Training to Write My Next Novel
As I read that, it seems obvious to me.
But it wasn’t.
My job forces lifelong learning. It’s part of what we do, with good reason. I have numerous resources available to help with my ongoing medical education.
I don’t want just to learn medicine. There is so much more to life than that. I want to learn other things. I probably want to learn too many things, and that has led to a scattered approach to my learning.
Not anymore.
I read David Perell’s article earlier in September, and it instantly brought clarity to my learning efforts. I hadn’t been making a plan, focusing on what I wanted to learn. I was just picking things at random.
Jumping from one topic to the next.
I picked up a few things here and there. I didn’t have a plan that would help me progress through a certain topic or skill. My learning wasn’t wasted. But it could be much more effective.
Knowing that a new quarter was soon to start, it felt like the perfect time to choose what my learning goal would be. It was the perfect time to formulate a plan.
That plan starts today.
I have participated in National Novel Writing Month for the past three years. The first time, it was just to see if I could do it.
I did. And then subsequently wrote two more books in the following years.
This year, though, felt different. The organization behind NaNoWriMo fell apart and announced they were shuttering in early 2025. There are many reasons, but it felt like something had changed.
Many attempts exist to keep the idea alive. But none of them has the organization of the original. So, while I have enjoyed the act of writing hard that month, I also wasn’t excited to try again this November.
But I have a plan.
Over the years, I have accumulated numerous books on writing. Humble Bundle and Story Bundle have had collections available for the last few years. I’ve purchased some via the Kindle store as well.
Last year was the first time I opened any of them. It was a real sprint, though. I started about a week before November started, and soon realized I was behind on where I wanted to be.
This seems like the perfect opportunity to rectify that.
My 4th quarter 2025 learning project is learning how to write my next book better.
I perused the tools at my disposal. I made a list of the books that, at least based on the title, or if I knew a little about them, seemed like the best candidates.
There are many books about very specific aspects of writing a book. That’s not what I wanted to focus on. My focus this quarter is on the big picture aspects of writing a book: plot structure, developing characters, and writing a strong theme.
Once I had a list of about 20 books, I fed that list to ChatGPT. I also have access to Jessica Brody’s Writing Mastery Academy. After ChatGPT had that information, it helped to suggest a logical progression over three months of which books and which courses would be most beneficial.
Seeing its suggestions, the program made a lot of sense to me.
And I’m excited.
Having an actual plan has made a huge difference in my enthusiasm to learn.
For those interested, here is my plan:
October
Reading
- Save The Cat
- How to Write a Novel
Courses
- Save The Cat Official Course
- Novel Fast Drafting Course
November
Reading
- Write Your Novel From the Middle
- Structuring Your Novel
Courses
- Level Up Your Writing
- Crafting Dynamic Characters
December
Reading
- Creating Character Arcs
- Writing Your Stories Theme
Courses
- Scene Crafting Masterclass
There needs to be a purpose in this. I need something to work towards and to be working on as I am going through these books and courses.
Of course, I have something in mind.
Come January 1, 2026, I will begin writing my fourth novel.
I currently have the idea. Just broad strokes, really. I have the idea of the world established, and some key aspects of the story. Over the course of this next quarter, I plan to use what I am learning and apply that to this next idea, flesh it out, and be ready to hit the ground running on January 1.
I love writing fiction. Something about letting my mind go places I can’t really go to, to inhabit worlds that don’t exist, fascinates me.
Knowing that I have a learning plan to make this process better has me that much more excited.
It is another chance for me to practice this skill, to develop it further, and create something along the way.