For a lot of novelists, this tends to happen somewhere in the middle of the novel. You might have a bunch of scenes that don’t really have a huge amount happening: they’re not necessarily progressing the story at all.
So what can you do to improve a sagging scene? And how can you spot one in the first place?
You’ve got an idea for a novel. It might be a tiny seed that you’ve carried for months or years: maybe an intriguing situation, an unusual setting, a compelling character, or an image in your mind.
But how do you start digging into that seed and fleshing it out into a full novel idea?
That’s what we’ll be covering in this free masterclass. To register, just click this magic link and I'll send you the details:
... or keep reading to learn more about what we'll be covering.
💡 Part One: What Sparks a Novel Idea?
We’ll be taking a look at where novel ideas come from in the first place, going through some examples of how famous novels got started … and thinking about what might spark your novel.
We’ll also take a look at the difference between a story spark and a “novel-shaped” idea.
🧩 Part Two: The Four Key Aspects of a Novel Idea
Before you move on to outlining your novel (or discovery writing), you need to know four things. These are your story’s:
Protagonist: Your main character – the person readers will root for.
Goal: The key thing your main character is trying to accomplish.
Conflict: What gets in the way of the goal, as a result of the antagonist or antagonistic force.
Setting: The “when” and “where” of your story … which can have a huge impact.
We’ll explore each of these, with plenty of examples and tips on developing that aspect of your novel idea.
💭 Part Three: How to Brainstorm and Dig Into Your Ideas
We’ll cover a range of brainstorming techniques you can use, like:
Mindmapping
“Maybe…” journalling
Collating images
Answering questions
… along with specific questions and prompts to help you dig deeper, generate possibilities, uncover tension, and spot the attention-grabbing aspects of your novel idea.
📝 Wrapping Up the Masterclass: Worksheet & Implementation
You’ll get a free worksheet to put everything into practice, including:
A clear and straightforward “character card” to fill out for your protagonist
A list of potential goals, with examples of each, so you can figure out what’s a natural fit for your protagonist and story
A list of both external and internal conflicts to consider, so your protagonist can have a satisfying story arc
A set of prompts to help you come up with (or deepen) your setting, making sure it’s integrated with the rest of your story idea
And at the end of the masterclass, we’ll talk about your potential next steps, so you know exactly what to do next and how to get support if you need it.
How to Join the “Developing Your Novel Idea” Masterclass
This free masterclass takes place live on Tuesday 27th January, at 7pm UK / 2pm EST / 11am PST. It’ll last no more than an hour. If you can’t make it live, there’ll be a recording ... but come live if you can, as you'll have the chance to ask questions during the masterclass.
Before the masterclass, I'll send you a link to join it on Google Meet (no need to install anything, it opens in your browser). You’re welcome to have your camera on or off, whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Hello! Lots of writers set daily or weekly targets, and if you're writing a novel (or working on any major project), it often makes sense to break it down in terms of words. For instance, if you're writing a 90,000 word novel and you want to finish in six months, that's 15,000 words per month, or about 500 words per day. And that would work really well ... if the writing process only involved getting fresh words on the page. But even when you've got a great plan for your novel, you'll...
Hello! Here's this week's post for you: How Long Does it Take to Write 1,000 Words? How Long Does it Take to Write 1,000 Word? How long does it take to write 1,000 words? If you’re writing a novel … the answer matters! If you’re aiming for an average-ish novel length of 80,000 words, then that’ll take you 80 days, writing 1,000 words per day. (Those don’t have to be consecutive days, of course.) Knowing your writing speed is important, so you can figure out how much time you need to set aside...
Hello! Quick heads-up: Writers' Cafe is now open for new registrations after my Christmas/New Year break. Want to make this the year you finally write a novel? We'll be with you every step of the way! Here's this week's post for you: My Annual Writing Goals for 2026 (Tell Me Your Goals, Too!) My Annual Writing Goals for 2026 (Tell Me Your Goals, Too!) Happy New Year! We’re just over a week into 2026 … and there’s a good chance you’ve been thinking about your writing, and what goals you might...
