Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

James Thayer
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Jul 25, 2025 • 26min

Episode 175 - Writing funny dialogue.

We can write dialogue that makes readers laugh.  Here are thoughts on creating funny conversations between our characters.  Plus, we don't need to have our character look into a mirror to describe herself, which has been done time and again.  Here are ways to avoid the mirror.Support the show
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Jul 18, 2025 • 26min

Episode 174 - How to ruin our story's first sentences.

A story's first sentence should make the reader ask, "What's next?"  They should propel the reader into the story.  Here's how to do it right and how to do it wrongly.  Also, three master writers show us how to describe a setting.Support the show
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Jul 11, 2025 • 24min

Episode 173 - The magic of dialogue.

Dialogue is fun to write and fun to read.  Our story should have lots of it.  Here's a powerful thing dialogue can do: it can reveal (that is, to show rather than tell) what a character is thinking.  The character's conversation can be lively and fun, and hearing the character speak is so much stronger than reading the character's mind.  Here are thoughts on writing revealing dialogue. Support the show
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Jul 4, 2025 • 26min

Episode 172 - Our first fifteen pages.

The  first pages of our novel should contain certain elements and avoid certain elements.  Here's a list of things to include and exclude in those first pages.  Plus, ways to write forceful, clear, and lovely sentences.Support the show
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Jun 27, 2025 • 29min

Episode 171 - Top ten list of bad advice for writers.

In these episodes I try to set out good writing advice but a lot of bad advice is out there, so here is a list of bad advice, and the list may help us avoid writing blunders.  Here are also ten dialogue mistakes, and avoiding them likely means we end up with engaging and even riveting dialogue for our characters.Support the show
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Jun 20, 2025 • 28min

Episode 170 - Writing the crowd scene. And guilt and pride.

Here are techniques for keeping focus in a scene where there is a crowd, with an example from Harper Lee.  And how Margaret Mitchell worked.  Plus: how can we show rather than tell about a character's guilt or pride.Support the show
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Jun 13, 2025 • 25min

Episode 169 - How to find a surefire plot.

Stephen King says there is no idea dump we can visit to find a good plot.  We have to create our own plots.  How can we do so?  Here's a discussion on creating plots.  Also, if Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition can learn to write, so can we.  And the critical technique of using the active sentence form.Support the show
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5 snips
Jun 6, 2025 • 27min

Episode 168 - Making our first sentence sparkle.

Discover the pivotal role of a first sentence in captivating readers right from the start. Explore how great authors craft engaging openings that spark curiosity and tension. Gain insight into the art of using specific details to enhance your writing and create a vivid experience. Delve into personal stories of rejection and how they can fuel your growth as a writer. Learn about the importance of sensory details while avoiding clichés to maintain originality in your narrative.
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May 30, 2025 • 27min

Episode 167 - Revealing our character by the setting.

Our setting descriptions should do more than describe a place.  They can also show the reader much about our character.  Here's how to do so.  Also: what's the main thing our plot needs: trouble.  Here's why.  And how Edna Ferber worked.Support the show
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May 23, 2025 • 25min

Episode 166- Showing our character's thoughts.

Two mistakes can ruin our presentation of what our character is thinking: telling rather than showing, and interior monologue.  Here are ways to present thoughts in a way that grabs the reader.  Also, how Octavia Butler worked.  And examples of wonderful character descriptions from masterful writers.  Support the show

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