Setting up the interior of your novel.
STEP 1 – CHOOSE WHAT IS TO BE INCLUDED
So many lovely choices when setting out the introductory and closing
pages for your novel. Here are some examples of what you might choose. Uh… Don’t
use them all at once in your novel. That would be overkill.
Have a look at how popular books are laid out. Apart from this list, as
a fantasy writer you might also have a map or a list of runes or other related
information.
Some of these relate to non-fiction, but in most cases that is obvious.
FRONT:
Half Title - Just the title of the book
Colophon - Edition dates, copyright, etc
Title Page - Title, Author, Illustrator, same as on spine of book
Frontispiece – An image or piece of artwork which faces the title page.
Sometimes the author’s portrait.
Dedication – “For my dog Bluey, who will never read this book.”
Epigraph – Usually a quote, a piece of poetry or a nifty saying.
Contents – Table of contents with page number and chapter headings.
Foreword – By a person other than the author of the book. A foreword
might tell of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and author of
the novel. It might also describe how the particular edition of the book has
changed from a previous version.
Preface – How the book came about, and thanks/acknowledgement for those
who were helpful when writing the book.
Acknowledgement – This can be part of the preface, but can also be done
as a separate page, acknowledging anyone who was helpful when writing the book.
Introduction – A section which lays out the reason for the book (in a
non-fiction book).
Prologue – This opening part of a story often lays a bit of background
or sets a character. If you are writing Middle Grade or Young Adult, just call
this Chapter 1 as a lot of kids skip the Prologue.
MIDDLE
Book Chapters
BACK
Epilogue – Often used to bring closure to the story or to lead into the
next book in a series. Again, if this can be a final chapter for a Middle Grade or Young Adult novel, then just make it a final chapter, as kids will often skip reading this.
Afterword - The afterword tells the story of how the novel was
developed.
Bibliography - A bibliography is a list of the resources you used to write your essay. More common in non-fiction.
Appendix or Addendum - Supplemental information to correct errors,
explain inconsistencies or gives update to the information in the book – more
likely to be in a non-fiction book but sometimes used in novels – Lord of the
Rings is a good example.
Glossary - The glossary gives important definitions in alphabetical
order. May give character and places spoken of within the novel.
Colophon - Edition dates, copyright, etc) Can be located at the end of the book or on the verso of the title page. It can include production notes and a printer's mark or logotype.
Postface - a brief explanatory comment or note at the end of a book or other piece of writing.
Index - An alphabetical list of
names, subjects, etc. with reference to the pages on which they are mentioned.
Most common in non-fiction books.
Get Dan O'Sullivan's Trilogy on Amazon
Book 1 - The Fallen
Book 2 - The Guardians
Book 3 - Child of a Guardian and of the Free
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