How I wrote a novel. Phase 1 of 10 The Sting.

Phase 1 March 2012 20 hours
I never planned to write my novel. I'm a teacher who really likes teaching. I have two small children. I have no time. It all began when an idea stung me.

I was driving home from work one day and he appeared. Named. My character, lets call him K. He arrived, fully formed, with his own way of speaking, his own look, his own character. It was as if K already existed and I'd just found out about him.

I turned off the radio and started thinking about him. I couldn't stop thinking about him. He spoke to me. He isn't even the main protagonist in my novel but everything revolves around him. None of my other characters arrived like that, but then K is special, different, because he's a main character but also the whole premise.

I pulled up outside my son's school, found a scrap of paper and wrote some notes.

Most of the ideas in these notes never got used but the central premise was there. K had burst into life.

I told my bemused husband about my idea and he made supportive (slightly bemused) noises.

 I left the idea for 7 months. I didn't even think about it much - hence 20 paltry hours. I had no idea how to write a book. I didn't even want to attempt it. I didn't think I could.

Then I went on a long car journey with my brother, Rob, a writer himself, a talented musician, an inspirational person. And he told me if I wanted to write a novel I should just start and see where it took me. So I did. I drew some pictures of my setting when I got home that evening.

I drilled my husband about the post-apocalyptic premise (he's even geekier than me). It's not hard sci-fi, but I'm a stickler for detail and the science must be right.

From that day at the end of October there hasn't been a day when I haven't thought about it.

I started building a world for K to live in. About time, he'd been homeless for 7 months. And so it began.

Please catch How I wrote a novel. Phase 2 of 10 Building a skeleton next Friday.