Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Latest Episodes:

Episode 59 - Plotting with a spreadsheet. And the unreliable narrator. Also, fiddling with the flow of time. May 05, 2023

Show notes

Can we use a spreadsheet to plot our novels? Some authors do. Here are thoughts about using Excel for outlining a story. Also, most main characters in a novel tell the truth to the reader. But some don't. Sometimes an unreliable narrator is a strong tool for plotting. Plus, should authors fiddle with the speed of time in our novels? Hurrying time and skipping time? Here are some techniques regarding the flow of time in our stories.

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Episode 58 - Making writing less daunting, and some techniques to avoid weak sentences. Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

How can we handle the dispiriting feeling that writing our novel is a huge, endless, and hard chore with completion far in the future, if ever? Here are some thoughts about facing our big writing project. Also mentioned are some sentence-by-sentence writing mistakes that are easy to avoid. And this episode presents some specific words we can delete from our manuscript, and our story will magically be better.

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Episode 57 - An important tool, the timeline. Also, authorial distance. Apr 23, 2023

Show notes

Creating a timeline can help us keep things straight as we plot and write. Also, here's a discussion of authorial distance, which is the closeness or distance the reader feels from the scene's subjects. And a list of ways to avoid sentence-by-sentence weak writing.

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Episode 56 - How many characters are too many? And he wore his guilt like a harness. Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

For each scene, the perfect number of characters exists. We'll talk about that number. Too few, and we don't have a scene. Too many, and the scene is like a subway at rush hour. Also, here are some techniques regarding metaphors and similes, a skill that can make our writing more lyrical and engaging. Please note: I will be out of the office next week, and so won't upload a new episode next Friday, but will return for a new episode the following Friday.

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Episode 55 - How many words should we write a day? And the use of contrast. Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

How many words a day? Too fast, and our story might be sloppy. Too slow, and we'll never finish. Here are some thoughts about our pace of writing. And also; contrast is a critical tool for us writers. How can we use it?

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Episode 54 - Fear of failure, author photos, and the use of humor. Mar 31, 2023

Show notes

Here are thoughts on how we might handle doubts about our writing abilities, the fear of failure. Plus, more tips on facing the camera. And: humor is a wonderful tool for writers. Add some laughs to our stories.

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Episode 53 - Embarrassing stuff, and the middle of the novel. Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

We shouldn't write about embarrassing stuff, and here's a list. Also, here are techniques to rev up the middle of the novel, often the hardest part to write.

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Episode 52 - Making our sentences more lively, and avoiding reader disbelief. Mar 17, 2023

Show notes

Here's a strong way to make our sentences pop, to make our writing lively and energetic. Also: how to keep the reader engaged by reducing disbelief and so making our story more real.

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Episode 51 - The wonder factor. Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

Let's apply the wonder factor to our stories, giving readers elements that will make them shake their heads and smile, and so remember our writing. And here also are techniques to avoid inertia in our writing.

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Episode 50 - The right kind of surprise ending, and wonderful character descriptions. Mar 03, 2023

Show notes

The ending of our novel should be a surprise but not a complete surprise. Here are techniques for crafting that balance. And famous character descriptions can inspire us to create our own fascinating character portraits.

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