Over the years, I’ve seen a number of authors struggle with ideas for novels. Very often, those ideas mature into books, and sometimes they even
When you create a story, perhaps the most monumental decision that you will make is the one regarding your protagonist. How many are there? What
When you write a story, any story, you write within the context of the whole of literature, of everything that has gone before. The choice
As a teen, I once read a fantasy novel that had a picture on the cover that showed a wizard fighting with some lizard men.
I have a saying, “There are ten thousand right ways to write any story, but there are a million wrong ways to do it.” I
The script doctor Michael Hague has pointed out that for every successful motion picture, there is a central question that revolves around the protagonist: “Who
Last week, a writer told me about how he had written a story several years ago that went on to win a Finalist in the
The first scene can be anything—a funny incident that introduces one of your protagonists, or perhaps an argument that leaves your reader shocked. Maybe you’ll write a scene that will leave your reader admiring your protagonist and cheering for her, or perhaps you’ll introduce your tale with a gruesome murder that will leave the reader horrified but burning with intrigue.
Years ago, I wrote an article on bringing a scene to life—and then I did an exercise based upon my own article. Here are the
When starting to write a novel, you should keep in mind:
A good opening should promise the reader a powerful emotional impact if he or she reads on.
So as I considered this problem, it struck me that as a writing instructor, I wanted to begin doing more than just teaching people how to write: I wanted to teach them how to be writers. We’ve been working at it with our Apex Writers Group for about ten months now, and I’m gratified with the success. One of our authors wrote just a couple of weeks ago: “After twelve years, I finally wrote ‘The End’ on my first novel manuscript, thanks to the Daily Sprints on Apex.” Another author finished his first book after 8 years. Others were only two or three.
This week I celebrate a kind of anniversary. Thirteen years ago, in the first week of October, I started this blog. Originally it was going
Hello I am teaching a series of Master Workshops on launching your book. Class 1 covers: Pre-Sales Should you write a little novel or a biog series?
If you aren’t excited about a novel, chances are excellent that you’ll lack the energy to finish it. Your subconscious will rebel at the idea, and you’ll just go through the motions, wishing that you were working on another project. So you have to find story ideas that thrill you. You have to write from the heart.
The main things to remember when asking yourself “How can I improve my writing skills?” are:
1. Remember, free writing advice comes from the heart.
2. But watch out for ignorant advice.
3) Beware of teachers who hold back vital information.
4) Even the greatest writers can be poor teachers.
5) When seeking wisdom, search widely. Test the advice.
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