So you have come up with a brilliant concept for your next novel. The novel has a realistic protagonist and antagonist, so now it is time to start constructing the meat and bones of your manuscript.

The principal thing you should make sure of is that your storyline's two main characters are both sufficiently solid to convey a fifteen chapter novel. The best approach to do this is to ask yourself whether the characters hook you. If you have done little research on the backstory of your characters, then the likelihood of this being the case is zero. An intriguing story and fundamental characters require a great deal of work and research before they wind up being attractive to a reader. Unless your novel has a unique twist to the story, try to avoid current news stories as publishers tend to shy away from them. This is simply because, by the time your novel hits the bookshops, then your current story is as old as the hills.Your story needs to start right in the middle of an action scene. Relaying how your character visits the shops, followed by a trip to the bank where they get held up at knifepoint is really not going to hook the reader.

The first page is one of the most important of the entire novel, because the reader will get their initial impression from the first page. Thrust your reader straight into the action and they will be instantly captivated. It is also vital that you base the subject matter of your novel on something that you are passionate about. If you enjoy reading fantasy novels and have an interest in the supernatural, then it is probably unwise to write a period novel. The most important aspect of your story should be its credibility. Ensure you have ironed out all the believability flaws. Remember, if it isn’t plausible to you then it won't be to your reader either.

An awesome character is one that the reader can empathise with and feel emotion for. You accomplish this by having huge obstacles and problems that the character has to overcome in their quest to achieve their goal. The character's life ought to be tough to the point that readers feel terrible for them and desperately need them to accomplish their objective. Since the character needs to experience such a great amount, there had better be a major pot of gold for them toward the finish of the story. If their reward for overcoming such heartache is a nice cup of tea, then the character is suddenly is an idiot.

On the off chance that you feel your character's objective may be too little, at that point, there are two things you can do. You can either give them a greater objective, or set them in a place where they need to accomplish that objective. One thing is certain, toward the end of your novel your character will have changed. All that they have experienced will have improved them. They'll have accomplished their objective and grown emotionally or mentally.

Build your story up carefully; it is the foundation of your novel.