In a new blog post, Janice Hardy suggests four questions you should ask before you begin your novel. “I’ve discovered through (often painful) trial and error, that my novels go smoother when I spend some time planning them before I write them,” she says. “I don’t have to figure everything out, but knowing what my core conflict is, what my protagonist needs to do, and who my antagonist is makes it a lot easier to write the first draft.”
Hardy expands on these questions:
- Understand what your book is really about. “This helps you avoid the dreaded ‘premise novel’ and having an idea without a plot,” she explains. “If you can’t clearly identify what your protagonist is struggling with, and what problem has to be solved by the end of the book, then you might not be ready to write the novel.” Hardy recommends writing a 1-2 sentence logline that captures the essence of your story and conflict.
- Figure out what your protagonist(s) need to do. “An idea you love is a great start, but strong stories are about interesting people solving interesting problems in interesting ways,” Hardy writes. “Being clear on what your interesting protagonist needs to do makes it easier for you to have them do it, which creates the plot and gives you things to write about.”
- Know who or what your antagonist is and why that’s a problem. Every protagonist needs an antagonist, and your antagonist needs a reason for creating obstacles. “The easiest drafts I’ve ever written have been ones where I knew going in who my antagonist was and what they were up to,” Hardy says. “Their plan was solid, their motives clear, and I knew how they were going to mess things up for my intrepid hero.”
- Determine why it all matters. “Whatever your protagonist is doing, give them a reason why doing it matters,” Hardy explains. “Understand your characters’ motivations and what’s at stake for them if they fail.” When Hardy begins writing, she asks: “Why can’t the protagonist just walk away?” If you can’t answer the question, you have work to do.
