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Stop! Before you send out that picture book manuscript, cut it by at least one-third. Really. Make that revision. Biggest Mistake in Picture Book Manuscripts I recently read a picture book manuscript from a novice writer and it had the usual problem: too long.
When you revise your novel or story do you look at what you wrote before or start totally from scratch? Revise Previous Text Usually, I’ll work with the text that I already have written. The idea here is that I’m close, but it isn’t quite there yet. In this case, I’m refining the text and [...]
Are there untouchable topics in literature? No, of course, not. But there are topics that are difficult to do well, or it feels like you are preaching. You know the ones: alcoholism, abortion, medical ethics, underage drinking, etc. These are hard to put into a story or novel and have it work. Dealing with Flash [...]
Ever wonder if you’re good at characterization in your novel or story? A good way to evaluate your skill in characterization is the Page 5 Test. Page 5 Test: Are you Good at Characterization? Read the first five pages of your manuscript. Turn over page 5 and on the back,
In two or three years, will we see lots of books with characters named Isabella and Jacob? It’s likely. Obama’s and Twilight’s Names are Popular: Barack and Malia The Social Security Administration tracks the most popular names and says that the changes this year bring Isabella and Jacob to the top. However, President Obama’s family [...]
I’m at a place where I’m looking for a new novel idea. (Yes, I’m still looking around for a new idea. I’m slow this time, but I think I’ve found an event that is fascinating. Reading background material now.) One strategy I’m using to find ideas is to re-read old novels from my file drawers. [...]
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 [...]
Finding the Best Way to Tell a Story First drafts are for finding out what story you are telling. Second and subsequent drafts are for finding the best way to tell that story. I finished a second draft yesterday and someone asked what I concentrated on in that draft. Basically, refining the story and exploring [...]
My Plotting is Messy This week, we’ve discusses 9 ways to plot. So, how do I plot? Basic story line. Two of these are probably worthless for me:
Plotting Software I’ve been looking around at plotting software and not finding much. There are a couple interesting programs, though. Ywriter This superb program
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