Stories are defined by their narrators. Narrating characters implicitly tell us whose story this is. More than that, they determine which facets of plot and theme will be emphasized. How do they do this? By also determining which elements will be eliminated or sidelined. In short, figuring out how to choose the right POV for your […]
June 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment Outlining Your NovelYour 3-Step Plan for Outlining a Novel
Today, I’m guest posting over on Writers Helping Writers, with the post “Your 3-Step Plan for Outlining a Novel.” Here’s an excerpt: There’s only one reason writers ever talk about outlining. It’s a tool that’s supposed to make our jobs easier. But it isn’t always clear how to accomplish that. Do you just start writing a list […]
June 26, 2017 by 98 Comments Structuring Your NovelHow to Calculate Your Book’s Length Before Writing
Story structure is all about timing. It’s about making sure your rhythm and pacing align for maximum impact, both in keeping readers glued to the page and in resonating emotionally. The reason this timing works is that it is largely instinctive, for both writers and readers. When I first started learning about story structure, I pulled […]
June 23, 2017 by 39 Comments Story Settings4 Reasons You Should Outline Your Settings
When you think of all the important story elements you need to outline, setting may not be at the top of your list. It might not even be on your list. But it should be. Setting provides the foundation for every other important element in your story—starting with plot, character, and theme, and progressing right on down […]
June 12, 2017 by 75 Comments Outlining Your Novel5 Ways to Write a Perfect First Draft (or Nearly)
“The first draft.” Is there any phrase more likely to evoke such a poignant mix of anticipation and dread? Anticipation, of course, because we get to write—we get to tell our story! And dread, of course, because we’re about to subject ourselves to months, even years, of agony and frustration as we blindly slog toward a finish […]
June 9, 2017 by 64 Comments Outlining Your NovelHow to Use the Outlining Your Novel Workbook Software
Today, I’m pleased to get to share with you a special guest post from Bob Miller, the developer of our new Outlining Your Novel Workbook software. I’ve asked him to give you a tour of the program, his own process for using it, and what inspired him to create it in the first place. Here’s Bob… […]
June 2, 2017 by 58 Comments Outlining Your NovelBefore You Outline: How to Discover Your Story’s Big Moments
Too often, writers maintain a limiting viewpoint of outlines as “a list of scenes.” But outlining can (and should) be so much more. For starters, there’s all that good stuff in the outline before you outline. Before you ever get to the scene list, there are a gabillion important questions for you to ask about your […]
May 30, 2017 by 206 Comments Outlining Your NovelBig News! Introducing the Outlining Your Novel Workbook Software
The various approaches authors bring to outlining their novels are vast. But the one thing we all have in common is the desire for an effective, streamlined process that helps us create a solid foundation for our stories—as painlessly as possible. I have long been a proponent of outlining, through my many resources both here […]
May 22, 2017 by 91 Comments How to Become a Writer5 Misconceptions About Writing That I Used to Believe
Are we modern-day writers lucky or what? We enjoy unprecedented access to the wisdom of all the writers who have gone before us. I’m not kidding. the wealth of excellent information at our fingertips is insane. But you don’t get nothing for nothing, and the something we’re exchanging for all this great advice is a pretty hefty load […]
March 13, 2017 by 72 Comments Outlining Your Novel5 Rules for How to Write a Sequel to Your Book
Just when you think you’ve figured out how to write a book, you realize you have to learn a whole new set of rules for how to write a sequel. You’d think writing the second book in a series couldn’t be that much different from writing the first one. They both have a beginning, middle, […]
