“The beginning is always today.” — Mary Shelley Writing your first novel can be overwhelming. You want to have the shiniest characters, the most innovative plot, and absolutely gorgeous language — and you want to have them now. But the reality is that writing a novel, especially your first novel, is a long, involved, often frustrating process that requires discipline and sheer determination to get through. If you’re wondering where to even begin, you’re in the right place, because I’m going to share the 5 essential steps I took (other than writing) to turn an idea into 70,000 words in only 4 months. Step 1: Make a promise Commit.…