How to write a novel, given the synopsis that I had written?

In summary, writing a novel is different from writing short stories. To write a good one, you should start small and develop your skills.
  • #1
bagasme
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9
Hello all,

In schools I had been dealt with novels (just quotes from them) on any language classes. I had discussed a lot about its plot, the characters, background, and even moral stories. But I haven't ever been taught about how to write my own.

In grade 12 of high school, instead I learned about design my own novel. I had to decide about its theme, characters, plot, background, and moral stories. From above, I made a summary (synopsis).

I know I had written a few short stories, mostly as assignments.

What are next steps to write my novel, after completing its synopsis? Is writing a novel different from short stories?

Bagas
 
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  • #2
Many popular novels and movie scripts began as short stories. Begin small and develop your skills.

For example Orson Scott Card wrote a short battle SF story centered on a child soldier named Bean after a devastating war. Card expanded the short story to a full length novel "Ender's Game" with new characters and a more detailed future society. Bean, still sad and weary, became a supporting character. "Ender's Game" expanded to a series of novels based on characters and situations developed in the central novel. Movies, graphic novels, and video games followed.
 
  • #3
bagasme said:
In schools I had been dealt with novels (just quotes from them)

It sounds like you haven't read any novels. Is that true? If so, I'd start by reading a few hundred.
 
  • #4
bagasme said:
Hello all,

In schools I had been dealt with novels (just quotes from them) on any language classes. I had discussed a lot about its plot, the characters, background, and even moral stories. But I haven't ever been taught about how to write my own.

In grade 12 of high school, instead I learned about design my own novel. I had to decide about its theme, characters, plot, background, and moral stories. From above, I made a summary (synopsis).

I know I had written a few short stories, mostly as assignments.

What are next steps to write my novel, after completing its synopsis? Is writing a novel different from short stories?

Bagas

You may or may not gain insight from W H Auden's poem The Novelist:

https://fourteenlines.blog/tag/the-novelist-by-w-h-auden/
 
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  • #5
Vanadium 50 said:
It sounds like you haven't read any novels. Is that true? If so, I'd start by reading a few hundred.

Novels aren't up my alley.

During language courses, I only read quotes (snippets) from novels only.
 
  • #7
Klystron said:
Many popular novels and movie scripts began as short stories. Begin small and develop your skills.

For example Orson Scott Card wrote a short battle SF story centered on a child soldier named Bean after a devastating war. Card expanded the short story to a full length novel "Ender's Game" with new characters and a more detailed future society. Bean, still sad and weary, became a supporting character. "Ender's Game" expanded to a series of novels based on characters and situations developed in the central novel. Movies, graphic novels, and video games followed.

But in my case I had synopsis to be expanded into the novel.

I know that novels divided into chapters. Should I think about general plot (across all chapters), then think about plot in each chapters, or else?
 
  • #8
If you've never read a novel, why on Earth would you want to write one? (And if you are unfamiliar with the form, how will you know if you have done a good job with yours?)

If you are going to ask our advice, why ignore it (suggestion to read some)?
 
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  • #9
bagasme said:
But in my case I had synopsis to be expanded into the novel.

I know that novels divided into chapters. Should I think about general plot (across all chapters), then think about plot in each chapters, or else?
You are free to do whatever you like.
 
  • #10
Vanadium 50 said:
If you've never read a novel, why on Earth would you want to write one? (And if you are unfamiliar with the form, how will you know if you have done a good job with yours?)

If you are going to ask our advice, why ignore it (suggestion to read some)?
@Vanadium 50 so let's read random novels to get the idea how they can be written
 
  • #11
PeroK said:
You are free to do whatever you like.
Yeah, FFA (free for all)
 
  • #12
This thread is going nowhere. Time to close.
 
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