Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Latest Episodes:

Episode 89 - Avoiding the biggest mistakes before we begin to write. Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

Here are thoughts on how to avoid early mistakes in our writing, those blunders we might make before we write the first sentence of our story. Also, a couple of wonderful quotation about writing. And: new technology tools to help us writers.

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Episode 88 - Writing the fight scene. Nov 24, 2023

Show notes

Action is the most interesting element in most novels, and a fight is action. Here are some techniques for writing a fight scene. Also, here's an almost sure-fire way to prime the pump of our plotting, a way to invent more plot for our story. And: thoughts about naming our characters.

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Episode 87 - How to write a fabulous first sentence. Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

The first sentence of our story should suggest to the reader, "Come on in and listen." A good first sentence propels the reader into the story, and here are some ways to write them. Also: Stephen King's twenty important techniques for writing.

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Episode 86 - The importance of a tie-up later list. Also: sequels. Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

Why should we keep a tie-up later list? How to create one and their importance are mentioned. And Angelou, King, and Tolstoy. Also: should we plan a sequel?

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Episode 85 - Dialogue's three most important techniques. Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Listening to characters speak is a great pleasure for readers. It's as if the reader is a character in the scene, listening in, eavesdropping. Here are the three most important dialogue writing techniques I can think of. Also; how can we make our third-person narrator as intimate with the reader as a first-person narrator? Some thoughts are offered on how to get the reader close to the third-person character. And: Mark Twain's daily writing habits.

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Episode 84 - Why we should create a funny character, and how to do so. Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

Humorous characters are fun to read about and fun to write about. Here are some thoughts on why funny characters are important in our stories, and some techniques for creating funny characters. Also: Charles Dickens' daily work schedule.

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Episode 83 - How to show our character's thoughts to avoid interior monologue. Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

Here are ways to show with action and dialogue what our character is thinking so we can avoid visiting the character's mind for interior monologue, usually the least interesting element of a story. And we visit Somerset Maugham, Truman Capote, and Herman Melville.

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Episode 82 - Finding the courage to write, and describing our first-person hero. Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Do we need courage to write our first novel? If so, where do we find it? Also, writing the physical description of our hero in a first-person novel can be tricky. Here are thoughts on how we might do so.

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Episode 81 - The top ten fiction writing techniques. Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

Here's a list of the most important techniques we should think about when plotting and writing our novel or short story. Also, more on making our settings work for our story. And, how we can show rather than tell about love.

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Episode 80 - Maybe we are writing magic, and strong versus weak words. Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Did soon-to-be famous writers know as they drafted their novels that they were creating magic for readers? Maybe. Maybe not. And how can we choose the strong word instead the the weak, so that our sentence shines? Also, here are thoughts on how long our chapters should be, and how to make sure they are not too long and not too short.

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