Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Here are pocket-sized techniques that can result in strong sentences; small--even tiny--things we can add to our prose writing arsenal.   Also, Elizabeth George on her use of two outlines: the step outline and the running plot outline.  And we can make our dialogue stronger by avoiding "Yes" and "No."Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

For readers, fiction offers escape from their real lives.  How can we make our writing intense, and so lift our scenes above real life?  Details are a key, and here are ideas on the use of odd and memorable details to make our prose vivid.  Also, here's a good way to practice: write one perfect sentence.   And, what made you want to write? Support the showBuy the master class.

The phrase "cut to the chase" originated in the film industry.  When shooting and editing a movie, if things are getting dull cut to a chase scene.  Cut to the chase applies to our novels and short stories, too.  Here are ways we writers can make our stories stronger and our sentences more forceful by cutting to the chase.  Also, a suggestion on naming characters.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Here is a checklist of things we likely should think about as we begin our first chapter: some elements to have in the beginning pages of our story and some things to avoid.  Also: the strong technique of using contrast in consecutive scenes so that lights shine on both scenes.Support the showBuy the master class.

What is a singular attribute that separates Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Alan Poe?  Their literary voices.  Here are thoughts on our own voices: if and how we should try to develop them.  Also: the strong tool of contrast, when the character contrasts with the setting.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Writing is like learning the violin.  We can get better.  Here are reasons we should practice, and suggestions how to do so.  And what sparked Edgar Alan Poe's imagination?  Also: how much of our story should be scenes rather than summary? The answer: should fill our story with scenes that play out  in real time in front of the reader like a movie.Support the showBuy the master class.

What's the problem with having a lot of characters in a scene?  Aren't lots of people needed to make street scenes and party scenes and sports scenes and battle scenes credible?   I'll talk about the problem of too many characters, and how we can fix the crowded scene so it doesn't lose focus.  Also, a quick almost  magical way to make our sentences stronger using the global search function on our computer.  And lovely setting descriptions from Rachel Joyce.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

How can we know if our scene pushes the story forward.  Does our scene contribute to the story?  The ratchet can test our scene.  I talk about the ratchet and show how Cormac McCarthy and F. Scott Fitzgerald used it.  Plus, a technique for searching for instances of telling in our manuscript so we can change them to showing.  And C.S. Lewis's rules of writing.Support the showBuy the master class.

If we emulate famous authors, won't we get better at writing?  Here are how some highly-skilled, best-selling authors write and live.  Plus: the three dumbest pieces of advice for writers.  And: George Orwell's rules of writing.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

How can we get readers to admire and respect our hero, maybe even to fall in love with him?  Our hero can save the cat.  Here is how the screenwriters' save the cat technique can apply to our novels.  Also, best seller Lawrence Block on how we can use our pleasure reading to improve our fiction writing skills.Support the showBuy the master class.

Keeping a tight point of view is critical for our story.  Here's how we can stay inside the mind of our main character yet learn what others in the scene are thinking.  Plus, how John Grisham works.  And: how we can reveal what a character is thinking through facial expressions.  Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Sometimes writing can be a grind.  Here are things that are fun while writing that'll give us energy and keep us at our desks and allow us to pour joy into our words.  Also: we should avoid vanilla, meaningless word packages.  And here's how Kate Chopin worked.Support the showBuy the master class.

Folks new to fiction may think because there are a million stories and dozens of genres, plots can be presented in any way imaginable.  But successful plots have time-tested patterns, and these are discussed here.  Plus, M.M. Kaye's lovely setting descriptions, so elegant her writing might be called the voice of magic.  And: how the best-selling romance novelist Emily Henry lives and works.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

How and why should  we avoid our character traveling?  And how does Orson Scott Card not make blunders in his novels?  Here is his tool for having a mistake-free novel.  Also: here is why our scenes--almost all scenes--should have some action, and how to write that action.Support the showBuy the master class.

Writing is magic.  We type on a keyboard, and then the words we type create powerful images in readers' minds.  Here is a discussion of our main tool for creating vivid images: detail.  Which details, how to use them, and examples from a detail master, Jean Shepherd.   And another angle: detail is as important in dialogue as it is in character and setting descriptions.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Sometimes an unreliable narrator can be great fun to create, and great fun to read about.  Here are techniques for developing a protagonist the reader learns not to trust.  Also, how can we avoid dull interior monologue and  instead show readers what a character is thinking?Support the showBuy the master class.

Novelist John D. McDonald said he had more plot ideas than time to write them.  That's not the case for most of us writers.  We usually are in chronic need of more plot, more story.  Here are techniques for inventing plot from James Scott Bell and Lester Dent.  Also: vivid character descriptions from Jean Shepherd, showing us how to create unforgettable characters.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Sometimes we are full  of ambition to write.  Yet we don't.  We put off our writing, then put it off again.  Why do we do that?  And what can be done to get us in front of the keyboard?  Here are thoughts on what we can do to get us producing.  Also, powerful first sentences drop the reader into the story after the action is already underway.  Here's how to do it, with examples from excellent writers.Support the showBuy the master class.

Some words don't add anything to a sentence other than confusion.   Here are several modifiers that our story is better without.  Also, is cutting ten percent of our manuscript a good goal when editing?  What should we cut to reach that ten percent? Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Dialogue lets the reader become part of the story, as if the reader is standing next to the characters listening to them talk.  Not all conversation between characters is equal: argument is the most engaging dialogue.  An argument between characters in our story--the back and forth, the accusations and denials, the evasions and justifications--can be riveting.  Here are thoughts on writing the big argument scene.Support the showBuy the master class.

Writing fiction is work but it doesn't need to be a grind.  Here's how we can have fun while we write, things that'll give us a joyful kick, maybe even make us laugh.  Also: the important technique of the mini-backstory, which reveals so much about our character in so little space.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Physics loves formulas: E=MC2.  How about writing?  Here is a formula for writing strong sentences, ones that are clear and have energy.  Our setting and character descriptions can also benefit from a formula, one that shows how to engage the reader.  That formula is talked about here, too.Support the showBuy the master class.

Do we have the skill to write a novel or short story?  Here are early clues that may let us  know.  Also, top writers' ten best rules of writing.  And J.R.R. Tolkien's techniques for writing fascinating settings.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Sometimes in our story we'll have a scene filled with people where everyone is moving all at once, such as a battle scene or mob scene or festival scene or street scene.  Here are techniques on crafting the scene so there's no confusion so readers can focus on the hero.  Also, what is the rule of exceptions?  And, can something bad happening to us make us better writers? Support the showBuy the master class.

Readers love dialogue, the chance to eavesdrop on the characters.  Here is a good way to make that dialogue really worth listening to.  Also, here are techniques that can tie our scenes together, which Jack Bickham calls transitions and sequels.  In a story, what is a transition and what is a sequel?Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

How can we make our character memorable for the reader?  How can we make the character leap off the page and stay in the reader's memory?  Here's how Sherwood Anderson did it.  And here are also character descriptions from another master, William Faulkner, showing us how to create big and bold characters.Support the showBuy the master class.

Readers want a character who can grow and change over the course of the story. Here is a discussion of the character arc: how we can use the arc to develop our character and the plot, giving the reader the big reward at the end of the story of a character who has met the moment with change.  Plus, here is how we can show (rather than tell) about a character's thoughts such as confusion and dread.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

One of the best ways to have readers like our story is to have readers like--maybe even love--our main character.   But we usually don't want our protagonist to be a Pollyanna, always sweet and understanding.  Rather we want to create a fully-formed character--maybe with some weird or off-putting angles,  maybe some flaws and shortcomings--to make the character interesting and believable.  Here's a technique to make sure readers will root for our main character even if the character isn't usually endearing.  Also, here is how a master writer describes her settings.Support the showBuy the master class.

We want to write but we don't have our story fully figured out.  What can we do?  Here are thoughts on inventing plot, things we can do to shake loose the plot from our brains.  Also, the techniques of a master of character description: Margaret Mitchell.  Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Fiction's job is to entertain.  A main way to entertain is to be bold with our plot.  Here are thoughts on how to avoid the dull in our plot and how to create a story that keeps readers turning the pages.  Also, how to invent strong metaphors and similes.  And avoiding overly-precious, self-conscious writing.Support the showBuy the master class.

In fiction in all genres only trouble is interesting.  How do we writers use trouble in our story?  Here are thoughts on how we can plot using conflict, crisis, and resolution, a technique important for all genres.  Also, should we use beta readers?  And the add-a-quirk technique.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

When do we know enough writing techniques to start our novel?  And when is the story ready to be written?  I'll try to answer both questions.  Also, how do great writers describe a character's appearance in ways that reveal the character's past and personality?  Here's how masterful writers do it.Support the showBuy the master class.

Red herrings--false clues--are used in most all stories in all genres.  Here are the right and wrong ways to insert red herrings into our stories.  Also, here's how we can show--reveal--much about a character by describing a setting.  Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Kurt Vonnegut said we should "Start as close to the end as possible."  What did he mean?  How can we do so?  Here are thoughts on this famous piece of advice from a legendary novelist.  Also, avoiding the word "not" to give our sentences more energy.  And Orson Scott Card on creativity.Support the showBuy the master class.

Is your writing time becoming a grind?  If so, here are some things that may reduce the grind and maybe even make  writing fun.  Also, here are thoughts on how we might write a sentence that is a timeless truth told in lovely language, an immortal sentence that will live forever.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

We writers should consider giving readers what they want.  Well, what do they want?  Here is a discussion of the five things readers want in a novel.  Also: the dual timeline plot structure.  And F. Scott Fitzgerald's seven tips on writing.Support the showBuy the master class.

Thoughts are interior, in our minds.  But there are ways to show--to give evidence--that reveal to the reader what our character is thinking.  Also, here is an important ingredient that many writers forget when describing a character.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

The three most important words in our fiction are, "Story, story, story."  But we can also shoot for lovely, musical language that makes each sentence and paragraph a pleasure to read.  Here are thoughts on how to add music to our sentences.Support the showBuy the master class.

In his famous ten rules of writing, Elmore Leonard says that we shouldn't write things readers tend to skip.  What are those things?  How can we avoid writing them?  Also, should our story have  theme and, if so, how can we present it?Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

What do Ernest Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, and Elmore Leonard have in common?   Powerful stories, yes.  But also lean and forceful sentences.  Here's how they do it.  Also: in our plotting,what's an acceptable coincidence and what's a weak, story-ruining coincidence?Support the showBuy the master class.

After months and month if writing, we'll near the end of our story.  Our novel is almost finished.  Here are things we should consider as we wrap up our story.  Also, for many of us editing our own story isn't as fun as writing.  Here are thoughts on how we can make sure we edit enough, and how we know when to quit editing.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Why should almost all of our story be scenes rather than summaries?  Here's how we can avoid summaries and instead write moment-by-moment real-time scenes in our fiction.  Also: here are perhaps the most beautiful sentences ever written in fiction.Support the showBuy the master class.

The reader is like a camera as the scene unfolds.  Where should that camera be?  How far away from the characters and the action?  Here are thoughts on authorial distance, about the benefits of placing the camera--the reader--near or far.  Plus, how Charlotte Bronte worked. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Here are the most important fiction writing techniques boiled down to twenty-five minutes.  I've talked about all these elements in prior episodes but sometimes it's useful to hear things again.  This episode is a refresher.Support the showBuy the master class.

We may be writing a comic novel or we may want to add humor to our thriller or romance or horror or literary novel.  Humor adds a strong element to most any story.  Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas: “Funny how?  I mean, funny like I'm a clown?  I amuse you?  I make you laugh?"  Well, yeah.  Let's see how we can make readers laugh.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

Good descriptions of characters should do double duty: they can let the reader know what the character looks like and the description can also suggest something about the character's personality.  Here are examples and thoughts on double duty descriptions.  Also, how Alice Walker works. Support the showBuy the master class.

The title is the book browser's first impression of our novel.  The title should tempt the browser to pick up and open the book.  Here are thoughts on how we can give our story a strong, enticing title.  Also, how do famous authors edit their own manuscripts?  Maybe we can learn from them the best way to self-edit our stories.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

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 showBuy the master class.

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.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.Support the showBuy the master class.

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 showBuy the master class.