{"id":2035,"date":"2021-06-04T08:19:08","date_gmt":"2021-06-04T07:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edgeverse.org\/?p=2035"},"modified":"2025-04-16T05:33:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T04:33:56","slug":"why-not-planning-your-novel-is-a-waste-of-everyones-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/?p=2035","title":{"rendered":"Why not planning your novel is a waste of everyone\u2019s time"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2035\" class=\"elementor elementor-2035\" data-elementor-settings=\"{&quot;ha_cmc_init_switcher&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b636e29 elementor-section-content-top elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b636e29\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5ab9e02f\" data-id=\"5ab9e02f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ec40abf elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6ec40abf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why not planning your novel is a waste of everyone\u2019s time<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ef0b7b0 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"3ef0b7b0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f8153f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f8153f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Seth Godwynn<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-be59e9c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"be59e9c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-398314e5\" data-id=\"398314e5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d404bff elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d404bff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5 class=\"western\">Another debate we see these days is between authors who think that planning their novel is the best approach, versus the people who think they can just sit down in front of a laptop and pour out a best-selling novel. We all know which one is right, because it\u2019s patently obvious, and it\u2019s equally obvious why the debate continues.<\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6ada18d5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6ada18d5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-163172fa\" data-id=\"163172fa\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65fd865c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"65fd865c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1140\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/dream-big-work-hard-5556539_1280.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2037\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/dream-big-work-hard-5556539_1280.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/dream-big-work-hard-5556539_1280-300x132.jpg 300w, https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/dream-big-work-hard-5556539_1280-1024x449.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/dream-big-work-hard-5556539_1280-768x337.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-171e383b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"171e383b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-1776c260\" data-id=\"1776c260\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2aa3d419 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2aa3d419\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"western\">But let\u2019s begin with a purely hypothetical situation. You have to build a house. Would you bother designing it, working out the best place to put it, lay out the electrical and water connections, investigate the best materials to use depending on the needs of the local environment and obtain the proper permits? Or, would you simply get a big pile of bricks, and see what happens?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d578cbf elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3d578cbf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/external-content.duckduckgo.com_.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2039\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/external-content.duckduckgo.com_.png 750w, https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/external-content.duckduckgo.com_-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">This is what happens...<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50d66d35 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"50d66d35\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"western\">Well, creating a proper, well-written novel is a lot harder than building a house, so if the first answer seems like the one to go with, there\u2019s an extra reason why the second is plainly ridiculous.<\/p><p class=\"western\">A well written novel comes together from a huge assortment of elements, all working together to create a journey for the reader to go on. It has to have an intriguing protagonist, one that\u2019s relatable, yet slightly mysterious. We want our questions answered, we want to get to know this person and find out the truth about them. It needs a setting that expresses the tone of the work. Will it be realistic or fanciful, will it enhance the experience of the story? We need a plot that knows when to move, and when to slow down to give us time to absorb the events. It needs metaphors, themes and foreshadowing, to draw us into the narrative experience.<\/p><p class=\"western\">A slipshod story can\u2019t have those things, because if you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going, how can you possibly plan them, and weave them into your tale? The simple answer is that you can\u2019t.<\/p><p class=\"western\">For a novel to work, it has to satisfy the reader. It has to engage their interest with intriguing questions, and then slowly answer them in fascinating ways as we slowly build to a climax that we, hopefully, didn\u2019t entirely see coming. The only way for that to happen is with planning.<\/p><p class=\"western\">So, who are the people saying that it\u2019s OK to \u2018just write?\u2019<\/p><p class=\"western\">What kind of mentality lies behind the idea that you don\u2019t need to plan anything? Well, the simple answer is that it stems from a lack of maturity, and a troubling disconnect with the real world. We all know that we need to plan things. Whether it\u2019s a business, a holiday, a trip to the seaside or a day of chores around the house, all of these things need a plan.<\/p><p class=\"western\">As we become adults, we learn that things need to be done properly, if we don\u2019t want them to fail. We put aside the childish notion that we can carelessly throw ourselves into things with reckless abandon. That\u2019s the province of the child, who knows they have parents behind them, carefully watching over their every action.We later grow out of the idea that we can just give it a half-arsed go, and it will probably be fine. That\u2019s the attitude we have as teenagers, when the world expects nothing more of us than to learn the lessons life is teaching us. Those years are meant to be a safety net between our childish years and our adulthood, a time for us to adjust.<\/p><p>But as adults, we know that we have to do things the right way, or face consequences. Nobody is going to be there to give us a hug when we fail. we\u2019re now responsible for our own actions. This is why adults go to jail for things, and children don\u2019t.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-7fbcecca\" data-id=\"7fbcecca\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-442933bd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"442933bd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"western\">Sadly, the mentality of the \u2018just write it\u2019 advocates hasn\u2019t reached the emotional maturity of an actual adult. This is a growing problem in modern times, where we increasingly just trust the government, the media and the authorities to take care of us, and don\u2019t take responsibility for our own lives. How is that working out for people now?<\/p><p class=\"western\">It doesn\u2019t work in the real world, and it doesn\u2019t work in writing.<\/p><p class=\"western\">But how much planning should you do? Well, the simple answer is that you should do<i> enough<\/i>. It depends on your story, and it depends what your level of experience is.<\/p><p class=\"western\">For instance, imagine that you\u2019re having to go to the shop to buy some milk. Of course it needs some degree of planning, you\u2019re going to need shoes and to take your keys with you. If you\u2019re planning to drive then it\u2019s probably a good idea to be licensed to operate a vehicle&#8230; and actually own one.<\/p><p class=\"western\">But all this is fine, because you\u2019ve done it so many times that you don\u2019t need to plan out every detail. You\u2019ve done the work, you\u2019ve put in the time and you know how to go to the shop and buy milk. A child needs to be reminded to put on their shoes, to put on their seatbelts and to be quiet and stop annoying me. Adults don\u2019t.<\/p><p class=\"western\">By the same measure, the more experienced the author is, the less they\u2019ll need to plan each detail. Instead, they\u2019ll be able to ignore the things they\u2019re good at and expand into more difficult areas, improving their skills as they go.<\/p><p class=\"western\">So the planning you need is dependent on you, and the work you\u2019re producing. But, if anyone tells you that you don\u2019t need to bother planning, challenge them to find one piece of good quality literature that someone wrote without doing so. If that story contains a plot, well-rounded characters, a satisfying ending, a strong theme, sub-plots that foreshadow the conclusion, metaphors and interesting questions that are answered during the protagonist\u2019s story arc, then it was, without a shadow of a doubt, planned.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54fad0e6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"54fad0e6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/architecture-1857175_640.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-2038\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/architecture-1857175_640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/architecture-1857175_640-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Planning is the stage between random thoughts going through your head and producing a proper, well-written novel. It\u2019s also important for every daily routine action, from building a house to going to the bathroom without accidentally soiling yourself.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4aa9e2e2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4aa9e2e2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"western\">These people are publishing their work on self-publishing platforms with no barriers to entry and they are ruining the reputation of the industry. People are ignoring the writing of real, serious indie-authors who are putting in the work and are creating novels of a professional standard. This is the main reason that the readers of today are so wary of our work, and their caution is justified.<\/p><p class=\"western\">There people are hurting everyone\u2019s reputation and aren\u2019t helping themselves while they&#8217;re doing it. What I&#8217;ve found the hard way is that you can&#8217;t reason or argue with them. They&#8217;re not ready to hear that they need to work hard to reach their dreams. We have to simply let them waste their time until they figure it out for themselves. It\u2019s their time to waste, and yours is more precious.<\/p><p class=\"western\">\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-77d62826 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"77d62826\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1a01e08e\" data-id=\"1a01e08e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-149d2fe2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"149d2fe2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-550f7179 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"550f7179\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-729348b\" data-id=\"729348b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5719fe87 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5719fe87\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Download a free copy of 'A Novel Approach'<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64214537 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"64214537\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/edgeverse.org\/?page_id=608\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/1613711384-1-240x300.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-300\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/1613711384-1-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/edgeverse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/1613711384-1.png 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Click the pic<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-379d5044 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"379d5044\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Click on the book cover above to go to our download page and get your completely free copy of this book It details all you need to do know to get you started on writing your own fictional novels. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f124a21 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"f124a21\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-605bd866 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"605bd866\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-53883d42\" data-id=\"53883d42\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68e57af0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68e57af0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Many thanks for reading this article. We hope it was interesting, informative and entertaining. Follow us on social media or share our content on your own pages. It helps us grow so we can create more free content to help you. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why not planning your novel is a waste of everyone\u2019s time Seth Godwynn Another debate we see these days is between authors who think that planning their novel is the best approach, versus the people who think they can just sit down in front of a laptop and pour out a best-selling novel. We all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-home-for-all-of-our-terrible-articles","category-articles-and-features-about-the-near-forgotten-art-of-writing-fiction"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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