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Discard the temptation to write following the "rules". For example, the rules would suggest writing a plan along these lines: "Plot: A, who lives in South Carolina, has a strong desire to be the next American Idol. If you write something using a topic so obvious and real as this one, it will be harder to write. It is easier to "free write" a book when you have created a made-up place and events. That way, when you're in need of a town name, you can make one up, instead of having to grab a map and pick one and do background research on it.