I have been a software developer for the past fifteen years. Software suits me. It appeals to my logical, left brain, and I’m sure I’ll pursue it for many years to come.
A few years back, a friend of mine introduced me to author Nelson DeMille. I picked up a DeMille novel and took it for a spin. The witty, first-person point-of-view, unique mix of humor and suspense, and engaging dialogue captured my attention and never let go. Soon, I had finished his whole back catalog and moved on to other mystery/suspense writers such as Lee Child, Michael Connelly, and Barry Eisler.
As I started to embrace my new identity as mystery novel junkie,the thought occurred to me that I should consider writing a novel. I would love to say that this inspiration hit me because I was moved by particularly brilliant piece of prose. But, the fact is that the thought popped into my mind when I was trying out a new audiobook from the library that was truly terrible. The characters were flat, the plotlines banal, and the literary devices broken. I couldn’t finish the book, but I remember thinking: “This book is horrible, but it got published. Not only did it get published, but it was popular enough to be put out as an audiobook and picked up by my local library. If this guy can get published, how hard can it be?”
I sharpened up a pencil and over the next few months, I tried my hand at writing a novel. I got 10 pages into about 3 different ideas. Eventually, I took a workshop at a local writing school, and I made a lot more progress. However, I eventually found myself stuck and frustrated.
The main issue that was I was struggling with was my writing method. Should I just start writing and see where the story went? Should I create a detailed outline? Should I create character summaries?
I recently decided to stop what I was doing, take a step back and analyze the situation. After putting some thought into the matter, I had an idea. Here it is:
A novel and a software system have a lot of things in common. They both need clearly-defined requirements. They both involve planning and design to ensure consistency and usability. The finished product is built through the employment of artfulness and skill. I know how to build software systems. Why can’t I apply the same processes to create a novel?
So, there it is. I’m going to give it a go, and I plan on using this blog to chronicle the experience.
Agile Novel Design 
Interesting concept! Have you researched software for novelists? There could be a hole in the market you could address by creating software that integrates outlining and character profiling.
I don’t know if there’s software that does what I want or not, Skye. I’m more focused at this point on figuring out a process for myself. But when I nail that down (and hopefully prove that it works), maybe I’ll pursue something along those lines. I’m hoping to keep the process pretty simple though.
I’m interested in knowing how merging your skills as a software programmer with writing a novel progresses. As a left-brain thinker, I sometimes find my analytical thought processes getting in the way of delving into a character’s head and thus resort to writing a scene by hand. But it would be of interest if you could develop a program that merges plot points and character development. Best of luck!
Sounds like a great way at writing. I wish you the best of luck in your novel.