Vital Advice on How to Write an Essay on a Novel


As a silly as it may sound, the vital and most important tip you can ever receive when writing an essay about a novel is to read the actual thing. There is some students who think they can wing it. They think they can write an essay about a novel without having read the novel. They may read a synopsis of the novel or watch a movie if the novel has been turned into a film. There are even some books which give you a potted history of famous novels boasting that's it will enable you to discuss the novel at a dinner party as if you had read the entire thing.

None of those tricks will work with an academic essay. Your teacher or professor will know this novel inside out and it will be obvious if you have not read the entire novel and read it with the intention of understanding and writing about it.

Have a plan


Look upon your essay with three distinct sections. You will have chosen a point of view having read the novel. You need to announce your point of view, which will come in the introduction, prove your point of view, which will come in the body of the essay, and finally you'll make a summary of your point of view, which will come in the conclusion.

When you look at your essay from that three-part point of view, you'll see is not so difficult at all.

Take notes as you go


Depending on the length of the novel, and here we’re assuming it’s not War and Peace, you could read the novel once twice or even three times. But whenever you read it, always have a pen and paper handy so that you can make notes whenever an idea comes to mind. It may also help to make little jottings about certain characters as you go along.

When it comes to the actual writing of your essay on the novel, do not start until you have filled out details within your plan. You've chosen your point of view about the novel. Reveal your POV in the introduction, support that in your main section and make a summary of that in your conclusion. When you look at it in that situation, the task becomes almost easy.

Well, never easy, but certainly an essay you can attack with confidence and complete with style. The better you know the contents of the novel, the better will be the writing of your essay.