The big day is here! Welcome to the official launch of Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success. You can purchase the book in paperback, Kindle, or Nook formats (affiliate links). I need your help to ensure the book has a successful launch week, so please join the party! I’m celebrating all this week […]
September 21, 2011 by 41 Comments Outlining Your NovelBenefits of Outlining Your Novel
Welcome to the last installment in our series of video/audio trailers, offering a sneak peek into the first chapter of Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success. Be sure to sign up for the last of our mini prize giveaways, before next week’s Grand Prize, worth over $400. Leave a comment to register for […]
September 14, 2011 by 41 Comments Outlining Your NovelMisconceptions About Outlining Your Novel
Today, we’re continuing with our series of video/audio trailers, offering a sneak peek into the first chapter of Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success. We’re also continuing our month of prize giveaways, building up to the Grand Prize, worth over $400, on September 26th. Be sure to leave a comment on this post […]
September 5, 2011 by 17 Comments Outlining Your NovelCountdown to Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success!
As those of you who listen to my weekly podcast or follow me on Twitter and Facebook are probably already aware, I’ve been hard at work this year on the writing craft book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success which will be released September 26th. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing […]
June 8, 2011 by 31 Comments Point of ViewIntroduce Important POVs as Soon as Possible
By the time readers get through your first couple chapters, they will have made an emotional and intellectual investment in your main characters—your important POVs. If they’ve read this far and plan to continue reading, they’ve found the characters introduced in these chapters to be worth their time and attention. Now… imagine their annoyance when, […]
March 13, 2011 by 50 Comments Story SettingsAre You Asking These Important Questions About Your Fantasy Settings?
Fantasy settings are special. In many genres, the setting is little more than a necessary backdrop, culled from the author’s life or research. For example, before writing my portal fantasy Dreamlander, my experience with historical fiction had allowed me to drop my characters into real-life settings. I didn’t have to create settings; all I had […]
March 9, 2011 by 26 Comments ThemeHow to Strengthen Your Book’s Thematic Motif Through Repetition
One of the easiest ways to drive home a point is through repetition. Sometimes, repetition in a novel can come across heavy-headed—to the point readers either grow bored or begin to feel manipulated. But what if you could mix the power of repetition with the effectiveness of subtlety? This is exactly what Kurt Vonnegut teaches […]
December 8, 2010 by 9 Comments Novel EndingsExternal and Internal Conflict: The Killer Combination
A general writing rule of thumb states that every page of your story should contain conflict. But sometimes it can be difficult to think up enough conflict to fill the nooks and crannies. After all, your hero can’t be battling it out with the villain on every single page. So what to do? The secret […]
November 3, 2010 by 10 Comments Story Settings2 Rules of Creating a Fabulous Setting
Setting is sometimes the neglected stepchild of the writing world. We lavish attention on our characters and plot, but sometimes forget how powerful a fabulous setting can be. Some genres, particularly those that fall within the realm of speculative fiction (fantasy and science fiction), tend to give more attention to setting, simply because their stories […]
October 13, 2010 by 21 Comments BackstoryIs Backstory Sinking Your Book?
Backstory is often misunderstood, mostly because it has gained something of a bad reputation through misuse. It’s important you neither underestimate this crucial storytelling technique, nor allow it to overwhelm your main story. Backstory, as its name implies, is intended to stay in back of the main story. It’s never the point of the story, […]
