Tag: writing a book
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5 Fast Ways to Stop Editing Yourself
Write a novel on an AlphaSmart. Why not? Q: When I’m writing a novel, how do I stop myself from going back and fixing things? As I write, I’m afraid to even look at the screen because I’ll hate what I wrote. I keep my eyes focused on my desk instead, or on objects that…
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How Do I Finish My Novel?
Q: Hi, I’m trying to write a novel about two people who meet by accident and then discover that they share an element of their two dark pasts. I have a few general story ideas, but nothing concrete. I know where I want to start my novel and where I want it to end, but…
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What Is Copyright, Exactly?
What is copyright? Want to protect your work against copyright infringement without convincing literary agents and publishers that you’re a complete amateur? (Or worse, a paranoid loon?) Here are a few simple points to remember. Basically, copyright protects the embodiment of an idea in a tangible form. That can mean a published book (or movie,…
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How To Write a Book from One Image
Got writing questions? Get answers! Q: I have this singular, compelling image that keeps getting stuck in my mind, and it has inspired me to write my novel. But it’s just one scene, really. Is there any way I can develop a story from that? Can you give me any idea how to write a…
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Free Writing Websites
Learn how to write a novel the right way. Wait, don’t tell me, let me guess — you, dear reader, want to learn how to write a novel! (Well, the fact that you’re on a web site called “You Can Write A Novel” conveniently gives it away.) I’ve always believed that when you want to…
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Your 3 Writing Personalities: the Surprising Truth
Can the E-Myth show you how to write a novel? In The E-Myth Revisited, bestselling author Michael Gerber doesn’t breathe one word about how to write a novel. But the priceless wisdom in these pages might change how you think of yourself and your writing process. In a nutshell, the E-Myth puts forth the idea…
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Aspiring Writers, Take Notes!
You can write a novel that seems absolutely perfect to you: the dialogue is tight, the characters are richly layered and the plot crackles with energy. But you’ll still get notes, I guarantee it. And that’s a good thing. Notes, by the way, are the comments you get from decision-makers (mostly literary agents and editors)…
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Meet a Literary Agent AND Help Kids Read — No Foolin’!
Listen up, true believers. Think you can write a novel good enough to get published? Find out this Sunday! Literary agent and celebrated book genius Sara Megibow (of the incomparable Nelson Literary Agency) will lead a two-hour writing workshop open to any fiction writer. (That means you!) Aspiring writers from all over have benefited from…
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Last Chance: Meet a Literary Agent and Help a School
Just a quick reminder that on Sunday, literary agent extraordinaire Sara Megibow (of the much-esteemed Nelson Literary Agency) is leading a two-hour writing workshop open to any fiction writer. And don’t think you don’t have what it takes. If you can write a novel, then you can get it in front of a literary agent…
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Transform Your Hero and Get Published
I was just listening to a fantastic interview with the late, great Blake Snyder, author of the Save the Cat! books. One of the many insightful things he said was, “Tell me a story about a hero who transforms over the course of an adventure.” That’s something that I struggle with in my own writing. …
LAURENCE MACNAUGHTON 