How to Write a Novel (Part II of II)

Writing a novel is a big task, a rewarding task. That’s why it’s such a common trope in TV shows and movies—a character proudly declares, “I’m going to write a novel!” and is received with praise and applause. That’s because novel-writing isn’t easily done, and it’s not done by everyone, but when it is, it is a huge accomplishment. It’s really something to be quite proud of. Art provides people with an outlet, an escape, and the novel is a high form of art.

Earlier this week, you’ll remember that we posted a blog about how to write a novel. Too often we assume that anyone who comes to our site has already written a novel and is ready to self-publish, but this isn’t the case for everyone. That’s why we decided to write this two part blog: DiggyPOD aspires to be more than just a self-publishing and print on demand company; we aspire to serve as a tool for writers, self-publishers, and those who wish to be.

That being said, you’ll remember that on Monday, we covered the first four steps of writing a novel: establishing an idea, creating a (or multiple) protagonist(s), plotting out your story, and then, of course, writing it. We’ll continue now with step five.

How to Write a Novel Step 5: Edit.

We hate to break it to you, but you won’t actually publish the first draft of your manuscript. No matter how good a writer you are, no matter how much you’ve outlined, the first draft of a novel is really another starting point. Now, you must edit it.

If you’re lucky enough to have a community of fellow writers (or avid readers!), you may consider having your manuscript workshopped. DiggyPOD suggests a round of workshopping before serious editing, because workshopping can reveal to the writer what parts of the novel should be cut, changed, or rewritten entirely. Workshopping pushes your draft a little closer toward being a finished product. If you workshop before you edit, you’ll be editing a cleaner and more focused draft. It’ll make the editing process easier (because we know it can be very difficult).

If you don’t have anyone to workshop your book, that’s just fine, too. Just make sure you put 100% of your energy into editing your draft. You could even consider hiring a freelance editor to catch the typos and grammatical errors you’ve missed.

Step 6: Rewrite (maybe)

Sometimes the editing process can reveal that a draft just isn’t ready to be published. This is totally normal, and, really, to be expected. Go back after your initial round of edits and change what must be changed. Embrace the change! This isn’t indicative of the success of your novel. Even the best authors have to do rewrites.

Step 7: Self-publish!

If you’ve edited and rewritten and believe that your novel is in the very best shape it can possibly be in, then it’s time to let go and self-publish. Choosing DiggyPOD as a printer means that all the hard work that went into writing the novel is apparent in the final product. We produce bookstore-quality books that are sure to impress.

We offer easy-to-understand tutorials that make the printing process a breeze. This step won’t feel like work. This step will feel how it’s meant to—like a reward.

Step 8: Do it again.

Now that you’ve written (and self-published!) one novel, why not do it again? You’ve proven to yourself that not only is it possible, but it’s fun, and you’re good at it. Use that momentum to propel you forward into your next novel, whether it be a sequel or something new altogether. Refer back to step one.