Preplanning your novel. Some people outline, other writers just write. I’m the latter—a pantser with a plan. So, before we go any further, an explanation of the methods:
“To Pants or To Plot: Which One Is Best for Your Story?” by Nisha Tuli. This article has lots of references to other reading as well.
If you’re an outliner, I thought this article was helpful: “Outline Tools to Structure Your Children’s Book Plot.”
As a pantser, I still need to know some things before I can start actually writing. Whether I start with a character or plot, I need to know a little bit about who and what. I also like to have thoughts on where I think the story is going.
These posts from my archives might be of use before you write your novel.
Character related:
Making Friends: Character Development
Naming Characters – from Mary’s Notebook
The Right Number of Characters
Show Your Character’s Character
Viewpoint in Children’s Fiction – point of view – which can definitely change as you revise
Plot related:
Know what you’re writing:
Writing a Novel? Where Does It Fit?
Especially for pantsers:
If you’re at the beginning stages of writing a novel, and don’t have an outline, how do you keep track of people, scenes, days of the week, etc.?
Here are some posts sharing thoughts on those topics:
Do You Have Style? aka Master Character Chart
The Story Ladder or Novel Timeline
I’d love to hear from others on how they plan and begin a novel. Feel free to share in comments.