A novel is a book of fiction, but fiction doesn’t necessarily mean a novel. The book could also be a collection of short stories. It could be a magazine article or a piece for a website. It could also be a video or audio piece with a skilled narrator telling the story. Writing fiction is perfect for those with the most creative minds because fiction comes from the imagination. Whatever you can dream up can be a great work of art.

But what if you’re a creative genius but not a writer? That’s okay, we’ve got you covered.

Ideas for stories can come to us when we least expect them and in places that surprise us even more. You may be in the shower, going for a walk, or even doing laundry when suddenly an idea strikes. Some authors got their ideas in a dream. Let’s take J.K. Rowling for example. She got her idea after sitting for hours on a delayed train.

This is why it’s a good idea to keep a notepad next to your bed and in your handbag for anything an idea strikes.

If an idea pops into your head, and the more you think about it the more you’re sure there’s a story there, then you might be onto something. What you do next will be the difference between writing a best-selling novel or just letting the idea fizzle out.

The first thing you should do is jot down some notes. It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer or not, we’ll get to that in a moment, but for now, just get your idea onto paper. Write it out in bullet points or however works best for you, but just put pen to paper and let your fingers do the talking.

So, what do you do with your notes? Well, that’s where a ghostwriter comes in.

If you’re a writer, well then you can go ahead and begin drafting your story, but if you’re not a writer, it’s time to look for a ghostwriter. These are writers who can take your idea and run with it. They know how to structure a story, from devising the plot, developing the characters, adding some twists, and writing believable dialogue. They know that the first paragraph of the first chapter and the last sentence of the last paragraph are the two most important pieces they can write. Everything else in the story is what gets you from point A to point B with an interesting tale.

Readers like to be surprised. They don’t want a predictable story but prefer something that makes them think and ponder. Even though a romance novel is more straightforward than a mystery or thriller, a good twist always makes the book more memorable.

Take the novel Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison. Did anyone expect Tristan to fall in love with the little Native American girl, Isabel? She was a little girl when he left the ranch but when he returned, she was a beautiful grown woman. It was such a masterpiece that it was made into a successful movie starring Brad Pitt.