Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Good stories are filled with surprises for the reader.  There are right and wrong ways for us writers to deliver surprises, and I'll talk about them here.  Also, the importance of a tie-up-later list.   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 abo...

What do George Orwell, Sara Gruen, Jean Shepherd, and John Steinbeck have in common?  Many things but foremost among them is their expert use of details that take readers away, that lift us readers out of our chairs and transport us to their places and times.  Here are thoughts on their use of details.  Also, we should avoid cliches like the plague.  Support the show Buy the master class.

Here is a magical way to end a scene and to begin another without worrying about travel and time between scenes.  Also: avoiding dangling modifiers.  And how Bernard Malamud worked, and Helen Dunmore'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 i...

What should we do if we must--absolutely must--have an element in our story that might not be fully entertaining and engaging?   1) Make sure it's important and 2) make it short.  Here are thoughts about this critical technique.  Also, details in our descriptions are important, but which should we use and which should we leave out? Support the show Buy the master class.

We writers can use lovely phrases and perceptive observations when describing our character in our story, and yet the reader may still quickly forget the character.  Here's how to make a character stick in the reader's mind.  Also, are you a born writer?  Maybe so.  Here's why you might be. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot,...

We can show (as opposed to tell) as we create a setting for our story.  Showing will make our settings vivid, and will allow the setting description to do double duty: describe the place and suggest a mood.  Also, reasons to avoid meetings in our story. Support the show Buy the master class.

We'll build our character as we write along, adding descriptions and actions and dialogue.  But there is a way with only one or two sentences to reveal something powerful and memorable about the character--in just a few words--and I'll talk about the technique here.  Also, Joyce Carol Oates's rules of writing.  And punctuating dialogue, with important techniques about our character&...

Jack Bickham's three sentences on scene construction are the best I've found regarding how to write a scene.  Here are why these sentences are important for us writers.  Also: Sarah Ann Waters' terrific ten rules of writing.  And avoiding the word "not." Support the show Buy the master class.

Many listeners are writing literary novels and stories.  Here is an important technique regarding construction of a literary story, and it also applies to commercial novels.   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—a...

The easiest thing for a reader to do is to quit reading our story.  Here are ways to begin and end scenes that'll prevent that from happening.  Our scenes' beginnings and endings will propel the reader farther into the story. Support the show Buy the master class.

Stephen King is a powerful storyteller, of course, and he is also a highly-skilled sentence-by-sentence writer.  Here are his tips on writing dialogue, plus thoughts from me about making our characters' dialogue riveting.  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 episod...

Readers love first person novels, where the hero talks directly to the reader.  Here are some techniques for first person writing.  Also, famous novelists reveal the books that made them want to be writers. Support the show Buy the master class.

Usually I talk about writing techniques but here are some living techniques for us writers.  And some famous writers' favorite writers and novels.  Plus: what Ernest Hemingway did when he was stuck.  Also: the magic of avoiding dialogue tag modifiers.  And Snoopy.   Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sente...

How can an injury be good for us writers?  It was for Roald Dahl.  And here are Strunk and White's twenty-one rules of writing.  Also, Stephen King on descriptions.  And several famous setting descriptions, settings so good they are magical.  Plus, Toni Morrison reveals how she works. Support the show Buy the master class.

A strong way to make a character likeable, and to have the reader root for her, is to have the character experience "otherness."  She's out of place.  She doesn't fit.  Here are techniques on how to do so.  Also, how F. Scott Fitzgerald worked.  And, no whining. Support the show Buy the master class.

Contrast is among the strongest tools we writers can use.  It's magic.  Here is a discussion of how and where to use contrast.  Also, Henry Miller's rules of writing and how John Grisham works. Support the show Buy the master class.

We can show (as opposed to tell) about a character's personality by describing the character's face and body, so that our physical description does double duty.  Jonathan Franzen's ten rules of writing.  And techniques to add atmosphere to our scenes. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-l...

In our novel should we leave plot questions unanswered so we have compelling questions for a sequel?   Here are thoughts on how we can approach it.  Also, Hilary Mantel's ten rules of writing, how Anne Rice worked, and techniques for writing in the active voice. Support the show Buy the master class.

Why do readers put down a novel for good before they reach the last page?  Here is a reason, maybe the main reason, and how we writers can avoid it.  Also, examples of failed showing, as opposed to telling.  And Margaret Atwood'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, an...

Here is a list of the top ten writing techniques in order of their importance, as best I can figure them out.  Also, good comments from a book coach.  And Zadie Smith's rules of writing. Support the show Buy the master class.

Here are Kurt Vonnegut's eight rules of writing.  Also, why reading an Andy Weir novel is such a good writing lesson.  And; character descriptions should do double duty.  Here is how, with examples from legendary writers. 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...

Here is a scene with a strong plot point important to our story.  It should be powerful but it isn't because of technical mistakes in the writing.  Can we spot the mistakes?  Also, George Orwell's six rules of writing.  And a review of how and why to avoid filters. Support the show Buy the master class.

What if we get the sense that our story is a trope, that the plot is a cliche, that it's been done before?  Here are thoughts on cliched stories.  Also, Christopher Vogler's twelve steps for plotting our story. 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 fo...

Classic novelists knew the strong technique regarding plotting and it's a terrific lesson for us: go big or go home.  And what if we want to ignore a proven technique?  And: thoughts on a character's stream of consciousness thinking.  Also, how to avoid overthinking our writing project. Support the show Buy the master class.

When can a book coach help us and when can a coach not help us?  Here are thoughts on book coaches.  Also, the master George Orwell on describing a character.  Plus, improving our sentence-by-sentence writing by 1) showing, 2) offering details, and 3) avoiding summary words: three big techniques in one. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, ch...