Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

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 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.

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 showBuy 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, 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 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 showBuy 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 showBuy 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 showBuy 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-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.

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 showBuy the master class.

Dive into the reasons why readers abandon novels before reaching the end. Discover vital techniques to enhance your storytelling, focusing on the 'show, don't tell' approach. Learn how to craft relatable protagonists that resonate with readers, even amidst imperfections. Additionally, benefit from practical writing tips and creative strategies that can elevate your writing practice. And, get insights on building a personal creative space for inspiration and productivity.

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 showBuy the master class.