Got an Idea? Turn it into a Novel in 30 Days or Less!

BY MARK BARNES

People can't believe I did it, but I did. I wrote my first novel, The League, in about 30 days. I never spent more than two hours on any given day, unless I wrote then went back to edit. I also found and signed with a publisher in one month (see my article, Publish it Now! Now Matter What it Is, for details on this). Friends, family, and colleagues are fascinated when I tell them this. It's not possible, they say. Then, I enlighten them.

The secret to writing a novel is quite simple. You don't have to be John Grisham or Danielle Steel, either. In fact, you really need just basic writing competence. Although I have years of experience in writing (I was a journalist for three years), I don't consider myself on the level of the aforementioned novelists, in terms of style and eloquence. What I am is a storyteller. I look for ideas that are unique. I look for a niche. Take Grisham, for example. His niche is courtroom drama. He uses his experience as a lawyer, takes a new angle on a case, and turns it into some type of conspiracy that no one has considered.

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