A novelist is a creative writer who focuses on long-form fiction rather than shorter forms like poetry, essays, or short stories. A novelist invents fictional characters and then places them in a fantastical setting. While a novel’s setting and time period may be based on reality, the plot development is usually entirely based on the author’s imagination. A typical novel is several hundred pages long, though a novella is a shorter version with a lower word count. A novelist not only creates a book-length story, but also conducts the necessary research to ensure the novel’s authenticity.
While some writers begin their careers as journalists or other nonfiction writers, many novelists begin their careers as journalists or other nonfiction writers. Others pursue degrees in creative writing, journalism, or literary studies after studying creative writing and literature in college. Because writing a novel is a time-consuming and costly process, many authors work on larger projects while pursuing other personal or professional interests. Before tackling the added workload of a novel, a novelist may establish himself or herself in a field such as short stories, poetry, humor, or essays. However, once an author has established a reputation in the novel genre, he or she may choose to focus solely on specific genres of novel writing. Stephen King, for example, writes horror and fantasy novels, whereas John Grisham writes crime novels.
A novelist must generally develop a strong concept that can be sustained throughout the length of the book. This frequently entails creating compelling main characters, such as the protagonist and antagonist, as well as a supporting cast. For example, in the Harry Potter series, author JK Rowling had to create an entirely new world, complete with magical instructors, students, evil spirits, and customs. Hundreds of thousands of words would be required to explore each character and situation in that fictional landscape, and it could go on indefinitely. In their series of novels, authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and CS Lewis created fictional landscapes with numerous characters. Both Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series are successful novel writing examples.
Because they spend a significant amount of time researching for upcoming novels, many novelists become recognized experts in their genres. For example, a true crime novelist will frequently provide background information to law enforcement officers and documentary producers. Other novelists may work as consultants for film studios looking for historical accuracy or other genre-specific details. As in the cases of Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, and Norman Mailer, a successful novelist can become a well-known public figure in his or her own right. Others may spend years attempting to have a single novel manuscript read or published. Some novelists work in relative obscurity for the majority of their lives, but become more well-known after their work is discovered after their deaths.