My bit of news is that I am at work 10/7 writing my first novel after more than three decades of writing nonfiction, with the brief exception of a novella in the form of a Sherlock Holmes pastiche.

“You ought to use your specialized knowledge of the Middle East, your writing talent, and your prophetic gifting to write a post-apocalyptic novel,” several friends told me.

“Fine,” I said when the third one made the suggestion. This was a Wednesday evening, we were talking on the phone, and we were scheduled to get together at Starbucks on Friday.

“If, between now and the time we meet, I get a solid idea,” I said, "I’ll do it. If not, thou art a false prophet and shall surely be stoned.”

Obviously, I got it.

Writing fiction after a lifetime of nonfiction is like learning to write all over again. And I love it.

Please don’t ask what the book is about. For one thing, the story, as any number of successful fiction authors will tell you, takes on a life of its own and virtually writes itself, and it hasn’t finished yet.

Another piece of advice I've found to be true is, if you want to write a good novel, devote most of your time to creating the main character, then just follow him around.

I did, and I am. And it’s eerie sometimes.

I can tell you that I expect this to be the first of a trilogy, assuming, of course, that it sells.

More later...