The truth is, writing a novel is not that hard. In fact, putting your story–your big idea–into a 90,000 word narrative that’s actually good–can be done through these seven steps.

A common question I’ve received over the years: what was your big break? I can tell you–big breaks for writers are scarce. I know this from my own experience and in interviewing hundreds of writers over the years.

You ever read a book and come across a typo and think, how the hell is that possible? We can land a man on the moon, but we can’t blah dee blah blah blah… Of course you think this, because I’ve heard from you.

Choosing which point of view to write from is one of the most fundamental decisions an author has to make, well before a single word is put to page. And like all rules a writer “has” to follow, the POV rules are made to be broken. The only thing that matters is the answer to this question: Does it work?

There are things you can say to a writer to piss them off, or at least annoy them. The writer won’t show their true feelings, because most of us just want to be liked. But things can really get under our skin, and here’s an incomplete guide of things to say to a writer to piss them off.

Writers are delicate creatures, full of caffeine and insecurity. We need your help, more than you may think. It’s easy to think published authors have it made, but for most of us getting published is just the start. It’s a grind.