November is National Novel Writing Month, and a contest is held to see who can finish a 50,000 word novel in a month. Some people are scared off from trying this fun challenge by the scope of how large a 50,000 word novel must be.

The key to writing a novel is actually just a few simple steps.

1. The Idea: It doesn't have to be mind-blowingly unique. It can even be a twist on another book or movie. It does, however, have to be different enough from an other work that your not guilty of plagiarizing.
2. The Characters: This is the real meat of a novel. If you don't have interesting characters, no one will want to keep reading. Uninteresting characters are the primary reason people will put a book down.
3. The Story: When you sit down to actually write, it helps to have an idea of how the characters and story progress from the beginning to the end. You don't need to have it all mapped out before your start, but you do need to have a general idea of how it things will proceed.

Now, a lot of would be writers are ultra-protective of their ideas. Don't be. Ideas are, as they say, a dime a dozen. If you have an idea for a horror novel, for example, odds are that Stephen King has already thought of it. But don't fear -- it's not the idea that matters by itself. It's the combination of ideas, characters, and your unique voice that makes the entirety of the story compelling. There are a bunch of writer's resource sites and forums on the Internet. Don't be afraid to use them to bounce your ideas off other writers. Legitimate authors aren't going to steal your idea; they're too busy working on their own ideas to pilfer yours.

Now that you have the basics of your story in mind, it's time for you to know what the real secret to writing a novel is: doing it. That's right. It's as simple as putting your butt in the chair, and typing away (or using pen and paper if you're so inclined).

• Take reasonable breaks.
• Write every day.
• Don't stop working on the project until you've finished it.
• Don't be a perfectionist -- mistakes can be fixed once you've finished.

If you can follow those tips, you will finish that novel. Once you do that, you're ready for the next step of the journey ... getting published.