Strategy for a good novel

Apart from the obvious - spelling, grammar and prose - when you're writing that work of art, my strategy for a good novel lies in the characters, the plot and the pacing. Once you've fixed your genre, these 3 key ingredients are pivotal during the writing process.

You know how much I swear by my characters. Their emotions dictate their actions which in turn dictates the plot. Strong characters will lead a story and this what the reader will remember.

Plots need to be plausible but you do have some flexibility here. A reader will be prepared to suspend reality to a certain extent and for a certain amount of time during the story - and this is what you must exploit.

When it comes to pacing, even the best plots can suffer if the pacing is too slow or too fast. No reader wants to drag their heels through a novel, so make sure they don't have to.

The best novels I've read hit these elements on the head and I salute the writers. We wannabe authors can never stop learning from the experts!