Ukuhlelwa kwezehlekalo (Plot), kutsho ukulandelana kwezehlakalo. Kundatshana kwenziwa ngobunono langokukhalipha okukhulu ngoba kungela ndawo lesikhathi sokwelula lezizehlakalo. Indatshana ilokuhlelwa kwezehlakalo okukodwa kulandela umlingiswa omqoka oyedwa. Ayilazo imbaxambaxa zezinye izehlakalo (sub-plots). Inoveli ingaba lembaxa ezinengi zichasisa ngabalingiswa abatshiyeneyo, eg omunye umlingiswa angathathwa asiwe edolobheni aphile khonale, omunye asiwe eGoli loba kwenye indawo, ayephila khonale. Khona kugatshaniswe kwaba kuhlanu. Ukuhlelwa kwezehlakalo kuchasiseka ngcono kusetshenziswa umdwebo ongaphansi.

Isendlalelo
Isendlalelo yisingeniso lapho umlobi asingenisa kundatshana. Lapha siyavezelwa izinto ezimqoka ezifana lesethingi, umlingiswa omqoka kanye lengxaki loba ingxabano. Indatshana njengoba imfitshane umlobi kumele angenise ngendlela ezakwenza lo obalayo azizwe esiba lentshukuntshu yokuthi abe elokhu ebala. Kumele kube yindlela ekhanyayo, esenza sibambe amaphaphu, ukuphefumula kungani kuthi mpo (suspense). Yindlela esenza sibe lendlala yokwala sibala. Indatshana ayilandisi, iyendlalela ngamafitshane kodwa ngendlela engumtshoko eyenza singabeki phansi ugwalo. Umlobi angangenisa indaba ngokuveza iziphithiphithi. Angayingenisa indaba ngokulunguza phambili loba athi jeqe emuva.  Ingxaki loba ingxabano kumele ihle ivezwe kusingeniso.

Ukuphothuluka kodaba
Ukuphothuluka kodaba yikunabululwa, ukukhuliswa kodaba. Khona kuqhutshwa yikuvezwa kwengxaki, ukuqhudelana loba ingxabano. Lapha ithumba liya likhula, liphehlwa, liluma njalo likhula lisiyaphezulu. Lapha sithola abanye abalingiswa lezinye inhlupho ezinenginengi.  Ukuphothuluka kodaba kundatshanana yikho okumqoka ngoba yiyo indatshana. Yikho lapha umlobi okumele aveze ubugabazi bakhe bokwakha indaba. Kundatshana, indaba iyelukwa ngobuciko obuphakemeyo ngoba kungelandawo yokwelula kakhulu. Konke kuyafinyezwa kodwa kufinyezwa ngobuciko. Into obekumele ibikwe ngamakhasi amathathu ifinyezwa ibe yisigaba  esisodwa, ngakho amabala lakho konke kukhethwa ngobuciko obukhulu.

Isiqongo/Uvuthondaba
Isiqongo loba uvuthondaba (climax) kulapho ithumba leli ebeliphehla elidubuka khona. Kundatshana lelithumba kumele libhoboke ngomfutho omkhulu, ubomvu buntshaze. Uvuthondaba kumele lube ngumtshoko ohlabayo.  Ibhomba lakhona kumele lidubuke ngomdumo odlula inoveli.  Yikho njalo okuguquka khona izinto zisima ngendlela ethize. Yikho okuphuma khona imfihlo, lakho konke okucatshileyo kuphuma egcekeni. Uvuthondaba luza lezimangaliso, ukwethuka, ukuhlulukelwa, ukukhokha umoya, kusiya ngodaba olubikwayo. Kumele imfihlo le ivele ngendlela eletha ukumangala.

Ukudeda
Ukudeda kulapha udaba osoludubukile lusehla ingxaki yendaba ideda. Kundatshana udaba luyaphangisa ukudeda ngoba kungela ndawo yokwelula lesikhathi sokulandisa ukuthi izinto zaguquka ngayiphi indlela.

Isiphetho
Isiphetho yikuphethwa kwendatshana. Lakho kwenziwa ngamafitshane. Akudingeki ukuthi obalayo akwazi isiphetho somlingiswa munye ngamunye njengakunoveli.  Kanengi abaloba indatshana basebenzisa ubuciko bokutshiya ababalayo belenga emoyeni bezibuza baziphendule ngalokho ababona kufanele, njengesiphetho.

Ngesikhathi esilandelayo sizakhangela Ingxabano loba Ingxaki