Writing Your First Novel: 5 Benefits of Taking Notes and Where to Start



So, you want to write a book. Anyone with a captivating story and the ability to write words can be an author. The process of writing a novel may seem daunting, but you have to start somewhere. As the potential author of a novel, you need to know how to take notes. Taking notes before the novel-writing process can develop your story greatly. It is also a good idea to take notes while you write your novel, to continuously organize your thoughts and story.

Think of your novel as a magnificent building and your notes as the blueprints to the building. In order to progress your book, you must take notes with relevant details beforehand. It is an underrated, yet necessary, part of novel writing. We have provided 5 main parts of taking notes for your novel and the benefits of doing so.

1. Figure out what kind of story you will be writing.

Your chosen genre is the starting point of your novel. You may already have a story idea, which is excellent. In addition to that, you need to determine the type of expressive literary style you will be using. Brainstorming and writing notes during this step is imperative.

Novels fall under the fictional literary genre. However, there are many types of fiction that you can write about. Some examples of this genre include historical fiction, science fiction, romance fiction, fantasy, and many more. Create notes that describe both the pros and cons of each category of story. This will benefit your novel as your story will have an established writing style.

2. Outline your story elements to stay on track.

Outline each scene of your story, from the beginning to the conclusion. Each section or chapter of your book should have a heading in your notes. Then, you can note the general happenings in each segment.

Outlining notes help map out future scenes and ensure that your story flows clearly. This is especially important for novels where time and chronological order are key elements. The outline will put you in a good position to start writing a draft of your novel.

3. Take plenty of notes during your research.

Researching and finding out more about your story is a necessary part of note-taking. Keep a running list of these details. Jot down everything, even if you think that some details are insignificant. This is a benefit of note-taking because these details may be used in your novel. Seemingly minor notes may end up being critical to your novel. Obtain information and note excessively.

4. Refer to notes to stay on track.

While making notes and outlining for your novel, you may determine that a scene is out of place. You may even decide that a scene is not needed in your story. Notes are essential because they allow for tweaking and shifting of story elements. Improve your story by making sure each chapter fits into the narrative.

5. Write the rough draft and rewrite.

Once you have researched sufficiently and taken detailed notes, you can start writing a rough draft. Use your notes to guide the rough draft. Then, assess the rough draft. Write notes in the margins of your draft for how to improve it. Continuously make notes, as your novel will most likely need several drafts. Keep referencing back to your notes and writing drafts until you believe the novel is ready.

Lightmap is known by many authors to be the best way to take notes. It is the modern way of developing and managing your ideas. Today is the perfect day to start your creative knowledge base. Visit our website and sign up for free! We have plenty of tips on how to take great notes to get your project moving forward.