Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Latest Episodes:

Episode 229 - Juice up the setting. Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Every element of our story should add interest, including the settings. What if--because of the plot or characters--we must place a scene in an otherwise dull place? We can juice it up. We can make it lively and fascinating. Here is how the masters do it.

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 228 - Avoiding dullness in our story. Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Every element in our story should contribute to entertaining the reader including our settings. We can replace our dull settings with fascinating locations, and here's how to do it. Also: what's wrong with this sentence? Running along the street, the purse bounced against her leg. It's a funny dangling modifier. Funny if it doesn't appear in our story. Here are thoughts on dangling modifiers, and how to avoid them. Plus, the rule of exceptions.

Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes. The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars. If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 227 - Becoming a close observer. Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

Almost all successful fiction writers are close observers. We can teach ourselves to be close observers, and use those observations in our characters and settings. And here are examples of close observations from the masters, those small details that bring their stories to vivid life.

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 226 - Ways to make our sentences shine. Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Novels that endure not only have bold plots but are also beautifully written. Here are techniques on how to make our sentences shine. Also: should we write our first chapter first and our last chapter last (as does John Grisham) or should we write the chapters and scenes out of order (as did Margaret Mitchell)?

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 225 - Leave it all on the field. Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Cliches can offer solid advice. Pedal to the metal. Go big or go home. Leave it all on the field. We should swing for the fences with a bold plot. Also: a setting can be more than facts about the landscape. The masters add compelling moods to their stories with their settings.

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 224 - Using all the senses to describe our character. Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Some of us may describe our characters using only the sense of sight: what the reader sees when imagining the character. But we can also use sound, smell, taste, and texture to make our characters more memorable. Here are thoughts on how to do so. Also, Janet Burroway on the critical difference between a scene and a summary. And how Francine Prose reads fiction to learn the writing craft.

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 223 - Readers can fall in love with our settings. Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

I talk about ways we can make our settings--the time and place of our story--irresistible to readers. They'll want to live there. Plus: we can use our global search function to almost instantly make our sentences more forceful. And: novelist Elizabeth George's plotting technique she calls the plot kernel.

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 222 - Small techniques can add up to forceful sentences. Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

Here are pocket-sized techniques that can result in strong sentences; small--even tiny--things we can add to our prose writing arsenal. Also, Elizabeth George on her use of two outlines: the step outline and the running plot outline. And we can make our dialogue stronger by avoiding "Yes" and "No."

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 221 - Writing that is more intense than real life. Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

For readers, fiction offers escape from their real lives. How can we make our writing intense, and so lift our scenes above real life? Details are a key, and here are ideas on the use of odd and memorable details to make our prose vivid. Also, here's a good way to practice: write one perfect sentence. And, what made you want to write?

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Episode 220 - Cut to the chase. Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

The phrase "cut to the chase" originated in the film industry. When shooting and editing a movie, if things are getting dull cut to a chase scene. Cut to the chase applies to our novels and short stories, too. Here are ways we writers can make our stories stronger and our sentences more forceful by cutting to the chase. Also, a suggestion on naming characters.

Support the show

Buy the master class.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected