Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Sometimes new writers have a strong plot idea and they begin writing without learning much about fiction writing.  Here are the ten most common mistakes new writers make, mistakes that are often prospect killers.   Also, how does Kristen Hannah work?  And: maybe the best way to learn how to write a novel.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

We learn many techniques to improve our fiction writing.  Is there one big thing we should think about first, the most important element?  Yes, and we talk about it here.  Also, avoiding mixing up the grammatical person and the point of view.   How William Faulkner worked.  And; making a direct connection between our hero and the reader by showing kindness.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

Here is a technique--it's magical--to make our sentence-by-sentence writing instantly stronger; avoiding qualifiers.  And how to use good dialogue tags so the reader hears the dialogue rather than the clunky tags.  And important tips regarding back-story.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

Naming our story's characters is fun but there is a big technique involved, which we talk about in this episode.  Also; the iceberg theory of writing, and the story framing device.  Plus, examples of showing rather than telling about characters' moods.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

It's critical for us writers to make multiple simultaneous submissions.  Here are some thoughts on why it's so important.   And I mention a wonderful but counterintuitive technique that makes our dialogue smoother.   Also: the importance of a scene playing out minute-by-minute, without time skips.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

Where can we turn when wondering about whether we should continue reading a novel?  Right here, for some thoughts on reading.  Also, here is a discussion on big mistakes we might make when creating our story's setting, and how to avoid them.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

Some novels--even novels that are great literature--have titles that are downers: titles that are sour and pessimistic.  Here are thoughts on why we might not want to give our novels downer titles.   Also, why we should avoid words that when too close together echo poorly, creating a distracting dissonance.   And how we writers can practice.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

Details are proofs, evidence offered to the reader about our story.   Details will make our fiction engaging and will allow the story to grab readers.  But there are right and wrong ways to use details, and we'll talk about the difference.  Also, how should we handle back-story, politics, and society in our story?  And a goofy pop quiz.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

For most of us our sentence-by-sentence writing should be a clear window to our story rather than a barrier to seeing the story.  Here are thoughts on the clear window.  Also, how George Orwell worked.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show

What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing in the present tense?  And the past tense?   Also, a reminder about the importance of setting.  And I get on my high horse about writers needing persistence regarding submissions.The Write NoteExploring the craft of writing and its impact on pop culture.Listen on:   SpotifySupport the show