Write Your Novel: Step-By-Step Guidance

This is the first in a series of articles which will guide you into writing and completing an actual work of fiction. I will take you through every step, even my own frustration and failure, as I walk you through completing your novel.


Step 1: Decide on a genre, title, over all idea
Genre: Mystery Title: The Geek Who Could Program Backwards (props to Lillian Jackson Braun -- The Cat Who Could Read Backwards)

Step 2: Create a marketing blurb which tells what your novel is about:
When Adam Knowlex visits the small town of Fillkey, Ohio, he uncovers an international team of hackers who are poised to unleash a series of attacks which could shutdown power plants, and even knock the government off line. Will he be able to convince others of the truth and stop the hackers in time?

Step 3: Create a rough outline of scenes (chapters, events) that will occur in the book. At least enough to get started

chapter 1 - friend convinces Adam to go to Fillkey, Ohio to help investigate a computer hack. chapter 2 - getting to fillkey, ohio - meeting his contact, liking the town and meeting the beautiful woman. The mystery no one wants him to know.
chapter 3 - Helping with the main problem puts him onto the real mystery. One of the citizens is killed -- later find out it is because of his involvement with the scam / mystery.
Chapter 4 - someone comes after Adam. not an easy mark, because he knows a rare type of kung fu jeet kune do - bruce lee. barely escapes with his life.

Step 4: Create a cover to convince yourself and others you are really writing a book. I paid for an image at one of those web sites where you have a one-time fee and no royalty payments, then I created the simple cover above. Doesn't that make it seem more real?

You could take all of these steps in a few hours of work. What're you waiting for?
Keep on learning, keep on writing.

~Newton Saber