Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Latest Episodes:

Episode 199 - Writing a scene with many people and lots of motion. Jan 09, 2026

Show notes

Sometimes in our story we'll have a scene filled with people where everyone is moving all at once, such as a battle scene or mob scene or festival scene or street scene. Here are techniques on crafting the scene so there's no confusion so readers can focus on the hero. Also, what is the rule of exceptions? And, can something bad happening to us make us better writers?

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Episode 198 - A big way to make our dialogue riveting. Jan 02, 2026

Show notes

Readers love dialogue, the chance to eavesdrop on the characters. Here is a good way to make that dialogue really worth listening to. Also, here are techniques that can tie our scenes together, which Jack Bickham calls transitions and sequels. In a story, what is a transition and what is a sequel?

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Episode 197 - That odd little thing for our character. Dec 26, 2025

Show notes

How can we make our character memorable for the reader? How can we make the character leap off the page and stay in the reader's memory? Here's how Sherwood Anderson did it. And here are also character descriptions from another master, William Faulkner, showing us how to create big and bold characters.

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Episode 196 - Importance of the character arc. Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

Readers want a character who can grow and change over the course of the story. Here is a discussion of the character arc: how we can use the arc to develop our character and the plot, giving the reader the big reward at the end of the story of a character who has met the moment with change. Plus, here is how we can show (rather than tell) about a character's thoughts such as confusion and dread.

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Episode 195 - The adopt a dog technique. Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

One of the best ways to have readers like our story is to have readers like--maybe even love--our main character. But we usually don't want our protagonist to be a Pollyanna, always sweet and understanding. Rather we want to create a fully-formed character--maybe with some weird or off-putting angles, maybe some flaws and shortcomings--to make the character interesting and believable. Here's a technique to make sure readers will root for our main character even if the character isn't usually endearing. Also, here is how a master writer describes her settings.

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Episode 194 - How to invent a strong plot. Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

We want to write but we don't have our story fully figured out. What can we do? Here are thoughts on inventing plot, things we can do to shake loose the plot from our brains. Also, the techniques of a master of character description: Margaret Mitchell.

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Episode 193 - Plotting: go big or go home. Nov 28, 2025

Show notes

Fiction's job is to entertain. A main way to entertain is to be bold with our plot. Here are thoughts on how to avoid the dull in our plot and how to create a story that keeps readers turning the pages. Also, how to invent strong metaphors and similes. And avoiding overly-precious, self-conscious writing.

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Episode 192 - Plotting: the importance of conflict, crisis, resolution. Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

In fiction in all genres only trouble is interesting. How do we writers use trouble in our story? Here are thoughts on how we can plot using conflict, crisis, and resolution, a technique important for all genres. Also, should we use beta readers? And the add-a-quirk technique.

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Episode 191 - Do we know enough to write the first sentence? Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

When do we know enough writing techniques to start our novel? And when is the story ready to be written? I'll try to answer both questions. Also, how do great writers describe a character's appearance in ways that reveal the character's past and personality? Here's how masterful writers do it.

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Episode 190 - The right way to leave red herrings. Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

Red herrings--false clues--are used in most all stories in all genres. Here are the right and wrong ways to insert red herrings into our stories. Also, here's how we can show--reveal--much about a character by describing a setting.

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