Novelists are known because they write books; particularly novels. A novel is a book of fiction, typically written narratively, that tells a story. The main thing a novelist does is come up with ideas and put them into writing. A novelist must then find a publisher and land a contract in order to successfully sell the books she writes.

Ideas

The first part of a novelist’s job description is coming up with ideas. A writer must find new, fresh ideas to write about and turn them into a story. In order to do this, a novelist must demonstrate a great amount of creativity and dedication. Novelists must spend a lot of time thinking of ideas and figuring out a creative way to write them. A novelist must therefore have self-discipline in order to keep his mind focused. Writers must also work against writer's block, when a writer cannot think of any ideas.

Writing

According to Writing World, writing a novel requires only 5 percent talent. The other 95 percent put into a book is hard work. Writing a novel requires hard work, dedication, self-discipline and good writing skills. A novelist must be proficient in grammar, punctuation and wording. After a novelist develops ideas, she then must put them into words. She must also proofread and edit her work to avoid grammatical issues or misspelled words.

Contracts

Most times, novelists submit partial novels to publishers hoping to catch their attention. If there are no grabs on it, the novelist often begins working on a different book. Landing a book contract is not always easy and it is a very competitive field. If a publisher does accept a book proposal, the novelist must then complete the book and hope the publisher accepts the completed version.

Other Details

A novelist has the potential of earning a lot of money; however, a novelist also inherits a lot of risk, if he cannot land a contract with a publisher. Quite often, once a book is published, the novelist is rehired by the publisher to create more books. This may put pressure on the novelist, especially if he is experiencing writer’s block.