A good novel has all the aspects and characteristics of a good book that will entertain you. However, I also believe that there are numerous examples of great works of literature containing characters with which the reader will not identify. It can move forwards, backwards, skip around and through, but it has to move. The author creates a story that is believable, or at least relatable to true events, feelings or actions.

It’s a bit like that old advert for Ronseal. The author creates a story that is believable, or at least relatable to true events, feelings or actions. A science-fiction story about living on Venus with aliens as pets may not be entirely believable, but the author can write the characters and events in such a way as to be relatable to real life. Settling down to enjoy a good book is a favorite pastime for many Americans. 2) A Plot that is Engaging The plot has to move. At times, when the plot and character development is brief, a novel can be very short. However, this isn’t necessarily that I prefer one language style over another. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. It has to take me on a journey. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This one varies hugely depending on the genre, but what I really look for is a cast of characters that I can clearly see in my own imagination.

Article shared by. This makes a big difference with other literary formats such as poetry or story, which are usually published within anthologies or collections. Which represents its importance within the vanguard of literature for each new generation. Happily ever after all the time would make for a dull story. Each sub-genre employs different narrative techniques, different styles and tones to develop themes with very different approaches.

A Complete Guide to the Types of Novels. Point of view is essentially the voice of the narrator. The size and complexity of many novels, makes it necessary to publish independently.

novels are in the form of books but shorter. There are several different types, or genres, of fiction novels. A gruesome murder case or a cheating spouse are examples of external conflict. In many cases even the central plot is surrounded by other small stories that are interconnected with the main facts. This will depend on the number of characters and situations that are intertwined to shape the facts. Wimmer, J. For example, historical novels use the narration of real historical facts but nuanced by fictional characters and events. Does it do what it says on the tin?

The length depends on the sensitivity the author has to determine how necessary it is to develop a theme or a character. This is done in order to propose a specific position on the events he narrates. Basically, it’s that tired old cliché – you simply can’t put it down.

This implies the existence of a logic underlying the events and the way in which the characters react to them. One of the main features of the novel is its writing in prose, that is to say that it is not written in poetic format. Meg Mulvaney has been writing professionally since 2007. The stunning story that
in a thriller or crime novel) but can just as easily fall into the rhythm of a good Jane Austen novel, where the sentences can be ten times as long. She graduated from a publishing course through the Institute of Children's Literature in 2007. However, this possibility also leads to the creation of deep characters to which the author makes known through a Biography details or events that clearly reveal their character. An example of this is the books of the saga of Harry Potter where each one of the novels was longer than the previous one. Novels may have plots of different complexity. What are the characteristics that you look for in a book? However, in general, the range is considered to be between 60,000 and 200,000 words. You see the quotes from renowned writers, the prize nominations, the tasteful cover design, and you expect a certain something, and what you get is beyond anything you imagined. In some novels lines can be used in verse with different aesthetic purposes. I want some drama, some surprises, something to keep me reading. This realism is given by the characters, their relationships and the coherence between the facts, even if they are fictitious. Over time, the novel has been transformed and evolved into new themes, approaches and aesthetic proposals. The depth of character development, however, is always different and depends on the characteristics of each novel. While there are many different genres of fiction, all fiction novels share some standard characteristics. Kahnnor Aplin. The setting is an aspect of a fiction novel that makes the story believable. Don’t you just hate it when you get confused about which character is speaking? Retrieved from: study.com. These descriptions should give you a sense of their character, as well as a physical description, and should be believable, not just the stereotypes. It usually addresses issues of human experience through a sequence of events that occur to a group of people within a specific context. Some characteristics of the novel are prose writing, extensive length, fictional stories, diversity of subgenres and character development. After reading over a million words from the best literature, I have come to appreciate what makes a good book great is not by accident or luck. The Novel. It has to engage me as a reader, and make me interested to know what happens next, or what happened, or what might happen. A science-fiction story about living on Venus with aliens as pets may not be entirely believable, but the author can write the characters and events in such a way as to be relatable to real life. (S.F.). Retrieved from: novel-writing-help.com, Sparks, N. In reality, it depends on the ability of the author to give each fact and each character the necessary depth in the development of it. (2001). There are four types of point of view: first person, second person, third person omniscient and third person limited. Extension depends on gender and history. This is completely subjective, but for me it is also essential. In some cases this is reflected in the existence of a large number of characters with different incidents within the plot. Now that is a good book.

This genre encompasses a wide variety of sub-genres that has been expanded over the years and are determined by the themes they address and the narrative techniques they use. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Recovered from: britannica.com, Novel writing help. A good novel should … Retrieved from: autocrit.com.


The author may not go into long detailed descriptions of what each character looks like, but they give you enough – a few key, well-chosen words that conjure them up as real flesh and blood. You’ll have to forgive me for this one but, in my opinion, a good book must be…, “some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language.”, So there you have it – my top ten highly subjective features of a good book. What makes the difference between a book you just ‘enjoyed’ and a book that, when finished, you immediately want to lend to everyone you know? Your email address will not be published. The 8 Main Characteristics of the Novel Some characteristics of the novel are prose writing, extensive length, fictional stories, diversity of subgenres and character development. This implies that it lacks metric rhythm, repetition or periodicity. Here are my top ten features of a good book… Of course, these are highly subjective, so please do comment and let me know what it is that you look for in a book. For this reason, at present there is a great variety of sub-genera to the point that in some cases it is difficult to classify a novel in only one of them. Third person omniscient allows the reader inside the heads of all characters involved. Kahnnor Aplin. However, it is possible to establish some that are common to most experts. This is determined by a conflict that raises the author and unfolds through different situations that live the characters of the work. Her work has been published in several newspapers, magazines, online and most recently in an inspirational book as a contributor. The extension of the novel allows the plot to be developed widely, giving space to complex situations. This is because as the plot and the stories of the different characters became more complex, a greater extension was necessary. I want to care about them, to love them, or hate them or, at the very least, to understand their motives. This goes without saying really, and most books have gone through so much editing that it wouldn’t be a problem, but if I do see the odd typo or a sentence that looks like it has too many words in it, it does stick out, and the book will have to fight all the harder to make me love it. I don’t want to be able to predict the entire plot from the outset, or (dare I say it) from reading the blurb. novels need to have good character development. First person is written from the main character’s perspective. A good novel should be able to give you a clear perspective of the person telling the story or of the character telling it. Plot is an essential characteristic of all novels. Mystery, historical, romance, fantasy, western, science fiction, action/adventure, humor, medical, tragedy, erotic, thriller, horror and espionage are some of the main categories of fiction novels. Which, are characterized by convincingly narrating facts that the reader recognizes as unreal. If you enjoyed reading this post why not subscribe to my blog and get regular book reviews sent to your inbox? In any event, at the end of the book there is always a resolution of some sort. It is considered that these are pieces of fiction, however, his narrative is usually realistic and poses the facts plausibly and coherently. However, when the development of situations warrants it, it can reach a large extent. We use cookies to provide our online service. Novel.

There is no standard measure and may vary according to the intentionality of each situation. Fiction novels provide readers with an escape from reality, as well as a form of entertainment. For a fantasy novel, the setting may be an imaginary realm with creatures, plants and lifestyle completely different from those in the real world, so the author must dedicate himself to describing the setting in such a way as to make it feel real to the reader. In fact, his name itself speaks of innovation: it comes from the Latin Novellus meaning"young and new". The novel is a fictional literary text characterized by considerable length and complexity.

Plot is an essential characteristic of all novels. (S.F.). In contrast, the science fiction novel , create future societies based on orders and technologies that do not exist. This can also be seen in its continuous transformation over the centuries, unlike other literary genres that have remained stable over time, especially in the realm of poetry.