If you had the time, you could mull this over all day — that’s the power of flash fiction.

Of course, your aim might not be to write a story so brief, but remember, when you’re writing a work of flash fiction, editing is half the battle. Start relatively long, take a break and edit your work relentlessly, sweating over every word, trimming the fat where necessary. Afterwards, take a break and do it again.

You’ll be amazed at just how many words you don’t need.

2. Begin in the middle of the story

Flash fiction does not tell a long and winding tale, outlining every single plot development,  twist and change of scenery. That’s what novels are for!

There’s simply not enough space to do that in flash fiction, so aim to grab the reader by the scruff of the neck from the outset.

What’s the best way to catch their attention immediately?

Start in the middle of the story. It doesn’t matter if the person reading knows what has become before or what comes after. As long as you’ve kicked things off with a bang and wrap up your story well, your audience will get a firm grasp of your characters’ world and be able to come to their own conclusions. Again, that’s the power of flash fiction.

A shining example of an opening line that jumps straight into the heart of the story is ‘Unicorns‘ by author Scott Stealey:

Kevin first shuffled out of the woods a few months ago while I was playing my zither in the backyard.

Not only does this opening line introduce the discovery of Kevin instantly and hook you into reading the next sentence, it doesn’t waste time introducing settings or the context surrounding the story. Yet, it tells the reader everything they need to know to get started.

When you’re drafting out the beginning, middle and ending of your story, consider the most valuable part of your idea and come to a natural conclusion as to where it should start. Once you’ve done so, write three or more possible opening lines, before editing them down — you’ll know which one works best.

3. Don’t cram in your characters

To write a successful flash fiction story, you need to settle on characters who add genuine value to the plot. Nothing more, nothing less.

You don’t have time to describe your characters when you’re writing super-short stories. Even a name might not prove useful in a flash story unless it conveys a lot of additional value or information, or saves you writing words elsewhere.

In the best and most potent flash fiction stories, the writer usually includes only one or two characters, perhaps referring to other people or things in a fleeting fashion, and only if necessary.

By developing only one or two characters for your story, you’ll be able to focus on being economical as well as direct, resulting in a rich, succinct tale that stays with people long after reading.

When it comes to flash fiction, character clutter is a crime — so steer clear of peppering your work with lots of people, animals, beasts, talking fruit, or whatever else takes your fancy.

To get you in the swing of things, try writing your debut work of flash in the first person. You’ll be able to focus on the character narrating the tale, preventing unwanted clutter.

4. Create an ending that makes your reader think

Finally, you should always try to make your last line linger on like Quasimodo ringing a bell.

Remember, the ending of a work of flash is not the definitive ending of the overall tale. Rather, it wraps up what you’re trying to convey while taking the reader into a new place or dimension, a space that makes them consider what happens after they’ve finished consuming your text.

You want to make them think about what they’ve just read.

There’s no substitute for reading, study, time, practice trial and error. But following these tips for how to write flash fiction gives you every chance of creating a compelling micro-tale that will not only grab the attention of a wide range of readers but be worthy of publication.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via stockfour/ Shutterstock 

It doesn’t matter how long or short you intend your story to be, a work of fiction is only as strong as its main character, or protagonist.

Think about it: If you don’t give a damn about the person at the center of your story, why should anyone else? If your protagonist is weak, people will stop reading instantly.

The best element of a protagonist is, although they’re designed for you to root for them, they don’t necessarily have to be heroic, muscle-bound or even particularly moral. Patrick Bateman was an American Psycho, in a literal sense, and Treasure Island’s Long Silver was truly lamentable. Oh, and what about Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver? Okay, that was a movie, but you get the point.

If you’re sitting at your computer, staring at a blank screen and waiting for that eureka moment to arrive, these tips on creating the perfect protagonist for your story will help.

1. Think about where your protagonist will fit on the ‘spectrum of triumph’

“What’s that buzzword?” I hear you ask.

Well, the ‘spectrum of triumph’ as I like to call it, is a way of finding out where your character sits regarding heroism.

It’s a one to five tiered rating system and although it’s not original, it’s a brilliant way to gauge whether your protagonist is going to be a hero, an antihero or somewhere in between.

Of course, the plot and outcome of your story will determine much of how your character will react to his or her surroundings. But, just because he or she may ultimately end up taking down two gargantuan, leather clad villains to save a friend at the end of your story, that doesn’t mean they have to be a super confident extrovert with guns of steel.

Your character could just as easily be a skinny moral blank who is scared of poodles. It’s up to you, but perhaps this simple key will help:

1. Wimpy, feeble, dulcet, cowardly or morally questionable. Will display a host of recurring weaknesses.

2. Slightly wimpy, feeble, dulcet, cowardly or morally questionable. Will display a recurring weakness, but with some redeemable inner strength.

3. Quite ordinary and unassuming by nature but with decent core morals, but an ability to surprise at times.

4. Fairly ordinary and unassuming by nature but with decent core morals, plus an obvious ability to surprise, plus and a recurring strength.

5. The very embodiment of good. Brash, courageous and morally superior, with a host of skills and talents that come in handy throughout the course of the story.

2. Breathe life into your protagonist by giving him a name

We know your main character isn’t a cardboard cutout, which is why the ‘spectrum of triumph’ should be used solely as a starting block.

Now that you know where your protagonist stands on the spectrum, you will be able to give him, her or indeed, it, a name and bring them to life — just like Jepetto did with Pinocchio, or Frankenstein did with his Monster.

Naming your protagonist will provide additional direction and the shot of inspiration you need to reach that all-important breakthrough.

Before you settle on a name, remember your decision will form the foundation of your character, so choose carefully.

Sit somewhere comfortable, notepad in hand and open your mind up to the past. Think of a person or two, real or fictional (I find real is more effective as the memories are tangible) whose personality loosely matches where your character sits on the ‘spectrum of triumph’. Examine their character traits and write down any adjectives that fit, arranging them methodically as you go.

Next, pick some of the most striking words you’ve written down and jot out the first three names — as plain or a wacky as you like — that come to mind. And finally, choose your name.

For example, if you’ve written down the words ‘weedy’ and ‘chipper’, and you’re writing a novel based in the countryside, you might settle on ‘Chip Weedling’, or something similar.

Congratulations. By now, you’ll have the name and general demeanor of your protagonist, now it’s time to chisel them into shape.

3. Let your ideas ferment, create your character’s persona and let your imagination run wild

Before you continue with your quest to create the world’s most beloved protagonist, you should take a break and let your brain process all of your efforts.

Walking away from your project is an essential part of the ideation process, and it will allow all of those loose ideas in your mind filter themselves, leaving the best ones free to hit you square in the cranium and take things up a notch.

So take a walk, go for a beer with a friend, enjoy a swim, watch Netflix, or anything else that will distract you from the task at hand — and all of a sudden, that eureka moment will strike.

Then, you’ll need to stop what you’re doing and rush back to your workstation in an epic fashion.

Now you have a clearer understanding of your character, you’ll be able to add another dimension to their being by creating a persona profile. This quick guide will help:

• Age
• Economic or social background
• Likes and dislikes
• Signature item of clothing
• Main source of good
• Biggest quirk
• Core reason for existence
• Main weakness
• Main strength
• Most important aspiration
• Most memorable physical feature

With a newfound fire in your belly, work your way through this character persona checklist. Before you know it, your story’s fully-fledged, living, breathing, all singing, all dancing protagonist will be ready to skip their merry, or miserable way into your story and make people love them, love to hate them or love to laugh at them.

How do you create your story’s protagonist? Let us know in the comments below.

Usually, this comes from the tale’s main antagonist or villain.

In other words, a character who makes life unbearable for everyone or everything around them. A person, animal or force that is worse than Genghis Khan, Hans Gruber, Count Olaf and Lord Voldemort combined.

Every reader loves to loathe a villain.

If you’re sitting there, scratching your head looking for the inspiration you need to conjure up that skin curlingly disgraceful or spit-worthy character you need to make your story complete, follow these three simple steps.

1.Think of the kind of evil that will suit your story

We’ve established that you would like to create a real nasty piece of work.

You know, the kind of character who would steal Christmas gifts from an orphanage, or snatch a blind old lady’s guide dog. But, what you don’t want to do is choose the wrong kind of evil for your story.

To make sure you don’t choose the wrong evil traits for your character, sit down in a comfy seat with the outline of your plot or your draft so far and consider the kind of antagonist that will slip into your story seamlessly.

Think about your setting, where the story will take the reader, the relationships between other key characters, the conflict and the resolution.

If you’re going for a tale that includes all-out guts and gore, then perhaps a murderous, cannibalistic madman or woman will work wonders. But, if you’re taking your reader on a tightly-wound psychological journey, a vindictive, calculating intellectual will suit. Of course, the latter character could be capable of committing a murder, but portraying them as loud, brash and manic in the context of a psychological mystery might not do your story justice.

Think about the core traits that will work for your character. Write them down, refine them, and you’ll be able to build a portfolio for your antagonist.

2. Give your antagonist a name and a look, then, take a step back

Now you’ve identified the sort of skin melting pure evil that will sprinkle a wonderfully sinister element to your work of fiction; it’s time to give it a name.

Christen that character and the rest will follow.

Much like when you’re trying to write an eye-catching headline for an article, giving your character a name will help you define them.

Naming your character will also help them jump off the page in all their toe-curling, snarl-making glory.

Essentially, you’ll give yourself an extra boost of evil inspiration (this calls for a Dr. Evil-style pinky-to-corner-of-mouth moment).

Before you conjure up a title for your antagonist, sit back, close your eyes and harness those evil thoughts.

Think about what you hate and what gets your goat. Consider a person from your past who embodied everything that’s wrong with the world. It could be the science teacher who told you you’d never amount to anything, or that ex who treated you like a piece of proverbial dirt. Also, use those feelings and those people to define the aesthetics of your character. Was that science teacher portly with breadstick fingers, or your ex spindly with intense goggle eyes?

Use this to help name your character — organizing your thoughts on paper or screen as you go.

Brainstorm a number of names, being as plain or as wacky as you like — you’ll know what feels right for your story — go for a cuppa, and come back to your workstation to settle on the name of your despicable creation.

Now you’ll be able to link those core character traits to the name and help connect the dots that will bind your character’s being.

At this point, you should stop what you’re doing and take a break. An essential part of the ideation process, stepping away from your project and resting your mind for an hour, a week, or even a day will help your ideas incubate.

3. Create your character’s persona and go wild

When marketers are trying to target potential customers, they use buyer personas to craft content that will strike a chord with them. Creating a character for your story is no exception.

Now you’ve bestowed your antagonist with those core evil character traits and given them a name, it’s time to make them real — at your own peril, of course.

To help give them an all-important human element that will appeal to your readers — and this applies even if your antagonist is an animal or a monster — you should create a full ‘evil character persona’.

You can craft evil character persona by looking at certain character traits, personal attributes and other information including age and background.

To help you bring your antagonist to life, here are the headings you should use to fill in the gaps:

• Age
• Brief early life bio
• Economic or social background
• Likes and dislikes
• Signature item of clothing
• Main source of evil
• Reason for being evil
• Main weakness
• Main strength
• Current incentive for being evil
• Most skin curling physical feature

By working through this checklist methodically, you will be able to create a full background profile for your antagonist and have them jumping off the page in no time — just don’t look directly at them.

By now, you’ll have a detailed three dimensional source of evil for your story. Not only will you feel more emotionally connected to your character, but it will be like they’re in the room with you (scary thought) — which will of course, have them jumping off the page throughout your story.

An antagonist that will fit into your narrative like a glove and have your readers groaning in anger — literally.

Did this help you come up with your most evil character yet? Let us know by leaving a comment.