The holidays are upon us, and already I hear your heart rates increase. “How am I going to maintain my writing schedule through all the family dinners, out-of-town visits, and Super Bowl games?” you’re moaning. “How am I going to maintain the inviolable code of Butt-in-Chair?” For all of our consolation, I’d like to suggest that there’s more to writing than writing. That’s right, and you already know it. For every page that gets typed, how much thinking, imagining, and … Read More »

Some time ago, I wrote a blog on unlikable protagonists, and one of my colleagues (you know who you are!) commented that the way we see a protagonist can be mediated by the narrator. That idea is so full of interesting possibilities for an author that it deserves a blog all to itself. So, here are a few ideas to add to your literary arsenal about who is going to tell your tale. To See or Not to See The … Read More »

You (hotly): You’re kidding, right? Of course my novel has a plot! Me: It probably does, because that’s the kind of tightly-put-together story we prefer nowadays. But some novels really/almost/actually don’t. They’re episodic, quest-like. And that’s OK, if you intend them to be that way. Just don’t let it happen by accident, as I once almost did. Perhaps a little reflection up front can stave off some panicked rewrites later. The Classic Quest The great English classic Pilgrim’s Progress is … Read More »

Not many things in real life are more annoying than a slow leak of the faucet. That plop-plop-plop from the bathroom is guaranteed to drive a writer (who’s probably hoping for a distraction anyway) craaazy. But in your writing, those slow leaks can be an effective way to build tension and lead the reader along clue by clue to a surprise ending. This is supremely important with mysteries and thrillers, but any book with any tension is going to have … Read More »

Whether you’re an indie author or shopping your work to agents, there’s no better investment you can make in your manuscript than to spring for professional editing. I don’t mean a do-it-yourself program that hunts out verb and subject agreement. I mean real, live editors—people who have spent their careers reading books, especially in your genre, and who know the English language cold, including all the slippery areas that change from generation to generation. Who can bring a fresh and … Read More »

One of the most important aspects of any novel that aspires to literary quality is the depth of the characterizations. Unless the book is completely plot driven (is there any such book?), it’s through the characters that readers will be able to identify with and be drawn into your story and your world.  This becomes a particularly acute issue in historical fiction, where strange names, customs, and world views may make identification just a little bit harder for many people. … Read More »