Software Engineer to Novelist: Writing a Book Like Coding
I just published my first book, Means and Motive. ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GYCZJVGX ) As a software engineer, I approached writing like a software project. I used familiar tools (Emacs and HTML) for the primary writing. I built my own tool (EPublish) to transform the HTML manuscript into an .epub file, the source for the ebook version. And I wrote shell scripts to reliably and repeatably transform the .epub version into PDF files for the printed editions. I wrote 'design' and 'architecture' docs, describing the world, key actors, and timelines. I kept a task list of…
In plain words
A software engineer documents his approach to writing his debut novel "Means and Motive" by applying development practices to fiction writing. He used Emacs and HTML for manuscript composition, built a custom tool called EPublish to convert HTML into .epub format, and created shell scripts to generate PDF versions for print. The process included design documentation for the fictional world, task lists for chapters, and version control for tracking revisions. This resource is for software developers interested in applying their technical workflow and tools to creative writing projects.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
I just published my first book, Means and Motive. ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GYCZJVGX ) As a software engineer, I approached writing like a software project. I used familiar tools (Emacs and HTML) for the primary writing. I built my own tool (EPublish) to transform the HTML manuscript into an .epub file, the source for the ebook version. And I wrote shell scripts to reliably and repeatably transform the .epub version into PDF files for the printed editions. I wrote 'design' and 'architecture' docs, describing the world, key actors, and timelines. I kept a task list of chapters and key scenes that needed to be written, in priority order. Along the way, I kept my files version-controlled so I could see the progress of the novel and edit mercilessly, without worrying about keeping old text around in backup files should I want it back for some reason. If you've thought about writing a book, I highly recommend it. There are many similarities to the software engineering process. You'll also gain a newfound appreciation of the design, layout, and typesetting world, exactly how much work goes into each book you read.
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