First Draft Roadmap: 10 Steps to Writing A Novel For Beginners

So you want to write a novel.

Maybe this dream has been with you since childhood, a story idea that's been growing in your imagination for years. Perhaps it's a newer ambition sparked by a book that made you think, "I could write something like this!" Or maybe you woke up this morning with characters and scenes suddenly alive in your mind, demanding to be written.

Whatever brought you here, you're in the right place.

Writing your first novel is a journey unlike any other—equal parts exhilarating, frustrating, magical, and challenging. But here's what you need to know right now: it's completely doable with the right approach.

I get it. The blank page stares back at you. Characters feel flat. The plot has holes. Writer's block strikes just as you're building momentum. When you're writing your first novel, learning everything at once can feel overwhelming.

Here's something most aspiring writers don't realize: the difference between those who finish their novels and those who don't isn't talent or even great ideas—it's having a clear roadmap through the process.

As a book coach who has helped hundreds of aspiring authors transform their ideas into finished manuscripts, I've discovered that focusing on these ten essential steps will get your first draft written—without the confusion, overwhelm, or endless false starts.

Are you ready to stop dreaming about writing a novel and actually write one? Let's dive in.

Pay special attention to Steps 5 and 7, as these are where most first-time novelists get stuck—but they're also where the true magic of storytelling happens.

10 Steps To Writing Your Novel:

Step 1: Identify Your "Why"
Step 2: Pick One Novel-Worthy Idea
Step 3: Choose Your Story's Genre
Step 4: Pick Your Point of View & Tense
Step 5: Develop Your Main Characters
Step 6: Determine Your Story's Setting
Step 7: Use Story Structure to Shape Your Plot
Step 8: Create An Outline (Or Not)
Step 9: Create Your Writing Routine
Step 10: Start Writing Your First Draft

Step 1: Identify Your "Why"

Before you type a single word, let's talk about motivation. This might seem like an odd place to start, but understanding your "why" is the secret ingredient that will keep you going when the initial excitement fades (and yes, it always fades at some point).

To uncover your "why," ask yourself:

Are you writing to share a message that matters deeply to you?
Do you have characters or worlds living in your imagination that you need to bring to life?
Are you hoping to start a career as an author?
Is writing a novel your personal Mount Everest—something you want to accomplish for the achievement itself?

There are no wrong answers here. Many successful novels have been written for each of these reasons and countless others. What matters is that your motivation resonates deeply enough to fuel your writing through the inevitable rough patches.

What most new writers don't realize is that identifying your core motivation is more than just a feel-good exercise—it's the foundation that will inform everything from your writing schedule to how you approach challenges. Without a clear "why," you're much more likely to abandon your project when obstacles arise.

I once worked with a writer who kept abandoning manuscripts until we uncovered her true motivation—she wanted to share stories about the kind of healthy, supportive relationships she'd experienced in her own life. With this "why" finally clear, her writing flowed naturally, and she finished her first draft.

That’s the power of writing from a place of passion and purpose.

So, think about it…

What's driving YOU to write this particular story at this particular time?

When you can answer this question with conviction, you’ll be much more equipped to deal with any mental or emotional roadblocks that come up while you write (because, let’s be honest, they will come up)—and thus, you’ll be much more equipped to get to “The End” of your first draft as well.

Pro Tip: Write down your personal motivation and keep it somewhere visible in your writing space. When you hit the inevitable moment where you think, "This is terrible, and I should quit," this reminder will reconnect you to the deeper purpose behind your work.

Step 2: Pick One Novel-Worthy Idea

Once you’re clear on your motivation, it's time to choose the story idea you want to turn into a full-length novel. Every writer I know has an "ideas" folder bursting with concepts, but the truth is—not every idea can sustain a full-length novel.

While you might have many interesting thoughts or concepts that could start a story, not all of them have enough depth or complexity to carry an entire novel-length work—at least not without fleshing them out a little more first.

Think of it like this…

A vampire moving into town might be intriguing, but this concept alone lacks the necessary substance for an 80,000+ word novel. Similarly, a fascinating setting without a compelling character who faces conflict won't keep readers turning pages either.

The best story ideas often come in the form of “what if” questions that hint at conflict and stakes. For example:

What if a wizard school existed alongside our ordinary world? (Harry Potter)
What if a woman disappeared and framed her husband for her murder? (Gone Girl)
What if a deadly plague wiped out most of humanity? (The Stand)

What you’re looking for is an idea that's "novel-worthy"—one with enough potential conflict, character development, and thematic exploration to fill hundreds of pages while keeping readers engaged.

And sometimes, this takes a little bit of work.

Whatever you come up with, don’t worry if your idea feels simple at this stage. "A farm boy discovers he's part of a galactic rebellion" might sound basic, but it became Star Wars. Your idea will develop complexity as you work through the remaining steps.

Now, here's what I recommend…

From all your potential ideas, choose the ONE that gives you both excitement and fear.

The best novel ideas often scare us a little—they're the ones that feel important enough to spend months or years bringing to life.

I recently worked with an author who had five different story ideas she was bouncing back and forth between. Every time one got difficult, she'd switch to another—and, as you can imagine, this wasn’t helping her make very much progress. So, what we did was we evaluated each idea based on its potential for engaging conflict and her personal connection to the material. This helped her commit to one idea. And then, once she committed to the story that genuinely moved her—not just the one that seemed the most exciting or easy that day—she finally completed her first draft after years and years of false starts.

So, if you’re jumping between ideas like this, I want you to ask yourself…

Which of your ideas keeps returning to you, refusing to let go? That persistence is often a sign you've found your novel-worthy concept.

Pro Tip: Test your idea by seeing if you can easily identify (1) a main character with a clear goal, (2) significant obstacles to that goal, and (3) meaningful consequences if they fail. If these elements aren't immediately apparent, your idea might need more development before it's ready to sustain a novel.

Step 3: Choose Your Story's Genre

Now that you have your one “novel-worthy” idea, it's time to figure out where your novel fits in the literary landscape. Genre isn't just a marketing category—it's a powerful tool that helps you understand what readers expect and how to satisfy them.

Think of genre as the section of the bookstore where your novel would be shelved:

Literary Fiction: Character-driven stories focusing on the human condition
Romance: Stories centered on relationships and emotional fulfillment
Mystery/Thriller: Plot-driven narratives involving suspense, crime, or puzzles
Science Fiction: Explorations of advanced technology and scientific concepts
Fantasy: Stories with magical or supernatural elements
Historical Fiction: Narratives set in the past with historical events as backdrop
Horror: Fiction designed to frighten or disturb readers
Young Adult (YA): Stories targeted at teenage readers (can cross with other genres)

Each genre has its own conventions, typical word counts, and reader expectations.

For example, romance requires a central love story and an emotionally satisfying ending. Thrillers generally maintain a fast pace with high stakes. Fantasy often includes magic and invented worlds.

What many aspiring authors don't realize is that genre selection impacts nearly every aspect of your writing process—from character development to plot structure to pacing.

Choosing your genre early helps you understand reader expectations and guides your creative decisions, thus making the writing process a little bit less overwhelming.

Pro Tip: Identify three published novels similar to your idea (often called "comp titles"). Study what these books have in common—not to copy them, but to understand what readers of your genre expect and love.

Step 4: Pick Your Point of View & Tense

With your genre selected, it's time to make two foundational choices that will shape every sentence you write: point of view (POV) and tense.

These elements determine who tells your story and when it's being told—and they affect everything from how much information readers receive to the emotional tone of your narrative.

Your main point of view options include:

First Person: The narrator uses "I" and directly shares their experiences. This creates immediate intimacy but limits information to what that character knows. For example, "I walked into the room and immediately sensed something was wrong."
Third Person Limited: The narrator refers to characters as "he," "she," or "they" while following one character at a time. For example, "Sarah walked into the room and immediately sensed something was wrong."
Third Person Omniscient: The narrator knows everything about all characters, providing readers with a more expansive view. For example, “Sarah walked into the room and sensed something was wrong, unaware that behind the curtain, the intruder held his breath."

Once you've selected your POV, you'll need to decide on tense:

Past Tense: "She walked into the room."
Present Tense: "She walks into the room."

Past tense feels natural to most readers and is traditional for storytelling, while present tense creates a sense of immediacy that can make readers feel events are unfolding in real time.

The choices you make here will dramatically impact your writing experience and your readers' connection to your story. Each combination of POV and tense creates a distinct reading experience, so it's worth taking time to find the right match for your particular story.

Pro Tip: If you're unsure which option is right for your story, try an experiment: Write the same scene using different POVs and tenses. Pay attention to which version feels most comfortable to write and which best serves your story.

Step 5: Develop Your Main Characters

Now that you've made some really important decisions on genre and point of view, it's time to focus on the heart of any great story: your characters—particularly your protagonist (main character) and antagonist (opposing force).

These two characters create the central conflict of your novel, and they'll drive your plot forward. Most readers connect with the characters first and the plot second, so this step is super important.

For your protagonist, start by answering these foundational questions:

What do they want more than anything? (external goal)
What do they need emotionally or psychologically? (internal need)
What flaw or weakness must they overcome?

The most compelling protagonists want something badly and face significant obstacles to achieve their goals.

Think about how Katniss in The Hunger Games wants to protect her sister and survive the games. Or how Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice seeks independence and true connection.

Now, let's consider your antagonist—the opposing force in your story:

What are they trying to achieve? (should conflict with the protagonist)
Why do they believe they're justified? (the best antagonists believe they're right)
What weaknesses or vulnerabilities make them human? (even villains need complexity)

Remember that "antagonist" doesn't always mean villain.

It could be a competing love interest in a romance, nature itself in a survival story, or even aspects of the protagonist's own personality in a story about internal struggle.

What many first-time novelists don't realize is that character development isn't about creating "likable" characters—it's about creating fascinating ones.

Readers will follow deeply flawed characters through hundreds of pages if those flaws feel authentic and create meaningful conflict.

I worked with a sci-fi writer who couldn't understand why readers didn't connect with her mechanically minded protagonist. When we dug deeper, we discovered she'd made him too perfect—skilled, ethical, and always right. Once she gave him a painful past that caused him to make critical mistakes in the present, readers couldn't put her story down. His flaws made him human, and his humanity made him compelling.

Now, of course, this won’t be true for every single story. Protagonists like Sherlock Holmes or Jack Reacher don’t really have tragic pasts or flaws that hold them back—but for the most part, readers do appreciate a more three-dimensional, well-rounded protagonist, so just something to keep in mind.

Pro Tip: Create character profiles for your protagonist and antagonist before you start writing. Include not just physical descriptions but backgrounds, motivations, fears, and desires. Focus especially on the moments from their past that shaped who they are now—these defining experiences will inform how they react to the challenges in your story.

Step 6: Determine Your Story's Setting

With your characters taking shape, let's explore where and when their story unfolds. The setting of your story is far more than just a backdrop—it's an active element that shapes your entire narrative.

The best settings do more than just establish a location. They create mood and atmosphere, reflect character emotions, introduce specific challenges, and provide unique opportunities for plot development.

For example, the setting of a romance in a small town creates different dynamics than the same story set in a big city. A mystery set in the 1920s will have different laws and investigative techniques than one set today.

So, when developing your setting, consider:

The time period (contemporary, historical, future)
The geographic location (real or imagined)
The physical environments where scenes will take place
How the setting might limit or enable your characters

If you're creating a fictional world, focus on the elements that directly impact your story rather than developing every detail upfront. You can expand your worldbuilding as you write.

If using a real location or historical period, you'll need to do some research. Readers familiar with your setting will notice inaccuracies. However, don't let research become a form of procrastination—get the basics right and dive into writing.

A common issue I see in early drafts is what I call "white room syndrome"—characters talking in vague settings that don't contribute to the story.

To prevent this, ask yourself: Could your story happen anywhere, or does your setting create unique opportunities and challenges?

If you could transplant your story to a completely different location without changing much, you might not be utilizing the setting to its full potential.

Above all, remember this…

Your setting should work in harmony with your characters and plot, creating a cohesive world that enhances your story rather than simply serving as a backdrop.

The most memorable novels often feature settings that feel like the characters themselves—places so vivid and integral to the story that the narrative simply couldn't exist elsewhere.

Pro Tip: Choose settings that naturally create conflict or complications for your protagonist. If your character fears water, set a crucial scene on a boat. If they're struggling financially, place them in an environment that constantly reminds them of their financial stress.

Step 7: Use Story Structure to Shape Your Plot

With your characters and setting established, it's time to map out how the events of your story’s plot will unfold.

A solid structure helps you create a novel that engages readers from beginning to end while preventing the dreaded "writer's block" that stops so many first-time novelists in their tracks.

While there are many structural frameworks (Three-Act Structure, Hero's Journey, Save the Cat), most successful novels include these fundamental elements:

Beginning (First 25% of your novel)

Introduce your protagonist in their ordinary world
Present an inciting incident that disrupts their world
Establish what your protagonist wants and what's stopping them

Middle (Middle 50% of your novel)

Develop complications and obstacles that test your protagonist
Raise the stakes as the story progresses
Force your protagonist to make increasingly difficult choices

End (Final 25% of your novel)

Present a climactic confrontation between protagonist and antagonist
Show how the protagonist has changed
Resolve the main storylines and provide emotional satisfaction

What many new writers don't realize is that structure is far more than just a beginning, middle, and end. It’s a way to help you organize your ideas, build tension at just the right moments, and give readers the emotional payoff they’re hoping for.

When you deliver this kind of emotional payoff, readers feel fulfilled. When you don’t deliver it, readers feel unsatisfied even if they can't explain why.

I worked with a literary fiction writer who prided himself on rejecting "formulaic" storytelling. His early drafts were beautifully written on the sentence level but fell flat with readers. When we examined his work, we discovered he was missing crucial structural elements—particularly escalating complications in the middle of his story and a true climactic moment at the end. Once he incorporated these elements (while maintaining his unique voice, of course), readers couldn't stop talking about his "unique and powerful" story.

Pro Tip: For your first novel, I recommend focusing on having a clear beginning (setup), middle (escalating complications), and end (satisfying resolution). Map out the major turning points in your story before you begin writing, but remain flexible enough to discover unexpected directions as you write.

Step 8: Create An Outline (Or Not)

Now that you have your characters, setting, and understanding of structure, it's time to decide how much planning you'll do before diving into the actual writing.

There's a spectrum of approaches to novel writing, and understanding where you fall on this spectrum can save you enormous frustration:

Plotters map out everything before they start writing. They want to know their characters and what happens to them from beginning to end.
Pantsers (writing by the "seat of their pants") begin with the germ of an idea and write as a process of discovery. As Stephen King says, "Put interesting characters in difficult situations and write to find out what happens."
Plantsers blend both approaches, creating a loose roadmap while allowing room for discovery during the writing process.

Now, here’s something I want you to know no matter how you approach outlining…

Your outline doesn't need to be elaborate to be effective.

Even a simple sketch of major plot points—what happens at the beginning, the major complications in the middle, and how it all resolves at the end—can provide enough direction to keep you moving forward without feeling constrained.

If you're completely new to novel writing, I recommend at least a basic outline that identifies:

Your opening scene
The inciting incident that launches your story
Major plot points or turning points
The climactic scene
How the story resolves

But what's most important is choosing an outlining approach that works with your creative process rather than against it.

An extensive outline can be liberating for some writers and paralyzing for others. Pay attention to what energizes you and what depletes your enthusiasm.

Pro Tip: Think of your outline as a living, breathing document. As you write, you'll discover new possibilities that might not have occurred to you during planning. Give yourself permission to deviate from your outline when your story naturally evolves.

Step 9: Establish Your Writing Routine

Before you dive into your first draft, let's take a moment to set yourself up for success. You now know what you need to do, but how, when, and where will you do it?

Creating a sustainable writing routine is often the difference between finishing your novel and joining the ranks of "someday" writers who never quite get there.

To help you create a routine that works for you, consider:

Are you more creative in the morning or evening?
What environment helps you focus best? (A quiet room? A bustling coffee shop?)
What rituals would help you get in the zone? (A cup of tea? A specific playlist?)
How much time can you realistically dedicate to writing?

Once you've considered these factors, create a specific plan.

Maybe you'll write for 30 minutes before work each morning, or perhaps you'll dedicate two hours every Saturday and Sunday. The exact schedule matters less than your commitment to showing up consistently.

Next, find a way to track your progress.

You might set a daily or weekly word count goal and track words written versus your goal. Many beginners target 500-1000 words per writing session.

Something I’ve learned after coaching hundreds of writers is this…

The most consistent writers don't rely on motivation or inspiration—they rely on systems and habits. They create writing environments that minimize resistance and maximize productivity.

Because here’s what most first-time writers don’t realize…

The perfect writing routine is one you can actually maintain. And this is going to look different than every other writing routine you see on Instagram.

For example, I once worked with a busy executive who had been "planning to write a novel" for over a decade. We analyzed her schedule and found she consistently had 45 minutes free during her lunch break. By downloading a writing app on her phone and setting up a distraction-free environment, she wrote her entire first draft in these small daily chunks—proving that consistency really does matter more than available time.

So, when building your writing routine, think about this…

What's the smallest, most manageable writing commitment you could make that you're 90% confident you can keep?

Start there, then build momentum as writing becomes a natural part of life.

Pro Tip: Find a way to build accountability into your routine—tell someone about your writing goals or join a writing group that expects regular check-ins. You can even hire a book coach to help keep you accountable and moving toward your goals.

Step 10: Start Writing Your First Draft

The moment has arrived—it's time to start writing your novel! This is where you transform all your hard work and planning into actual words on the page. How exciting!

When it comes to writing your first draft, I want you to focus on writing all the way to the end without stopping to edit. Why?

Because momentum matters more than perfection.

The first draft is all about discovery and learning what your story really wants to be. And this means you’ll probably need to give yourself permission to write poorly at times. That’s okay! You can—and will—revise later.

So, here are some guiding principles for the drafting phase:

Aim for forward progress always. Don't edit while you write!
Don’t focus on the details. Use placeholders to keep moving forward.
If you get stuck on a scene, make a note and skip ahead.
Keep your outline up to date as you write (this will save you time later).
Celebrate small victories along the way—you deserve it!

One of my favorite success stories is an author who wrote what she called "the worst first draft in history." She was so embarrassed by it that she almost deleted the entire manuscript, but instead, she sent it to me. And while it certainly needed work, I could see the bones of a compelling story underneath the rough prose and plot holes. Three revisions later, that "terrible" draft became a novel that landed her an agent and a book deal. So, just something to keep in mind!

Pro Tip: Remember, you can't revise a blank page. Your first draft doesn't need to be good—it just needs to exist. I recommend adopting this mantra for your first draft: "It’s okay, I'll fix it later." These six little words give you permission to write freely without the paralysis of perfectionism. The magic happens in revision, but you can't revise what you haven't written!

Your Novel Is Waiting

The ten steps outlined above give you a roadmap to navigate the complex journey of writing your first novel. Each step builds on the one before it, guiding you through the entire process from initial idea to completed draft.

But the journey from blank page to completed draft is rarely a straight line.

There will be days when the words flow effortlessly and days when extracting a single sentence feels like pulling teeth. This is normal—I've never met a novelist who didn't experience both extremes.

What separates published authors from aspiring writers isn't talent or luck—it's perseverance through the difficult parts of the process.

It's showing up consistently, even when motivation wanes.

It's trusting the process enough to keep going when self-doubt creeps in.

So, as you embark on this journey, don’t forget that every established author was once exactly where you are now.

And always remember that your first novel doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be complete.

The world needs your story—not a theoretical perfect novel that exists only in your imagination.

So, take a deep breath, open your notebook or laptop, and start writing. You’ve got this!

Savannah is a developmental editor and book coach who helps fiction authors write, edit, and publish stories that work. She also hosts the top-rated Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast full of actionable advice that you can put into practice right away. Click here to learn more →

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