Category: my novel’s progress
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The Final Quarter
I am down to the last 25% of the current draft of my novel which I’m now calling Ziggurat Reach. Whether that is a working title or a final title, I don’t know. I know what is happening in the last part of my novel. I am building up to the story’s climax and all…
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Storming
Next on my to read list is a newly published book by K.M. Weiland called Storming. Not only are her stories entertaining–I read her novel Dreamlander earlier this year–her non-fiction books on writing have mentored me as I complete my novel. Check out her awesome website and blog. You will find tons of resources and…
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The answer to the question
As a fiction writer, I have always wondered how to break into the publishing companies that announce on their manuscript submission guidelines: “We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. We only look at manuscripts through an agent.” Then when trying to find an agent — a legitimate agent — the agents are only looking for established…
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Exposing “exposure” for what it is: an insult
As much as I love designing book covers, I don’t have time to do it for free. Last year I designed book covers for a couple of different small publishers. I figured out one publisher would not be paying enough for the time I put into the projects, so I told the publisher I quit.…
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How to Hack a Flashback: Secret Shortcuts of Bestselling Authors
Great article on writing flashbacks by author Christopher Kokoski.
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Whoa, an epiphany in writing dialogue
In one of my favorite books on graphic design, The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Robin Williams presents the concept of being able to name something so that you can own it. A person may recognize good design in a poster or a brochure, but not be able to know why it’s good design. In her book,…
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What I’m learning as I write my novel, part 2
In my previous blog entry, I began listing some things I’m learning as I write my current novel. Here are some more: Let the story unfold like a snowflake. When writing the discovery draft of a novel, I like to use the snowflake method. This is a method created by writer Randy Ingermanson. I mentioned…
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What I’m learning as I write my novel
When I say I’ve written six novels, this is what I really mean: I’ve written the rough draft of six novels. Sure I like to say “I’ve written six novels” to try to impress people, but if anyone would read these “novels”, he would read for five minutes, stick out his tongue, squinch up his…
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The Big Mistake Every Beginning Writer Makes
Andrew M. Friday 