Word magic.
Frustrated? When you’re writing fiction, frustration is a given: you’ll often become annoyed. Please expect that. Every project is different, regardless of what you’re writing. Last week, an author told me she was ready to give up. She’d started a series, and although the first book sold well, the second wasn’t moving at all. Moreover, the third novel was a … Read more
Confused about plotting? A reader said that she’s giving up on her current novel because “her characters won’t behave.” She doesn’t like them, nor does she believe in them. Here’s a secret. Misbehaving characters can be a GOOD thing. Usually, it happens when you’re trying to make a character do something he can’t naturally do. It’s wonderful: it means that … Read more
Today, self-publishing is big business. With many millions of books available, how do you write fiction that stands out? It can be a struggle. Not only do authors compete with other self-publishers, they also compete with: Traditional publishers. Literary agents. Amazon’s powerful imprints. Traditional publishers are relaunching authors’ backlists. Literary agents survey the battlefield, ready to pounce on new authors … Read more
You’re writing fiction, but you’re a new author, and you’re disappointed with your results. Two strategies will help: Developing suspense: it’s essential, in the age of TikTok. Control: write in scenes, and edit. New authors tend to overwhelm their plot with backstory; that is, everything that happened before the story starts. Readers don’t care about that. They want entertainment. As … Read more
Struggling with self-publishing your fiction? Self-publishing is wonderful for authors. You don’t need literary agents, acquisitions editors, et al. But… Many thousands of new novels are published each and every week. Each novel has a hopeful author, who’s struggling to win readers. Stop struggling. Build a relationship with your readers, instead. Self-publishing: build a relationship with your readers How do … Read more