Tag: writing a book
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6 Easy Steps to Planning Out Your Novel
Even if you hate the idea of writing an outline or synopsis, you can still figure out a plan to help you finish your novel fast, avoid major revisions, and beat writer’s block forever. It’s surprisingly easy. Here’s how to do it. First, turn off your computer and set aside your notebook. For this exercise,…
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The Short, Sad Saga of Mississippi Jones
Some names stick with us. Bridget Jones, Holden Caulfield, Nero Wolfe — these names are all indelibly stamped into our literary consciousness. Those names are evocative. Memorable. Unique. Some writers are incredibly good at coming up with names. I am not one of them.
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How to Outline a Novel (Even If You Hate Outlines)
Getting overwhelmed at the prospect of starting (or finishing) your novel? Feeling the pressure of hundreds of blank pages staring at you, waiting to be filled? No sweat. Planning out a story is like building a wall: You just do it one block at a time. Just like a towering brick wall is made up…
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Need more time to write?
What’s the difference between an aspiring writer and a bestselling author? Writing time. Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of Perry Mason and hailed by some as the best-selling author of the 20th century, set before himself the goal of writing 66,000 words per week. Yes, per week.
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Two kinds of writer’s block
I get a lot of emails from writers who think they’re suffering from writer’s block. But are they really blocked, or is there something else holding them back? The truth might surprise you.
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3 old-school secrets to writing more
Think you don’t have time to write? Wrong. There are 24 hours in a day, so if you write for one measly hour, that’s a mere 4% of your day. (Or 6% of your waking hours, if you get a full eight hours of sleep. Lucky you.) Want to squeeze in more writing time? Take…
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Can Pump Up Your Writing
Hear me now and believe me later: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rules of success can help you write a novel. by Laurence MacNaughton What could Arnold Schwarzenegger possibly teach you about writing a novel? A lot, as it turns out. Schwarzenegger likes to talk about his “6 Rules of Success”. Believe it or not, these rules just…
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How to outline a novel – 3 things you need
By Laurence MacNaughton Dear Laurence: What do I need to know beforehand in order to write a novel? I’ve been told by several different people that an author has to have a character outline (with a biography, as if he or she was a real living person), then a story outline, and I don’t know…
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How to revise a novel until it’s perfect (or not)
By Laurence MacNaughton Dear Laurence: I recently got a request for pages from an agent that I pitched to at a conference. At the same time, I had also submitted my query to a workshop, and that editor emailed me and requested pages, too. I didn’t realize I would get this kind of response, so…
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The Surprising Secret to Snappy Scenes
Got a scene in your novel where a group of characters argue and discuss, but no matter how important the subject is, somehow the tension falls flat? You can fix this scene, and I’ll tell you the trick right up front: get rid of some of your characters. Why?
LAURENCE MACNAUGHTON 