Rookies obsess over just writing , ignoring the full beast. Truth: birthing a book is a grueling , multi-phase marathon—writing's only one leg. It actually consists of five brutal phases : Planning the book - Writing the book - Publishing the book - Marketing the book - Author business grind Planning and drafting leave you blind to the rest—like how to self-publish a first book and most "advice" books only cover a single phase. Not anymore. Creating Your First Novel tackles all five phases creating debut novel from an author who's survived it over two dozen times. This is your battle-tested roadmap to conquer the madness—without losing your mind (or your shirt). Avoid mistakes new novel writers make—grab it now! From Indie Reade r: Hank Quense's book stands as a beacon of guidance for individuals standing at the crossroads of their writing journey. It's a comprehensive and insightful roadmap that offers the necessary tools to navigate the intricate landscape of novel creation. While the book may not be an exhaustive resource for seasoned authors, its value lies in its ability to illuminate the multiple aspects of fiction for those taking their first steps into that intimidating world. In CREATING YOUR FIRST NOVEL, Hank Quense discusses fiction beyond the prose and gives helpful lessons based on his extensive publishing experience. This is an essential companion for the novice writer, demystifying the multifaceted nature of the creative journey. Creating Your First Novel joins many other advice titles for authors, but arrives with a difference—it points out that writing any book involves not a singular attempt to put pen to paper, but a series of steps that make the act of writing only one part of the greater project. Few authors would stop to consider that the act of writing a book is the same as one of creating a business; but when viewed in this light, one's first novel assumes a very different prospective that needs the particular enlightenment and explorative focus that Hank Quense presents here. Creating Your First Novel is a lesson in bigger-picture thinking that moves from the art of creative writing and editing to the nuts and bolts of marketing, promotion, and business savvy. Libraries and wannabe writers seeking an all-in-one approach to a first attempt will find Creating Your First Novel a winner. Midwest Book Reviews "Highly Recommending" by Kevin Phelps "I read a lot of books on writing. I find it a fascinating subject and love to see various authors approaches, and feel there is always something new to learn. Even when the information covered is something I've read countless times before, sometimes it's not what is being taught, but rather how it's being taught. Sometimes someone will say something is a different way that will finally make that information click. I have to say I was quite impressed with Hank Quense's teaching style. His approach/breakdown of the novel writing process was thorough and easy to understand, and I definitely think for new writers this would be an excellent place to start to begin to demystify the novel writing/publishing process. Excerpt Constructing a plot To repeat, a plot consists of a series of events that connect the inciting incident to the story's climax. Events are not the same as incidents in this context.  What's the difference?  Events are major happenings or plot twists.  Incidents are everyday occurrences.  Humdrum and ordinary, they are the stuff that should be omitted from the story for the most part.  For instance, let's suppose a character wakes up in the morning.  If you then describe her routine of taking a shower, putting on makeup, selecting an outfit to wear to work and eating breakfast, these are all incidents.  You, the author, have to ask yourself why am I even writing about this stuff?  All it does is slow down the story, consume words and bore the readers. However, if the woman's estranged husband replaced the water in the water heater with sulphuric acid, then the shower becomes an event: a very messy one. Constructing a plot is a three-step process.  The first step is to come up with a plot problem for the characters to work on.  The second step is to develop the story's ending.  The third step is to develop a series of events to connect step one and step two.  After that, you are ready to write the first draft, provided all the other design work has been completed. That's all there is to it, but don't be deceived by this simple formula.  It's hard work. Generic plot path Let's develop a generic plot path for a story.   Step one: Hero recognizes the plot problem. (inciting event) Step two: Hero makes an effort to solve the plot problem and fails. Step three: A second and more serious effort also fails. Step four: A third desperate attempt ends in a disaster. Step five: A do-or-die attempt follows. Step six: The hero succeeds (or not). (validation scene) In a short story, these steps could become the scenes in th