AR Teen Book Award, Gr.10-12, Opening Lines

I hail from Arkansas and until now, we’ve been known for the Clinton Presidential Library, the US’s only diamond mine (Crater of Diamonds State Park), and the headquarters of Wal-Mart. But this year we’ll be known for the Arkansas Teen Book Award, established by Arkansas Librarians. (Facebook page.) The reading list was announced in December, [...]

AR Teen Book Award, Gr.7-9, Opening Lines

I hail from Arkansas and until now, we’ve been known for the Clinton Presidential Library, the US’s only diamond mine (Crater of Diamonds State Park), and the headquarters of Wal-Mart. But this year we’ll be known for the Arkansas Teen Book Award, established by Arkansas Librarians. (Facebook page.) The reading list was announced in December, [...]

Opening Lines

12 Ways to Start a Novel
First lines. We all obsess over our novel’s first lines, and rightly so, because from it the rest of the story must flow naturally and without a pause. Here are 10 strategies to use on first lines for your novel. I’ve illustrated them with the “100 Best Lines from Novels,” [...]

Combine 2 Plots?

What to Write Next?
I’ve just wrapped up a few novel project, or else they are cooling down. It’s time to swim around and hope that I find some interesting bait and get hooked on the next novel. In fact, I’m eyeing two bits of bait right now and trying to decide if either will do. [...]

The Dog, the Chicken and the Boxer Shorts: Real Events Inspire Novel Events

Stealing from Life: You Can’t Make this Up
I was talking to my friend, LFP, and he told me about a funny thing that happened on the way to work.
It started with a retriever. LFP reads electric meters in a rural area, driving a company truck from house to deer camp to trailer to house. Yesterday, [...]

5 Plotting Mistakes

This entry is part 4 of 8 in the series Build a Stronger PlotDo you make these 5 plotting mistakes?

Are you too nice to your characters?
Low tension. Give characters large, overwhelming obstacles to overcome. Of course, you love this dear fellow you created and like any good parent, you want only

Top Posts of 2009

I’ve taken a look at my statistics and here’s the top posts on Fiction Notes for 2009, in order of popularity. Five of these are the first page of a series of posts on a certain topic. The other five are individual posts.

Novel Writing. 30 Days to a Stronger Novel. 30 one-minute creative writing tips [...]

working methods

Find a Working Method that Works for You
My current WIP novel is at a curious stage. I’ve finished two drafts and now have feedback from two readers. I collated all the critiques onto one printout and have made even more notes on these pages.
So, the creative writing problem has been how to proceed from here.

after the holidays

Picking up the threads of a story is difficult after a holiday. Here’s four suggestions for making it easier:
Read. Read through a couple

Revise Second Draft

UnBlinded: Revising the Second Draft
419 Specific Comments
I’ve just gotten back two critiques on the second draft of my WIP novel. 419 specific comments. I’m excited.

Larger concerns. Each critique was accompanied by a letter with larger concerns. Both are still concerned that the characterization needs work. One would like a stronger opening and one thinks a [...]