u/TheTypicalwriter

I’ve been thinking about the stage that comes after the concept is finalised.

You have the premise, characters, story skeleton, major turns, perhaps even the ending. At that point, I feel the most important thing is simply to start writing. Don’t get paralysed by formatting, prose rules, chapter length, or whether every paragraph sounds “novelistic.” The first draft needs to exist before it can be refined.

But once the skeleton is solid and the first draft is written, what should an aspiring novelist actually look at from a standard novel-writing perspective?

I’m particularly interested in the technical side of this.

Novel formatting and paragraphing

What are the generally accepted conventions for a modern novel?

Things like:

- Paragraph length and density

- Dialogue formatting

- When to begin a new paragraph

- Scene breaks

- Chapter openings and endings

- How much description is normally expected

- Whether internal thoughts should be italicised or simply written into the prose

- How much white space is appropriate

- Whether there are meaningful differences between literary, commercial, and genre-fiction formatting

I’m not necessarily asking about manuscript submission formatting. I’m more interested in the actual reading experience of a finished novel.

The problem of over-explanation

This is probably the bigger question.

How do you explain something enough for the reader to understand it without explaining it so much that the reader feels like they are being told what to think?

For example, atmosphere, emotion, character motivation, relationships, memories, body language, or the significance of an event can all be described. But at some point, description becomes repetition.

Where is that line?

How do experienced writers decide:

«“The reader understands this. I can stop here.”»

rather than continuing for another paragraph simply because they feel they should explain more?

I’m especially interested in restraint.

How do you make explanation meaningful rather than merely informative? How do you trust the reader to notice things, connect details, and interpret emotions without leaving them genuinely confused?

After the first draft

Suppose the first draft is complete.

What should the revision process look like from a standard novel-writing perspective?

Should the writer first focus on:

1. Story structure and continuity

2. Character consistency

3. Scene purpose

4. Pacing

5. Description and atmosphere

6. Dialogue

7. Paragraph structure

8. Prose style

9. Sentence-level editing

10. Grammar and formatting

Or is there a better order?

I’m also curious whether writers deliberately make their first draft dense and exploratory, then remove unnecessary material during revision, rather than trying to achieve perfect prose while drafting.

For those who have actually completed novels, what technical lessons did you only understand after writing your first full draft?

And for editors, published novelists, or experienced writers here: what would you recommend an aspiring novelist follow once the concept and skeleton are ready and they are moving from “planning a novel” to actually producing and refining the manuscript?

I’d especially appreciate practical advice on restraint, meaningful explanation, paragraphing, and knowing when the prose has said enough.

I’ve been thinking about the stage that comes after the concept is finalised.

You have the premise, characters, story skeleton, major turns, perhaps even the ending. At that point, I feel the most important thing is simply to start writing. Don’t get paralysed by formatting, prose rules, chapter length, or whether every paragraph sounds “novelistic.” The first draft needs to exist before it can be refined.

But once the skeleton is solid and the first draft is written, what should an aspiring novelist actually look at from a standard novel-writing perspective?

I’m particularly interested in the technical side of this.

Novel formatting and paragraphing

What are the generally accepted conventions for a modern novel?

Things like:

- Paragraph length and density

- Dialogue formatting

- When to begin a new paragraph

- Scene breaks

- Chapter openings and endings

- How much description is normally expected

- Whether internal thoughts should be italicised or simply written into the prose

- How much white space is appropriate

- Whether there are meaningful differences between literary, commercial, and genre-fiction formatting

I’m not necessarily asking about manuscript submission formatting. I’m more interested in the actual reading experience of a finished novel.

The problem of over-explanation

This is probably the bigger question.

How do you explain something enough for the reader to understand it without explaining it so much that the reader feels like they are being told what to think?

For example, atmosphere, emotion, character motivation, relationships, memories, body language, or the significance of an event can all be described. But at some point, description becomes repetition.

Where is that line?

How do experienced writers decide:

«“The reader understands this. I can stop here.”»

rather than continuing for another paragraph simply because they feel they should explain more?

I’m especially interested in restraint.

How do you make explanation meaningful rather than merely informative? How do you trust the reader to notice things, connect details, and interpret emotions without leaving them genuinely confused?

After the first draft

Suppose the first draft is complete.

What should the revision process look like from a standard novel-writing perspective?

Should the writer first focus on:

1. Story structure and continuity

2. Character consistency

3. Scene purpose

4. Pacing

5. Description and atmosphere

6. Dialogue

7. Paragraph structure

8. Prose style

9. Sentence-level editing

10. Grammar and formatting

Or is there a better order?

I’m also curious whether writers deliberately make their first draft dense and exploratory, then remove unnecessary material during revision, rather than trying to achieve perfect prose while drafting.

For those who have actually completed novels, what technical lessons did you only understand after writing your first full draft?

And for editors, published novelists, or experienced writers here: what would you recommend an aspiring novelist follow once the concept and skeleton are ready and they are moving from “planning a novel” to actually producing and refining the manuscript?

I’d especially appreciate practical advice on restraint, meaningful explanation, paragraphing, and knowing when the prose has said enough.

Hey fellow writers,

I’ve been feeling a little disconnected from writing lately. Not because I’ve stopped loving it, but because somewhere along the way, I lost the rhythm, the habit of sitting down, putting thoughts into words, and simply writing.

So I thought I’d reach out here.

I’m looking for fellow writers who might feel the same way, or anyone who simply enjoys talking about writing, ideas, stories, creativity, or the strange relationship we have with our own words.

Maybe we could have conversations about what we’re writing. Share unfinished thoughts without worrying about whether they’re “good enough.” Talk about the stories we abandoned, the ideas that keep coming back, the books that inspired us, or even the days when writing feels impossible.

No pressure to critique or impress anyone. Just genuine conversation, discussion, encouragement, and sharing.

Sometimes I think getting back on track doesn’t require a perfect writing routine. Maybe it just takes finding a few people who remind us why we started writing in the first place.

So, if you’re a writer or someone trying to become one again, please feel free to say hello.

What are you writing these days? What’s been keeping you from writing? And what would help you get back into it?

Let’s talk. Maybe a simple conversation is all some of us need to start writing again.

Hey fellow writers,

I’ve been feeling a little disconnected from writing lately. Not because I’ve stopped loving it, but because somewhere along the way, I lost the rhythm, the habit of sitting down, putting thoughts into words, and simply writing.

So I thought I’d reach out here.

I’m looking for fellow writers who might feel the same way, or anyone who simply enjoys talking about writing, ideas, stories, creativity, or the strange relationship we have with our own words.

Maybe we could have conversations about what we’re writing. Share unfinished thoughts without worrying about whether they’re “good enough.” Talk about the stories we abandoned, the ideas that keep coming back, the books that inspired us, or even the days when writing feels impossible.

No pressure to critique or impress anyone. Just genuine conversation, discussion, encouragement, and sharing.

Sometimes I think getting back on track doesn’t require a perfect writing routine. Maybe it just takes finding a few people who remind us why we started writing in the first place.

So, if you’re a writer or someone trying to become one again, please feel free to say hello.

What are you writing these days? What’s been keeping you from writing? And what would help you get back into it?

Let’s talk. Maybe a simple conversation is all some of us need to start writing again.