Six ingredients of great novels

A good novel can help us deal with all our worldly woes by offering us a temporary escape to a world of magic and mystique. For literary enthusiasts, cuddling up in bed with a good book in their hands is all they want at the end of a tiresome day. Also, while many of us like reading novels, some aspire to write them as well. However, before one decides to do so, one must be aware of the hacks to write a novel.Thus, here is a look at the six important ingredients of great novels.
1. A strong opening
Your story idea doesn't need to be the most exciting concept - even a simple premise is okay. However, how you open your story will decide whether your readers will be interested in reading it further or not. Though readers may forgive a non-thrilling storyline, rarely will they forgive a disappointing first paragraph. Thus, look at the way celebrated novelists have opened their famous works. For example, George Orwell opens '1984' with the words: "It was a bright day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen." Through such an opening, Orwell immediately creates questions in the minds of his readers.
2. A fitting style
Rhythm is one of the most important aspects of style. The way your words sound to the ears is what makes sentences more beautiful and memorable. In a thriller, the rhythm may be fast while in a historical novel, it might be smooth and slow. Thus, in order to write well, it is important to have a good understanding of the rhythm.
3. Powerful description
Once you have got the attention of the readers with a powerful opening, you need to keep them engaged throughout. For this, the development of both the plot and characters is necessary. Apart from this, vivid and powerful description is also needed. While writing, remember to use metaphors that enrich and add freshness to your descriptions, along with using adjectives and verbs that strengthen the mood and the atmosphere.
4. Diverse and developed characters
In order to create diverse and well-developed characters, it is important to give them some flaws - your hero/ heroine might be brave in some circumstances but irrationally fearful in others. In addition, sketch brief backstories for each important character. Finally and most importantly, let your characters grow.
5. Strong story logic
One of the most common features of bad writing is that the story makes little or no sense. Thus, make sure that your story answers the central questions you set up. Also, the actions of your characters must make sense, else they may seem inconsistent and confusing.
6. Good balance of tension and release
Balancing action and release is key to good writing. To do this, create a suitable amount of conflict and suspense for your genre and have mini-resolutions on the way. Also, you can combine different types of tensions. For example - your story might have conflict within characters, or it could be an internal struggle.