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This is part of a series, 30 Days to A Stronger Novel The take-away, or the theme of a story, seems like a mysterious thing sometimes. I usually don’t worry much about this in the first draft of a novel, but it’s good to consciously address it in a revision. Unfortunately, the problem with theme [...]
Tie up Loose Ends This is part of a series, 30 Days to A Stronger Novel I just finished reading a fantasy novel that left half of the subplots hanging. Yes, yes, I know. They are setting up for a second book. But it’s aggravating. Look over your novel once more. Are there any subplots [...]
This is part of a series, 30 Days to A Stronger Novel. These are tips suggested by readers. Please add your own tips and help others write better, smarter. Janni Simner Since I’m in the early stages of working on the current novel, I’ve been thinking/blogging about early stage issues. One thing I do that [...]
This is part of a series, 30 Days to A Stronger Novel Please–suggest your own quick tip for a stronger novel. You’ve written a wonderful novel. The reader has stayed up late to finish it and they turn the page for the climax scene and read, “The next morning, after it was all over, Jeremiah [...]
Plot Epiphanies: Angel Moments in Your Novel This is part of a series, 30 Days to A Stronger Novel Let’s help each other writer better, smarter. Suggest your own quick tip for a stronger novel. What Not to Do “As the light faded, Abigail smiled at the words from the angel. Suddenly, she realized that she [...]
Power Abs: Fixing the Sagging Middle of Your Novel This is part of a series, 30 Days to A Stronger Novel One of the hardest things about plot is to keep the middle from sagging. The opening is full of action, and the ending brings all the plot elements together into a big scene. But [...]
Time Away from a Novel Can Give you Perspective One of the most important things I do to improve my novel is to take a break sometimes. That’s what I’m doing this weekend. I’m attending a quilting workshop and playing with color instead of with words. Our teacher for the weekend is Mary Lou Weideman. [...]
Scene Cuts Help Quicken Your Novel’s Pace Readers today like fast-paced novels. Yet, too fast a pace confuses the reader. When you revise your novel, you can solve this by paying attention to transitions. Where are we? The most important thing to do in a transition from one scene to the next is to re-orient [...]
Begin at the Beginning Where to begin your novel, that is the question? When you write the first draft, you should jump in and get started. But when you revise your novel, you have a better chance of making the right choice. Connect the beginning and the end. Make sure the beginning sets up the [...]
Character Description Can Reveal Inner and Outer Characteristics I think that Sol Stein’s book, Stein on Writing , has one of the best sections on character descriptions. If you read his book, Stein–like every other fiction teacher–mentions five ways to characterize (physical attributes, clothing, psychological mannerisms, actions, dialogue). But consider this description from his book: “She [...]
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