So, you want to write a novel? What's the "true" way to do it? Here's an obscure quote which works for me: The principles and concepts you will find in these manuals contain engineering truths; truth is what works. However, they neither came from the "mystic realms of the ancient universe" nor were "divinely inspired." They are true only if they are true for you. Study them, apply them and see if they work as described. Only then should you decide if they are true for you. What is one person's true could be another person's false. They are at opposite ends of the same scale. Yes, that makes for good conflict in a story, but a dogged stance without an objective knowledgeable viewpoint just makes you a fanatic (knowledge without wisdom). This set of articles deal with people like me who come from a tech writer/analyst/programmer background. We really know what works or doesn't. The better we run our process, the better our final r...