‘Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.’ That’s one way to do it. But you risk finding yourself blocked and directionless, with a manuscript that may never be finished staring back at you.

This book is about another approach, based on established theories of creativity and design—and on the experience of authors who have adopted a more structured and reliable process. It could have been called What They Don’t Teach You in Writing School because, rather than focusing on prose, it covers the entire writing process, from premise to proofreading, as a step-by-step project.

Instead of waiting for the blood, you’ll approach each day with clarity and purpose, progressing steadily toward the best book you’re capable of. Easy to follow, practical and highly entertaining, The Novel Project is a masterclass from an author who started his writing career at fifty and whose novels have sold millions of copies around the world.

Graeme Simsion is the internationally bestselling author of The Rosie Project (sixty-five weeks on the New York Times bestseller list), The Rosie Effect, The Rosie Result and The Best of Adam Sharp, as well as Don Tillman’s Standardized Meal System and Data Modeling Essentials (in print since 1992), and the audiobook Creative Differences. He lives with Anne Buist, co-author of Two Steps Forward and Two Steps Onward, in Melbourne, Australia.