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What Is Novel Writing?

Novel writing is the craft of creating a long-form work of fiction — typically 70,000 to 100,000 words — that tells a story through developed characters, structured plot, and thematic depth. It’s one of the most ambitious things a person can sit down and attempt: building an entire world from nothing but words, then sustaining it for hundreds of pages while keeping readers engaged.

What Makes a Novel a Novel

A novel is distinct from a short story, a novella, or a screenplay in several ways. Length is the obvious one — novels are long. But length alone isn’t what defines the form.

Novels have room. Room for multiple characters with interlocking stories. Room for subplots that enrich the main narrative. Room for the kind of slow character development that a short story can only gesture at. A novel can spend three pages describing a single breakfast if that breakfast reveals something essential about who a character is.

The novel as a literary form emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries — Cervantes’ Don Quixote (1605), Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719), Richardson’s Pamela (1740). Before that, long-form narrative existed in poetry (epics like The Iliad) and prose romance. The novel’s innovation was realism — ordinary people in recognizable situations, rendered with psychological depth.

Plotters vs. Pantsers

Ask novelists about their process and you’ll hear two basic approaches.

Plotters plan extensively before writing. They outline chapters, map character arcs, build timelines, and sometimes create scene-by-scene breakdowns before writing a single line of prose. J.K. Rowling famously planned the entire Harry Potter series in advance. John Grisham outlines his legal thrillers in detail before drafting.

Pantsers (writing “by the seat of their pants”) start with a character or situation and discover the story as they write. Stephen King describes himself as a “situationist” — he puts characters in a situation and watches what they do. Discovery writers often say the story surprises them.

Most writers fall somewhere between these poles. They might know the beginning and ending but discover the middle as they go. Or they’ll outline loosely but allow characters to deviate from the plan when something more interesting emerges.

Neither approach is objectively better. What matters is finding the process that produces a finished manuscript.

The Actual Work

Writing a novel is mostly about showing up and putting words on the page, day after day, for months. The romance and mystique of the process are vastly overrated. It’s work. Often boring, frequently frustrating, occasionally exhilarating work.

Most professional novelists maintain daily word count targets. Stephen King writes 2,000 words per day. Anthony Trollope wrote 250 words every 15 minutes during a timed three-hour morning session. Ernest Hemingway aimed for 500 words a day, always stopping when he knew what came next (so he could pick up easily the next morning).

The first draft is universally acknowledged as the hardest part. You’re creating something from nothing, and the gap between what you envision and what appears on the page can be demoralizing. Hemingway’s often-quoted advice — “the first draft of anything is [terrible]” (cleaned up for this article) — captures the reality.

Revision is where most novels actually get written. The first draft gives you raw material. Revision shapes it into something worth reading. Most published novels go through three to ten drafts. Some authors are meticulous revisers — Donna Tartt spent ten years on The Goldfinch. Others work faster but still revise extensively.

Structure and Form

Most novels follow recognizable structural patterns, whether the author plans them consciously or not.

Three-act structure — setup, confrontation, resolution — is the most common. Act one establishes characters and stakes. Act two complicates things through escalating conflict. Act three resolves the central conflict. This structure is so deeply embedded in storytelling that writers often follow it intuitively.

The hero’s journey (Joseph Campbell’s monomyth) maps a protagonist’s transformation through departure, initiation, and return. It’s visible in everything from The Lord of the Rings to The Hunger Games.

Nonlinear structures break chronological sequence — flashbacks, multiple timelines, fragmented narratives. Novels like Slaughterhouse-Five and Cloud Atlas use time jumps as structural and thematic devices.

Multiple point of view tells the story through different characters’ perspectives, either alternating chapters or weaving viewpoints within scenes. George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire uses this approach to create a vast, complex narrative with no single protagonist.

Getting Published

You’ve written a novel. Now what?

Traditional publishing means finding a literary agent who will represent your manuscript to publishing houses. You write a query letter — a one-page pitch — and send it to agents who represent your genre. If an agent offers representation, they submit the manuscript to editors at publishing houses. If a publisher makes an offer, your agent negotiates the contract.

The process is slow. Querying alone can take months. Submission to publishers can take more months. From acceptance to publication typically takes 12-18 months. And rejection rates are brutal — most agents accept fewer than 1% of queried manuscripts.

Self-publishing through platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing gives you complete control and higher royalty rates (typically 35-70% versus 10-15% in traditional publishing). But you’re responsible for everything: editing, cover design, formatting, marketing, and distribution. Some self-published authors earn substantial incomes; most sell few copies.

Small and independent presses often accept unagented submissions and can offer more editorial attention than big publishers, though typically with smaller advances and less marketing support.

Why People Do It

Writing a novel is an absurd undertaking when you think about it. You’re going to spend months or years creating something that might never find an audience, working in isolation, wrestling with self-doubt, for uncertain financial reward.

People do it because they have stories they need to tell. Because the act of making something complex and meaningful from raw language is deeply satisfying. Because reading novels shaped who they are, and writing them feels like contributing to a conversation that spans centuries.

Frankly, if you can be talked out of writing a novel, you probably should be. But if the story won’t leave you alone — if you keep thinking about these characters, this world, this situation — then the only way forward is to sit down and write it. One word at a time. One day at a time. Until it’s done.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a novel be?

Most adult novels fall between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Genre matters: literary fiction and thrillers typically run 80,000-90,000 words; fantasy and science fiction can run 90,000-120,000 words; romance novels are often 70,000-90,000 words. Young adult novels are generally shorter at 50,000-80,000 words. First novels from unknown authors face the most pressure to stay within standard ranges.

How long does it take to write a novel?

It varies enormously. Some authors write a draft in a few months; others take years. The median is probably 6-12 months for a first draft, with additional months for revision. Stephen King aims for about 2,000 words per day and finishes drafts in roughly three months. Literary fiction authors often take longer due to the complexity of prose and revision.

Do you need a literary agent to get published?

For traditional publishing with a major publisher (the Big Five), yes — almost all of them require agented submissions. Agents earn 15% of your advance and royalties, and they handle negotiations, contracts, and career guidance. For small presses, you can often submit directly. Self-publishing bypasses agents and publishers entirely, giving you full control but also full responsibility for editing, design, and marketing.

Further Reading

• Library of Congress - Literary Resources
• PEN America
• National Endowment for the Arts - Literature