Who are the Beginner's Guides for?

Hank Quense • June 23, 2026

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This post will explain who needs each book

Who are these books for?


  • Beginner's Guide to planning a novel

This book is for anyone who wants to develop a story idea into a full-blown plan.


  • Beginner's Guide to creating genuine characters

This one shows how writers can develop characters that aren’t cardboard cutouts of a real character.


  • Beginner's Guide to developing a plot

Any writer who has difficulty developing a plot needs this book


  • Beginner's Guide to designing scenes

Scenes are the building blocks of stories. This book describes how to build them


Beginner’s Guide to storytelling

If your stories don’t hold a reader’s interest, they won’t read the story.This book tells you how tell the story to hold the reader’s interest.


  • Beginner's Guide to publishing a book

Once your manuscript is completed, you should read this book before starting your publishing journey


  • Beginner's Guide to book marketing

This book can save you time and money and increase your success rate with readers


  • Beginner's Guide to author business

Once you publish a book, you own a company. If you don’t know what this means, you need this book


  • Beginner’s Guide to mind-mapping a novel

Mind-mapping allows the author to control consistency and continuity


  • Beginner's Guide to using an AI writing assistant

You may not know it (yet), but you need a writing assistant


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Over the years I’ve seen the same pattern with new writers: tons of enthusiasm, then frustration when the story stalls, the plot won’t cooperate, or the whole publishing and marketing side feels like a maze. So I finally pulled everything I teach and coach about into a set of short, focused “Beginner’s Guide” ebooks.[ Each guide tackles one piece of the journey: Beginners Guide to Planning a Story – taking a loose idea and turning it into a workable plan: characters, plot, setting, and overall storyline. Beginner's Guide to Creating Genuine Characters : how to ensure your characters don't bore the reader. Beginners Guide to Developing a Plot – building believable plots, from inciting incident through climax, plus character and emotional arcs. Beginners Guide to Publishing a Book (and Not Getting Screwed) – a straight‑talk tour of today’s publishing options, including how to avoid the predators. Beginners Guide to Basic Book Marketing – the essentials of book marketing for first‑time authors: landing pages, blurbs, keywords, and building a simple author platform. They’re deliberately short, practical, and meant to be used. Read it in an evening and apply your new knowledge the next day. I have several more Beginner's Guides under development: on scene design, business, mind-mapping and AI assistants. There is also a free Beginner's Guide Starter Kit: it contains material from each guide including the ones under development. You can download a copy here.
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