Backstage with Bob and Alice
Backstage with Bob and Alice
How I build my novel in public
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Biting off too much
My initial concept was to write a business book that combined a tech startup journey, 2 people (Bob and Alice) bumbling their way into and out of love and anti-design patterns in life, love and tech.
This was the first paragraph I wrote -
The names Bob and Alice are often used as placeholder names in cryptographic and communication protocol discussions. They represent two parties communicating with each other, often with a focus on ensuring privacy, integrity, and authenticity of their communication.
In this book, we tell the story of a fictional tech startup called Giganet. Will Giganet succeed, or slip and fall?
We tell the story of Bob and Alice.
Bob fell in love with Alice when he first touched her hand.
Will they fly or will they crash in the Pacific ocean surf?
Join me on my journey with Bob, Alice, Barry, Iris, Lena, Yasmin, Justin, Pesya , Madison and Mark as they explore anti-design patterns in life, love and tech.
It wasn’t wrong, it was very wrong.
It was as they say in Yiddish - “neither here nor there”.
Refactoring to first-person narrator
Steven King says you should put the manuscript aside for 6 months and then give it to 2 reviewers.
My first reviewer is my closest friend, M. M is a software developer my age who served as the model for the character Mark in the book. We’ve been friends for almost 25 years.
M was there for me during a very rough spot in my life.
I met with M after putting the manuscript on ice for a couple of months. I actually brought him a paper copy.
We had lunch together in Hatikva in Tel Aviv over spicy Yemenite meat soup.
He asked me what the overarching theme of the book was.
And I didn’t really know.
In truth, the book was part of an important therapeutic process for me after 10 years of running a bootstrapped SaaS company for clinical trial data management.
I needed someone to tell me to write the story using a first person narrator.
M told me to refactor the first third of the book and then we’d have Yemenite meat soup again.
M also gave me a reading list - “To the Lighthouse” (Virginia Wolff), “Slaughterhouse 5” (Kurt Vonnegut), “For whom the bell tolls” (Hemingway).
I started reading.
My second reviewer is a 30 year old wine dealer. We share some common interests (road cycling, DeFi).. Her first question was great: “What’s your favorite chapter?” ("Rhythm of the Pacific Surf" ).
Relationships not business
Good writing requires good reading.
I finished Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse 5” and I’m still reading “To The Lighthouse”. I will definitely read “To The Lighthouse” at least twice - to get a good understanding of the story.
I first refactored 2 chapters and published them on my substack newsletter and they were quite popular.
This gave me a bit more confidence, knowing that my readers liked the new approach.
Once I started writing in first person, the flow of writing naturally moved to personal dynamics and relationships.
Removing the anti-design patterns opened up space for richer character development, more nuanced interactions, and storytelling that felt more human.
Removing the algorithmic pattern of the business book with its headers, subheadings and conclusions and attempts to teach allowed me to devote all my energy to the story-telling.
This change allowed me to enjoy the writing process more.
By telling the love story and the tech story in first person, I became personally involved with the characters.
I think my personal involvement helps readers resonate with the emotional and relational aspects of the book.
Understanding women
“If it was within my power, I would bottle up man hugs and prescribe them to the women of the world. Allowing each one to relax, put her shields down, trust and allow herself to be protected. Because one thing that can steady your world real quick is the yummy strong protective embrace of your man. (and that’s exactly where he wants you to be)’.
—Kelli Ahlgrim”
Kelli helped me remember why I’m still married to the same woman after 49 years.
I think that anyone who has written short stories or a novel, understands that the characters develop a life of their own and take over the book. At one point, I had no idea if there would be a happy ending or disaster for Bob and Alice.
Kelli coached Bob and Alice (the characters) to a happy ending.
I know that sounds bizarre, but that’s exactly what happened.
We got on a zoom call and did some role-playing.
Bob and Alice sorted themselves out.
Embracing Understatement
In this version of the book, the characters find beauty in the quieter, more understated moments, like in the "Rhythm of the Pacific Surf" chapter.
Real-life relationships often develop in subtle ways—through shared moments, vulnerability, and unspoken understanding.
The small, intimate interactions between Bob and Alice became central to the narrative, emphasizing emotional depth over action or drama.
You get to decide what the characters are thinking
Building the World Around Bob and Alice
I created a larger world of characters—Janna, Yasmin, Pesya, Justin, Izzy, Barry, Iris, Todd, Noah and in one chapter - Emma.
Bob’s 6 year old Emma stars in a guest appearance.
My 6 year old, Emma, is hanging out with the team today. She didn’t feel like going to school this morning, so she came to work with me. Emma has a shot of orange juice, almost like the adults.
After shifting to first person narrator, I found that I had more space and energy to develop the supporting characters and help balance the intensity of Bob and Alice’s relationship with humor, tension and other pressure.
I was able to develop Yasmin as a serious software engineering manager and not just a tall, slim beautiful woman who buys her clothing on Rodeo Drive with Arman’s credit card.
Several readers, including Kelli, commented that there must be more to Yasmin than shopping at L’Agence.
The Impact of Writing in Public
I published the first 30 chapters (with the anti-design patterns and solutions) on my substack Anti-Design Patterns
I discovered that building in public like that, has a number of very significant advantages:
Accountability - I became committed to the writing and I have not missed a week for 52 weeks straight
Reader connections - my readers gave me real-time feedback. Several readers said they enjoyed the Bob and Alice stories more than the anti-design patterns. This was a signal which I ignored until my first major design review on my first draft with M.
Headers - traffic statistics gave me over the past 52 weeks a reliable indication of whether or not the story header pulled readers into the story
Readability - being committed to readers by building in public every week helped improve my writing
Would You Want a Sequel?
I know that I haven’t published the first book yet, but there are a couple of cliffhangers at the end that leave open the option of more story-telling.
If Bob and Alice delivers on its promise of intimacy, suspense, and emotional depth, I’m hoping that you will be eager for more.
The combination of Bob and Alice’s nuanced relationship, their high-pressure careers, and the international intrigue would leave you wanting to know:
What happens next in their relationship?
How do they manage to navigate new and even higher stakes?
Will Alice’s next mission bring her even closer to the brink, and how will Bob handle the fallout?
The understated moments of connection, juxtaposed with the high-stakes drama, would leave readers craving more of this unique blend of emotional and professional tension.
A sequel could dive deeper into the core question of whether love can truly thrive when both individuals are constantly pulled in different directions by their demanding careers, dangerous missions, and personal ambitions.
This makes for compelling storytelling that could easily span multiple books.