Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Blue is bluer when placed next to yellow.  Here are techniques on the use of contrast to make our scenes and characters more vivid.  Also, we can learn how to describe characters--and we can be inspired--by reading how the masters create their 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 are some thoughts about how we can write our story in the first-person, some techniques that will capture the reader.   Also, usually the fewer the adverbs and adjectives, the stronger the writing.  Here's how we can reduce the number of modifiers in our fiction.  And here's a list of the six funniest novels of all time.Support the showBuy the master class.

One of the best ways to learn the craft of fiction is to read the works of great writers, those novelists who know how to offer the reader unforgettable images of new places and new people.   Here are examples of character and setting descriptions from skilled writers.   Listening to them, we'll be inspired to create vivid and enchanting descriptionsHere 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's the difference between an idea and plot?  It's important to know as we begin writing.  Also, readers love joyous dialogue.  Here are thoughts on how to write it.Support the showBuy the master class.

What in our lives made us want to write?  Here's a discussion about lighting that fuse.  Also: here are techniques for showing rather than telling about our story's setting.  And discussed also is a wonderful way to learn to write that takes little extra time or effort.  Finally, how to write dialogue when the characters are afraid.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.

A main reason readers put a novel on their all-time top-ten favorites list is because they fall in love with a character.  Here's how we can create characters readers will love.  Also discussed are techniques for writing sad dialogue.  And also: how to get unstuck when writing or novel or short story.Support the showBuy the master class.

I've been checking out the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, and here are some impressions of its use for writers.  And: what are the benefits of identifying our novel as being in a genre?  Also, more on  those pesky dialogue tag modifiers.  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 off the dime and start writing our novel or short story?  Here are some thoughts.  Also, readers love emotional dialogue; techniques to write romantic dialogue and angry dialogue are discussed.Support the showBuy the master class.

Here is a strong technique for immersing readers in our settings.  Readers will think they are right there with our characters.  Also, almost all stories should have a romance, and keys to writing romance scenes are reviewed.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 strong technique to make our characters vivid and memorable for the reader.   And also: most novels should have action scenes.   The craft of writing a powerful action scene is reviewed.Support the showBuy the master class.