Anyone can write, but not everyone has the capacity to write original and creative fiction. There is a difference between good fiction and fiction that has no substance. Successful authors will tell you that writing creatively is an art that needs years of experience, patience, and determination. You can have heaps of creative ideas for your next novel, but making it work takes some tender loving care. Every author wants to perfect their novel before sending it off to an agent.

Agents, editors, and publishers have the uncanny ability to scrutinize manuscripts and nitpick critically. If your manuscript lacks something, it will be amplified by them because their reputation will be riding on the success of your novel. But if you write creatively and write original fiction, your chances of wooing an agent or publisher will increase.

Here are some tips that will help with getting your creative juices flowing.

Start Your Novel with a Bang

Some writers advise authors to start their novel with action, which actually works brilliantly if you know how to perfect it. Such authors have dedicated time and energy into perfecting this technique, so if you can do the same, you have to give it time to mature enough to make an impact. A better way to start your novel is by starting with tension. It will draw the interest of readers, get them invested and have them wanting to know more.

Know Your Characters

This is one of the most essential things to do. All good stories have characters that are felt by the author and readers. The character needs to be felt as if they are real; the reader needs to know that this is a character that they can find themselves in. For this, you need to know your character, see what they want, and understand it. You need a compelling character, one that has strong desires and wants that make them unique yet universal.

A Cliffhanger Can Do Wonders

You don’t have to end each chapter on a cliffhanger, but you can always make the end suspenseful after every couple of chapters. Leaving some questions unanswered is good, especially if you want to write a series. Posing a question early on in the novel will give you a lot of room to build the tension and conflict of your story. Spark their curiosity, give them an incentive to read on; you need to give them the urge to find the answers to the questions you asked early on.

Another golden rule of writing creatively is to add realistic obstacles in the path of your character’s goals. Spice up the story, give your character something to fight for and then give him a reason to fight harder than ever before. Lastly, know who you are writing for. The more you know about your audience, the better the impact you will have. This will help you with the story building and help you with deciding the genre of your novel.