This post is all about how to write a bestselling novel.
Writing a novel can take a LONG time and there are so many different components that go into it. If you want to know how to write a bestselling novel, there are a few things to focus on that will help you write the most compelling story possible!
Instead of getting lost in the world of tropes, story structures, and word counts, let’s talk about what any compelling novel really needs.
And no, there’s nothing wrong with tropes, story structures, or tracking word count… It’s just that it’s easy to get lost in those things and lose sight of what really matters in your story.
What truly makes a best seller is a story that feels cohesive and well-crafted. But what do you really need to focus on in your first draft to make sure you write the type of story that has a good chance of becoming a best-selling book?
Let’s talk about it.
Writing a novel is taking a chance
We need to start with few disclaimers before we actually dive into how to write a bestselling novel…
1. Not all good books become bestsellers.
Just because you write a great story doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to make you a bestselling author. There are lots of successful authors who write great stories they’re proud of and even build up an audience of loyal readers without making bestseller lists.
2. The publishing industry is complicated.
There’s no exact formula to writing a best-selling novel. A big part of it is writing a great book, but another part of it is often luck, or finding the right literary agent, being in the right place at the right time, or even having a good social media following.
But there are always anomalies. Just because you don’t have a huge audience already or the perfect literary agent doesn’t mean your novel won’t become a bestseller!
3. Becoming a bestselling author shouldn’t be your *only* goal.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to write a bestselling book, but to be honest, if you’re only in it to become a bestselling author, you won’t be fulfilled by this journey.
Writing a novel is a difficult, long, and often stressful process. It requires you to truly have thick skin; especially if this is your first time doing it.
But remember, you only get ONE first novel. You only get the experience of writing your first book ONE time. So, make the most of it, enjoy the process, and focus on truly becoming a better writer as you seek to accomplish your goal of writing a book (and hopefully becoming a bestselling author).
So, to get this out of the way from the beginning, you really shouldn’t embark on this journey if you’re only in it to become the highest-paid author or number one on the New York times bestseller list.
Partly because you can’t fully control that.
But also partly because there’s so much more to being an author than writing a bestseller.
I can’t guarantee that after reading this post, you’ll go on to write the best book ever, get your dream publishing contract or book deal and become the next Stephen King or Jodi Picoult (authors that basically everyone knows). But I can guarantee that if you focus on what I’m going to outline in this post and then stay dedicated to your story, you’ll write a story you’re truly proud of… and that pride is what will last a lifetime and make your story worth reading.
The entire creative writing journey can be so rewarding and life-giving, and if you truly find it to be so, then you’ll feel proud of your work whether it becomes a bestseller or not!
Characters that feel real
Great novels are written when the author deeply understands each character, and my belief is characters are the first and most important aspect of your novel you need to understand when learning how to write a bestselling novel.
Creating a human (or non-human!) from scratch is a huge task.
My advice?
Worry less about the surface-level identifiers (their hobbies, hair colour, occupation) and focus on things like:
- their fears and motivations
- how they respond to stress
- reasons they’re a good friend
- reasons they’re a bad friend
- where they’re from and how it’s shaped them
- what they’ve been through
If your story is being told from a specific character’s point of view, it’s also important to ensure the character has a unique voice that feels consistent and authentic throughout the entire novel. Are you sharing information in the narration that the character wouldn’t actually be privy to, or are you considering their limitations?
When you know enough details about your character that they begin feeling real to you, that’s where the real magic happens. That’s when you’ll truly be able to write characters that have satisfying, real-feeling stories and character development.
How to figure out everything you need to know about your characters:
I walk you through both the visible and invisible details you need to know about your characters in my workbook, Real Characters! Dozens of authors have used this workbook to deepen their understanding of their characters and write a more compelling story.
An antagonist that drives natural conflict
Whether your story features a conventional villain or another force that’s causing conflict, you still need to be crystal clear on all the details.
Your antagonist should have clear fears and motivations that drive high stakes in your story. But beyond that, the conflict they’re driving also needs to feel like a natural consequence to the other things happening in the story.
Sometimes it can be hard to identify where there’s a disconnect in your antagonist, but this is arguably the most important character in your novel. So, don’t overlook it.
My ebook guide The Antagonist Playbook walks through a full analysis of your antagonist to help you figure out what’s lacking. Plus, it’ll walk you through answers to the most common questions I get about writing a strong villain to ensure yours truly fuels your story.
A setting that doesn’t feel like you’re making it up as you go
I was chatting with an avid reader about how much we both hate when a novel’s setting doesn’t feel grounded.
By setting, I mean everything: the locations, the politics, the language, and even the magic system (if applicable).
When the layout of your world is confusing, you’ve lost the reader. If you’ve got magic in your story and you’re making up rules as you go, it won’t feel real. If your reader knows there’s a political conflict or war but doesn’t understand where that conflict came from, they won’t feel the stakes.
Every aspect of your setting needs to feel grounded.
Need help with building your world? I also have a workbook called Build My World that walks you through crafting the perfect setting.
Pacing that complements your plot
Notice that I haven’t mentioned plot until this point?
Plot is where most writers start, and what most writers focus on from the get-go. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
But…
If you have characters that feel real, an antagonist that drives conflict, and a setting that feels grounded, it’s pretty hard to have a plot that feels like it doesn’t fit. The plot will usually sort itself out.
Where you can go wrong, however, is in the pacing of your story.
A story that’s too slow lessens the stakes and makes your readers think, wait, why am I reading this?
A story that’s too fast just feels flat-out overwhelming.
How to address this? Master the harmony between showing and telling in your story.
See, I dislike the common writing advice “show, don’t tell” because a compelling story actually knows how to show AND tell, and when each approach is most appropriate.
I have two resources for you here: My free novel plotting workbook Plotting Prodigy, which has been downloaded by over 1000 writers; and the Show and Tell Masterclass, where I walk you through strategies and examples to show and tell effectively in your story, which will help improve your pacing.
A plot based on cause, effect, motivations, and error
Now, let’s talk about plot for real.
A great guiding question to determine the believability of your plot is to ask yourself, would this happen in real life?
Of course, you might be writing a story with a bunch of fictional elements, where none of it would really happen in real life. But the point of asking yourself tis question is to identify a few things:
- Is there a clear cause and effect?
- If the plot was caused by someone’s decision, are there realistic motivations driving that decision?
- Are you allowing your characters to have lapses in judgment or make mistakes? (Not everything needs to be perfectly calculated!)
- If you have plot twists, are they purposeful and natural, rather than feeling forced for dramatic effect?
As long as your plot doesn’t feel like a total stretch, you’re on the right track.
Secondary characters that are just as likable (or hateable)
Don’t forget about your secondary characters!
Think about your favorite shows, movies, and books. You can probably think of a few secondary characters from those stories where it just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Secondary characters play a bigger role than they’re often given credit for.
The mentor. The sidekick. The best friend. The parent. It doesn’t matter who they are, they make a huge impact on the story.
Make sure your side characters are well-developed and intentional so they don’t just feel like props.
Productive writing sessions
This is the part that often doesn’t go as well as you’d hoped… so it’s not fun to talk about.
But we need to talk about it.
You can learn all the tips in the world on how to write a bestselling novel, but if you don’t have a writing process that really works for you—paired with PRODUCTIVE writing sessions—you’ll simply never get it done.
The process of writing a novel feels like it requires an unreasonable amount of delusion. Without knowing how many people will actually read (let alone love) your story, where do you find the motivation to finish it?
Not only do you have to believe in your story wholeheartedly, you also have to genuinely LOVE the process of writing, creating, and revising, again and again and again.
Every writer’s process will be totally different, and that’s how it should be. Always remain open to trying new approaches and processes until you find what works for you!
If you need a kickstart to crafting a writing process you’ll actually stick to, I designed the Flow State Writer Challenge to help you do that!
This post was all about how to write a bestselling novel.
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