It may sound strange, but for those asking advice on writing a novel, “don’t worry about plot too much” is one of the first lessons from a university professor of English and creative writing.

Michael Loyd Gray, who teaches at South University and has written seven novels in the past eight years, has created a primer of sorts for aspiring novelists.

1. Know something about the story you want to tell. Know who the main character is and where she or he lives, what she or he does for a living – and a conflict she or he has that can be explored. “I started writing my novel ‘Well Deserved’ once I knew the name of the first character, where he lived, how he lived, and what his circumstances were,” says Gray. “Soon, I knew how he would react to strangers, for example, and soon another character comes along to interact with him.”