How do you make a story interesting, raise the stakes, and make the journey worthwhile when the map is already laid out for you? When the beats - the set up, meet cute, turning points, crisis, and resolution - are so ingrained into the modern reader they know without knowing what to expect and when to expect it. As someone who - illogically, misguidedly - decided to take that leap, I am here to tell you, it’s not easy. First, writing a novel means coming up with names. So. Many. Names!