Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Albert Zuckerman

Zuckerman — an agent who’s represented some really huge names — really opens up your eyes about what really made a novel go viral, where people love it so much they recommend it to everyone.

He talks about having high stakes, larger than life characters, a clear foundation for suspense, an outlandish premise, captivating setting — and outlining. He also recommends having three to four different points of view in the novel. There’s a nice long summary of the book here.