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.

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.