120: Novel Writing FAQs
120: Novel Writing FAQs
October 12, 2018
The Process of Novel Writing: Planning
Before plotting, comes planning the premise. The premise is the idea that will make this particular novel different and is the kernel from which the plot grows.
Beyond Show Don’t Tell
You want readers to laugh, cry, and get angry alongside the protagonist. Readers who are invested in the characters keep turning pages. Enter show, don’t tell.
Novel Writing FAQ
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many children’s writers, the concept of attempting a novel is daunting at best and filled with questions. So for the sake of those looking toward this exciting writing option, let’s answer…
Achieving Deep POV
The goal of deep POV is to give the reader a chance to be inside your character’s head. Discover ways to achieve deep point of view in your next story.
Break Free from Pretending
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Fake it ’til you make it. How many of us have heard that advice? Sometimes it’s a good thought. It doesn’t hurt to step out boldly sometimes, even when you’re not 100%…
Strunk & White: The Elements of Style
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog Virtually everyone calls it a “classic”—and with good reason Ask anyone for recommendations about books on writing and invariably someone will pipe up with, “Strunk & White—The Elements of Style!” Having somehow managed to arrive squarely in the middle…
Stephen King: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft | IFW
Stephen King’s ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT isn’t just a book about writing; it’s also a memoir, making it a must-read for all writers. Let’s find out why!
Reconnecting with a Work in Progress
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the problems with writing is that it’s fairly difficult to complete a project in one sitting. It can sometimes be a bit easier with a picture book where the rough…
Carroll Dale Short: A Writers Tool Kit-Institute for Writers
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A concise book of tips to improve your writing. What more do you need? Many years ago, in a city far, far away (okay, it was Hartford, Connecticut, if you insist on destroying the magic), I had the…
Query Writing 101
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When you’re ready to submit your novel to an editor or an agent, you start off by sending a one-page letter called a query. The purpose of the query is to make the editor or the agent request…
Show Up To Learn
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In-Person Learning For most writers, conferences and in-person workshops are gifts we give ourselves. Often these options aren’t cheap, but they let us get out of our homes and mix with other…
Finding a Writing Course That’s Right For You | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When you’re looking for further instruction on writing, you can take college classes, but that gets expensive and they’re held at specific hours that may be inconvenient. You can also learn a lot by going to a conference…
Reading: Osmosis Education
Love of story isn’t the only reason successful writers are readers. Reading is one of the best writing teachers because it teaches us without us even noticing.
10 Things That Make Editors Cringe
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Everybody knows to use spellcheck or Grammarly when going over their writing. However, the following mistakes aren’t generally caught by these two programs. And if you want to stop an editor’s eyes from rolling to the back of…
Behind the Curtain
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Whenever you get a chance to watch a really good magician, it’s easy to get caught up in the wonder of what they’re doing. But if you’re an adult, and driven by…
Okay, I’ve Finished My Revision. Now What ? | IFW
Once you’ve finished your last big revision, what do you do now? You bask in the glow of a job well done. Then you get back to work. Your next steps are here.
Revision: Revising By the Bones
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers love outlines. They outline everything they write and feel it gives the story order and direction. Some hate outlines and feel that an outline makes a story rigid and lifeless.…
Writer Reason Vs. Story Reason
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Generally the things we put into our work have strong writer reasons for being there. The main character has a sidekick to give him someone to talk to so the scenes have…
Who’s Ready to Do Some Literary Gardening ? | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Taking the Pruning Shears to Your Manuscript to Lose the Verbiage* Sometimes, in the process of revising, you realize your manuscript is just too darn long. That’s when you have to get creative about trimming it. Really creative.…
