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 focused and about 30 minutes. The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine do...
Aug 30, 2024•26 min
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....
Aug 23, 2024•28 min
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, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and about 30 m...
Aug 16, 2024•29 min
Sometimes we don't need to use the standard and strong writing technique, and we can deviate from the proven technique. When? We'll talk about it here. And here are some fun writing quotes. Also, an example of how interior monologue deadens a scene, and how to change it to a scene that will engage and entertain the reader. Support the show Buy the master class....
Aug 09, 2024•26 min
Blake Snyder's famous Save the Cat plotting--where he describes fifteen beats a movie screenplay should have--is useful for us novelists. And wonderful setting descriptions from Willa Cather. Also, what's wrong with this sentence: He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion? And Neil Gaiman's eight 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...
Aug 02, 2024•27 min
How can we submit a manuscript that meets the industry's format expectations and so avoids an amateurish look? Here's how to do it. Also, how the best-selling novelist Elin Hilderbrand live and work? And a few comments on pumping up our creativity. Support the show Buy the master class.
Jul 26, 2024•25 min
We aren't villains, and we likely don't have the background and personality of a villain. How can we get inside the mind of a villain for our story, so the villain engages the reader? Here are techniques to do so. Also, big and small things in a novel should be foreshadowed. I'll mention why and how to use foreshadowing to give clues and red herrings to the reader, focusing on small things we might otherwise forget to tie up. Also, here are my favorite funny titles of novels. Here is a 20-episod...
Jul 19, 2024•27 min
Sometimes new writers have a strong plot idea and they begin writing without learning much about fiction writing. Here are the ten most common mistakes new writers make, mistakes that are often prospect killers. Also, how does Kristen Hannah work? And: maybe the best way to learn how to write a novel. 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 ...
Jul 12, 2024•25 min
We learn many techniques to improve our fiction writing. Is there one big thing we should think about first, the most important element? Yes, and we talk about it here. Also, avoiding mixing up the grammatical person and the point of view. How William Faulkner worked. And; making a direct connection between our hero and the reader by showing kindness. Support the show Buy the master class....
Jul 05, 2024•28 min
Here is a technique--it's magical--to make our sentence-by-sentence writing instantly stronger; avoiding qualifiers. And how to use good dialogue tags so the reader hears the dialogue rather than the clunky tags. And important tips regarding back-story. Support the show Buy the master class.
Jun 28, 2024•25 min
Naming our story's characters is fun but there is a big technique involved, which we talk about in this episode. Also; the iceberg theory of writing, and the story framing device. Plus, examples of showing rather than telling about characters' moods. 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...
Jun 21, 2024•28 min
It's critical for us writers to make multiple simultaneous submissions. Here are some thoughts on why it's so important. And I mention a wonderful but counterintuitive technique that makes our dialogue smoother. Also: the importance of a scene playing out minute-by-minute, without time skips. Support the show Buy the master class....
Jun 14, 2024•24 min
Where can we turn when wondering about whether we should continue reading a novel? Right here, for some thoughts on reading. Also, here is a discussion on big mistakes we might make when creating our story's setting, and how to avoid them. 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 ...
Jun 07, 2024•31 min
Some novels--even novels that are great literature--have titles that are downers: titles that are sour and pessimistic. Here are thoughts on why we might not want to give our novels downer titles. Also, why we should avoid words that when too close together echo poorly, creating a distracting dissonance. And how we writers can practice. Support the show Buy the master class....
May 31, 2024•27 min
Details are proofs, evidence offered to the reader about our story. Details will make our fiction engaging and will allow the story to grab readers. But there are right and wrong ways to use details, and we'll talk about the difference. Also, how should we handle back-story, politics, and society in our story? And a goofy pop quiz. 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 e...
May 24, 2024•25 min
For most of us our sentence-by-sentence writing should be a clear window to our story rather than a barrier to seeing the story. Here are thoughts on the clear window. Also, how George Orwell 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...
May 17, 2024•26 min
What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing in the present tense? And the past tense? Also, a reminder about the importance of setting. And I get on my high horse about writers needing persistence regarding submissions. Support the show Buy the master class.
May 10, 2024•26 min
It's hard to make a big meeting scene interesting. Much of the time meeting scenes should be avoided. But if we must have a meeting, showing rather than telling will make it more interesting. Plus, how Carson McCullers worked. And some comments from feuding writers. Also, an interview with Maeve Binchy. Support the show Buy the master class....
May 03, 2024•29 min
Good advice about designing your own book cover; don't. If you self-publish your novel don't ruin it with a do-it-yourself book cover. Here are thoughts on why you should hire a pro designer. Also: why have we lost some enthusiasm for writing our novel, and how can we get it back? And some of the loveliest sentences in literature. 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 ep...
Apr 26, 2024•27 min
Some of us have a hard time beginning the writing of our novels or short stories. Here are the reasons why and things we might do to overcome them. Also, the best first sentences in literature. And now novelist John Cheever 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...
Apr 19, 2024•26 min
We can avoid inert paragraphs by having our descriptions do more than one thing at once. Descriptions of our characters, settings, and action and our dialogue can do double duty--two things at the same time--which will engage the reader and enliven our story. Here's how . Support the show Buy the master class.
Apr 12, 2024•28 min
Should we categorize our novel as literary or commercial? What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing so? Also, we can improve our dialogue writing by reading great crime fiction. And: the importance of avoiding filters. Support the show Buy the master class.
Apr 05, 2024•29 min
Jack Bickham says that scenes should be followed by sequels. Here are thoughts on how to write a sequel. Also, the middle of a novel--sometimes called the Great Swampy Middle--can be hard to plot. We'll discuss techniques on bulking up the middle of 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 focused and about 30 minutes. The full class—all 20 episodes—is...
Mar 29, 2024•27 min
What is the best way to plot our novel, plotting from scene to scene? Here is a discussion of the critical technique of avoiding a scene's set up and wind down. Also, I took part in a writing experiment and spectacularly failed, and here is an account of it. I still wince when I recall it. Also, a strong writing technique is avoiding "was" and "were." We'll discuss why and how to do so. Support the show Buy the master class....
Mar 22, 2024•28 min
What if we are stymied in our plotting, and can't think of enough story? Here are some thoughts on how we might get to work. Also; one of the best ways we can reveal our characters to readers is with the characters' own words, with their dialogue. Here are some thoughts on showing--as opposed to telling--with dialogue. Also, this episode contains the words "oaf," "poltroon," and "knucklehead," such words being like salt; they make anything better. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction wri...
Mar 15, 2024•27 min
We writers get to experience the joy of creating something--a character, a setting, an event--out of nothing. And, how can we tell if the new plot point we've come up with is any good? Are there questions we can ask ourselves to test our new plot point? Also: who are the most memorable villains in fiction? Here is Stephen King's list. And here is something technical; how to paragraph dialogue. Support the show Buy the master class....
Mar 08, 2024•26 min
Most of us subscribe to the our-words-should-be-a-clear-window-to-the-story technique but some writers intentionally make their sentences beautiful so that we think about the words on the page. Here are some thoughts on writing beautiful sentences. Also, how can we pump up our creativity so as to get us off the dime regarding our plotting? And Edna Ferber's striking character descriptions. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, di...
Mar 01, 2024•26 min
A phrases notebook is a remarkably useful tool for writers. Here's how to create one. Also, sometimes while writing we might get the feeling that our plot is becoming aimless and that it is bogging down. We'll list questions we can ask ourselves to determine if it's true, and how to fix the problem. Support the show Buy the master class....
Feb 23, 2024•26 min
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, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes. The full class—all 20 episodes—is...
Feb 16, 2024•29 min
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 Gables. Support the show Buy the master class....
Feb 09, 2024•24 min
