How to Write an Award-Winning Novel

Dreaming of the day when a Pulitzer Prize, Hugo Award or Newbery Medal has your name on it? Writing an award-winning novel isn't easy. People have been telling stories since the dawn of time. Making yours unique enough to garnish an award takes time, practice, imagination and courage.
Still, creating stories that help give meaning to our life experiences and move people emotionally is probably worth the challenge.

Instructions

1. Write! An idea for a story is merely a story waiting to be told. Every novel starts with an idea. Award-winning novels are the product of action, idea and inspiration.

2. Research and understand the fundamentals of a story. This improves your chances of writing an award-winning novel. Buy a book on writing a novel, attend a writer's workshop or take a class to enhance your knowledge of the basics.

3. Work on your novel every day. Pick a quiet, comfortable place to write. Writing a novel is a process that occurs over time. Your initial idea needs to grow into characters, a plot and eventually a manuscript. The only way to make your idea a reality is to create a habit of writing every day.

4. Learn from seasoned writers. Read award-winning books. Listen to other authors talk about their writing. Talk with other writers about their writing processes. Raw talent alone may not always help you, so be open to try new ideas that could help your writing come to life.

5. Be specific about the awards you want to pursue. Awards are as subjective and numerous as the organizations that present them. Obtaining an award for writing a novel entails submitting your manuscript to the highest levels of scrutiny.

6. Participate in writing contests. This is a great way to practice submitting your writing to the world. There are a variety of contests with prizes that include cash, publishing contracts and additional resources that are invaluable to writers.

7. Prepare yourself for experts and non-experts alike to review your novel and draw their own conclusions about its merit. Be passionate, confident and convinced of the worthiness of the novel. Choose to listen or ignore the critics' reviews.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider hiring a literary agent. Many publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

• Design a business plan. Writing the novel plays a limited role in the overall business of publishing. This is a great way to convey you're serious about the commitment to being a writer.

• Take a writing class. Meeting other writers and discussing the writing process gives encouragement and skills that come in handy during the long process of writing a novel.

• Do not get discouraged. Writing an award-winning novel is an ambitious endeavor. It takes perseverance and the ability to overcome numerous obstacles.