How to Write Fiction: An 8 Step Overview for Absolute Beginners

Sometimes, when you're starting a new adventure (like writing a book) it's hard to even find where the pathway begins. What do you do first? Brainstorm a plot? Choose a genre? Learn to write scintillating dialog? Figure out what a "filter word" is?

Back when I was first trying to learn the ropes of the writing world, I often found that instructors and guides assumed that I already knew more than I did. They started a few steps farther down the path than I knew how to get to on my own, and they di...