Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Can we writers get into a mental state called the flow or the zone, then write 40 pages?  Maybe.  Here's how.  And: our fiction might someday change people's lives.   Also, showing--as opposed to telling--negative emotions such as disgust.  And a monkey in Thailand. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes,...

Character-driven stories--which delve deeply into the hero's change and growth--can be moving and unforgettable for readers but there are traps that we can fall into when writing them.   Here they are, and how to avoid them.  Also, Kurt Vonnegut's technique of making a character want something right away.  And how Joyce Carol Oates works.   Also, the enduring appeal of Anne of Green Gabl...

At some point all writers are new writers.  Here are some sure-fire fiction writing techniques that might not seem right, that are counterintuitive.  These are big techniques new writers often get wrong because at first glance they don't make sense.   Here's a list of these methods, and how to avoid getting them wrong.   Support the show Buy the master class.

How we dress our character will show--that is, to reveal--much about our characters to the reader.  Clothing is evidence of our character's personality, and a strong tool for us writers.   Also, Jack Bickham has solid advice on how to end our chapters. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craf...

Huge rewards for fiction readers are a character's emotions; love, fear, gratitude, respect, loathing, and many others.  Here are techniques on how to create emotions in our characters that will  be intensely rewarding for readers.  Also: an example of the rule of exceptions regarding likeable characters.. Support the show Buy the master class.

In the last episode we talked about major dialogue techniques.  Here are smaller ones--but still important techniques--that'll make our dialogue shine.  And: how does the best-selling novelist Jonathan Franzen work?  We'll find out. Support the show Buy the master class.

Dialogue in fiction is fun to write and fun to read.  Here are seven techniques that'll help make our dialogue shine.  Also, why should we create a character readers hate?  Because those characters can be riveting, and are a strong element in the story.   Here are some famous examples from novels, not main villains, but rather secondary characters who make readers groan when they appear on th...

Let's talk about stupid writing,  And: how to get our story going without over-explanation and back-story.  How John Updike and Frank Baum wrote.  And an encounter with Aphrodite in English 101. 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 mi...

Here is a list of the fourteen biggest mistakes we can make when creating our scene, and how to avoid them.  Also, we'll talk about how to avoid the dull tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock metronome beat when writing sentences.  And: showing rather than telling about a character's personality. Support the show Buy the master class.

Adding a close friend for our story's protagonist offers many benefits.  Here are some thoughts on buddies.  And: how did novelists Willa Cather and Nathaniel Hawthorne work?  Plus, techniques for avoiding interior monologue when our character is alone in the scene.  And: should we write the story that's loudest in our head or should we aim for the market? Support the show Buy the master...

Bland settings works against the story, and riveting settings propel the story forward.  Here are techniques for creating powerful settings that will engage the reader.  Also, the Wall Street Journal's interview of best-selling Ken Follett is fascinating, and here is some of it. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue,...

Here are thoughts on how to avoid early mistakes in our writing,  those blunders we might make before we write the first sentence of our story.    Also, a couple of wonderful quotation about writing.  And: new technology tools to help us writers. Support the show Buy the master class.

Action is the most interesting element in most novels, and a fight is action.   Here are some techniques for writing a fight scene.   Also, here's an almost sure-fire way to prime the pump of our plotting, a way to invent more plot for our story.   And: thoughts about naming our characters. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters...

The first sentence of our story should suggest to the reader, "Come on in and listen."  A good first sentence propels the reader into the story, and here are some ways to write them.   Also: Stephen King's twenty important techniques for writing. Support the show Buy the master class.

Why should we keep a tie-up later list?   How to create one and their importance are mentioned.   And Angelou, King, and Tolstoy.  Also: should we plan 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...

Listening to characters speak is a great pleasure for readers.  It's as if the reader is a character in the scene, listening in, eavesdropping.  Here are the three most important dialogue writing techniques I can think of.   Also; how can we make our third-person narrator as intimate with the reader as a first-person narrator?  Some thoughts are offered on how to get the reader close to the t...

Humorous characters are fun to read about and fun to write about.  Here are some thoughts on why funny characters are important in our stories, and some techniques for creating funny characters.  Also: Charles Dickens' daily work schedule. 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 m...

Here are ways to show with action and dialogue what our character is thinking so we can avoid visiting the character's mind for interior monologue, usually the least interesting element of a story.   And we visit Somerset Maugham, Truman Capote, and Herman Melville. Support the show Buy the master class.

Do we need courage to write our first novel?  If so, where do we find it?  Also, writing the physical description of our hero in a first-person novel can be tricky.  Here are thoughts on how we might do so. 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 abou...

Here's a list of the most important techniques we should think about when plotting and writing our novel or short story.  Also, more on making our settings work for our story.  And, how we can show rather than tell about love. Support the show Buy the master class.

Did soon-to-be famous writers know as they drafted their novels that they were creating magic for readers?   Maybe.   Maybe not.   And how can we choose the strong word instead the the weak, so that our sentence shines?  Also, here are thoughts on how long our chapters should be, and how to make sure they are not too long and not too short. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a st...

Young adult fiction is a vast market, and many wonderful writers create YA novels.  Here are some thoughts on YA, some techniques we might keep in mind as we put together a story meant for teenagers.  Also, what is the balance between not enough detail and too much detail in our scenes?   I'll set out a formula. Support the show Buy the master class.

A distinctive voice can add a charming or compelling aspect to a story.  What is voice?  And do we need a distinctive voice?  Maybe not, maybe so.  Here are thoughts about a voice for our stories.  Also mentioned are ideas and techniques regarding flashbacks. Support the show Buy the master class.

The words on our page should be a clear window to our story.   How can we do that?  Here are eleven techniques to make our sentences forceful and clear.   Also, some comments on the story arc.   What is a story arc?  Is the concept useful? 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. ...

A literary agent or a publisher may ask for a synopsis of our novel, a three to five-page summary.  Here are techniques on how to write one.  Also, can artificial intelligence write fiction?  We'll find out.  Plus, ridding our sentences of filters to get the reader closer to the scene. Support the show Buy the master class.