How to Study a Novel: An Essay on the Art of Writing

Whether a novel be a fantasy the likes of a Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, or Ray Bradbury, each has a core that can be studied. The same can be said of other genres like science fiction, where authors start with an idea, a question, and build from there. In order to write a novel, one needs to become a student in reading and analyzing them.

Here are a few things you should look for in a novel in no particular order.

Action

There is this misconception that in a novel there has to be Mission Impossible or Die Hard elements, especially if you are writing a thriller or horror the likes of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Action can be moving from a thought to walking out to the mail box and looking at all the bills-and that is all is needed for an action element. There is nothing wrong with the more popular action, but it isn't always needed. Look for moments of action in a novel of your choice; if it's published it should provide a few helpful hints.

Thoughts

All works of fiction have characters who are involved in thinking at one point. It is as important as action, as having a suitable ending. Without a look into the characters minds, a novel would just be movement. Look to novels for the questions that the characters ask themselves. If this is a first person novel, which is growing more common, the thoughts are even more important.

Story

Plot and character conflict should be some of the first things you are looking for in a novel. A good plot makes for a quality story, but you will need character conflict in order to keep the reader's attention. Notice what writers like Stephen King do: In "The Shining" King wrote an alcoholic father and husband who was growing sick of his family-that is one of the best conflicts a writer could come up with, the family element.

Ending

Does the novel tie it all together at the end? Or does it leave it to the reader's imagination? The ending of a novel is the bane of many writers, who swear by knowing the ending from the outset of the writing. Some pull it all together, like Orson Scott Card is known for doing. Paul Auster is noteworthy for his endings that can be abrupt, which can be easily seen in his classic "City of Glass."

What matters most in studying novels is to take on as many different works over the course of the year as you can. Reviewing novels for online sites or print publications can also be an interesting enterprise if done in the right proportion. A novel cannot leave out any of these elements, or it will be a disappointment. The next time you decide to write a novel, consider deconstructing one of your favorites.