Novel Hooks

Strong Titles Sell Novels and Books
I’ve been thinking a lot about titles for novels, or really any book, trying to give them stronger hooks.
Titles are essentially sales tools: for you to sell to the publisher and for the publisher to sell to the public. After you have several books out and start to build a [...]

After the First Draft

I have a new Ebook available for free download.
After the First Draft
After the First Draft: 30 Fast, Easy Writing Tips to Help with the Second Draft is a reworking of the series of blog posts, 30 Days to a Stronger Novel. This version collects everything in one place and provides an easy reference.

A Washington Voice Retreat

Western Washington SCBWI Retreat: Voice
The retreat was great. There were about 40-45 people there and they were split into two groups. Group A came to me, while Group B went to Patti Gauch, then we swapped for the same presentation again. I sorta knew how Patti would approach voice (and I might have done many [...]

3 NaNoWriMo Tips to Make Revision Easier

NaNoWriMo is in full swing! That means over 50,000 writers are slugging out 50,000 words, working on the first draft of a novel, in the 30 days of November. But I’m thinking ahead to December when that first rough draft needs revision. Here are 3 things to keep in mind as you’re writing [...]

Writing AND Revising Your Novel

Writing and revising a novel is such a big job! It helps to break it into stages.
Writing AND Revising Your Novel
Nanowrimo is catching the excitement of more and more writers as they try to dash off 50,000 words during the busy, busy month of November. Getting the first draft down on paper is a very, [...]

Surprise Yourself in the First Draft

I’m working on the first draft of a novel and I’m about 2/3 of the way through the plot, when something interesting happened.
Embrace Exploration
I’m at a point where the E, the main character, is house bound for a couple days and suddenly M, his friend, becomes the legs of the story, the only character who [...]

An Apt Phrase

When I’m writing or revising a novel, one of the fun games I like to play is the search for an apt phrase.
An Apt Phrase

Lately, I’ve been listening to recorded books of Rex Stout’s classic detective series about Nero Wolfe, the overweight, orchid enthusiast. His sidekick, Archie Goodwin, tells the story and does all the [...]