Over 100 different exercises lead you through the novel-planning process, building upon each other to flesh out your idea as much or as little as you need to do to start writing. Find Exercises On: - Creating Characters - Choosing Point of View - Determining the Conflict - Finding Your Process - Developing Your Plot - And So Much More! Planning Your Novel: Ideas and Structure is an easy-to-follow guide to planning your novel, as well as a handy tool for revising a first draft, or fixing a novel that isn’t quite working.

    The Marshall Plan technique is the industry’s #1 go-to novel-writing method for anyone who wants to write a commercial novel—fast.In this unique guide, agent, editor and novelist Evan Marshall provides an easy-to-follow plan which simplifies the complex process of designing and writing successful commercial fiction. Now revised, this book includes these topics: Choosing the perfect genre for you. Shaping your story idea . . . with Hollywood in mind. Developing strong main characters for your story. Word-length ranges for the most popular fiction genres and subgenres. NovelMaster, which takes the guesswork out of structuring your novel. How to interweave plots and subplots. How to lay out all of your novel’s scenes. Mastering the five fiction-writing modes. How to handle story research so it doesn’t slow you down. 50 easy-to-implement fiction-writing techniques from the pros. A complete manuscript self-editing guide. How to format your manuscript for submission. How to approach agents and editors. Developing a fiction proposal, including the long and short synopsis. Self-publishing your novel. REVIEWS OF THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING3.7 average rating, 440 ratings, 55 reviews, added by 954 people, 336 to-reads, 87% of people like it—Goodreads4.1 out of 5 stars (88 customer reviews)—Amazon“A down-to-earth approach to completing a novel.” —Boulder Planet“The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing is a master plan for aspiring novelists. Evan Marshall is brilliant.” —Bobbi Smith, New York Times bestselling author“A comprehensive manual to writing a novel for all writers—from the beginner to the more advanced looking for polishing tips. Savvy and concise.” —Bill Contardi, literary agent“Finally, a practical how-to manual for all aspiring authors, written with wit and wisdom. A delightful read!” —Maureen Walters, Vice President, Curtis Brown Literary Agency“An invaluable tool for the aspiring novelist. An upbeat, easy-to-follow guide that takes the mystery out of writing.” —Alicia Condon, Editorial Director: Fiction, Kensington Publishing“Evan Marshall has the scoop on making book—from beginning to end and everywhere in between.” —barnesandnoble.com ABOUT EVAN MARSHALL Evan Marshall is president of The Evan Marshall Agency, an independent literary agency which specializes in adult and young-adult fiction. He has held senior positions at Houghton Mifflin, Ariel Books, New American Library, Everest House and Dodd, Mead, where he acquired national and international bestsellers. The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing is now in its 4th edition. Evan is the author of 10 commercially published mysteries including Manhattan Mysteries and Jane and Winky Suburban Sleuths series, named “Miss Marple Lite” by Kirkus Reviews. His novels appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich, Lilian Jackson Braun, Agatha Christie and Alexander McCall Smith. To learn more about The Evan Marshall Agency, please visit www.evanmarshallagency.com. Visit his author page at www.evanmarshallbooks.com.

    Did you ever wish you could tell a story that leaves others spellbound? Storytelling teacher and champion Margot Leitman will show you how! With a fun, irreverent, and infographic approach, this guide breaks a story into concrete components with ways to improve content, structure, emotional impact, and delivery through personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical exercises.

    And your next, and your next... The technique I share within these pages is extremely easy to learn and do. You will be able to start using it now, today, and see immediate differences in your writing.It's also a fast read. I've condensed the book down to just a handful of pages, so you can read it all in less than an hour. I know what it's like to try and improve my writing by reading books on how to write. Too much time is lost wading through pages and pages of filler. And the more of these books that we read, the thicker our brains become, with too many details and steps and opinions. This book is different. Read it over lunch, and then go try it out. You'll see for yourself that it works.Here is a bit more about why Tell, Don't Show! is truly worth your time.First of all, the words will come much easier. I promise it. I've seen it transform the writing of many students and friends over the years, and before that, my own writing. The technique is so simple that you won't have any excuse for not using it the next time you sit down to write. It's a real pleasure to write this way. Forget about being a suffering writer. With this one little technique, you'll actually learn to love the process of writing.And do you ever wonder why you aren't writing so much? Do you think that if you could write faster, much faster, you'd want to write more? We're not talking about blindly banging away at the keys, but rather, quickly penning powerful stories and novels in a fraction of the time it takes you right now. That is, if you're even writing now. The truth is that when our writing is too slow and introspective, we lose momentum, and sooner or later, we finally stop. Don't do that. Write faster. The technique I'm sharing in this book will show you how to write faster and a lot more than you are now.Finally, by using this technique, you'll find your creativity expanding by the hour, by the day! It will free up your imagination to focus on the big picture, lifting you up and away from both micromanagement and nitpickiness, such common traps during first drafts. Your stories will grow richer and deeper, and you'll find yourself seeing your characters and settings more vividly. Subtext and subplots will rise up and beg for your attention. And this is just the beginning.You'll find all of the above and much more in Tell, Don't Show!

    For over half a century, the MLA Handbook is the guide millions of writers have relied on.The seventh edition is a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to research and writing in the online environment. It provides an authoritative update of MLA documentation style for use in student writing, including simplified guidelines for citing works published on the Web and new recommendations for citing several kinds of works, such as digital files and graphic narratives.Every copy of the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook comes with a code for accessing the accompanying Web site. New to this edition, the Web site provides- the full text of the print volume of the MLA Handbook- over two hundred additional examples- several research-project narratives--stories, with sample papers, that illustrate the steps successful students take in researching and writing papers- searching of the entire site, including the full text of the MLA Handbook- continuous access throughout the life of the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook

    Her exuberant, critically acclaimed teaching guide takes instructors, writers, and general readers into the very heart and intensity of life and the craft of expressing what one feels through the written word.

    In this new edition, author Theodore Cheney offers 39 targeted ways you can improve your writing, including how to:create smooth transitions between paragraphscorrect the invisible faults of inconsistency, incoherence, and imbalanceovercome problems of shifting point of view and styleexpress your ideas clearly by trimming away weak or extra wordsYou'll strengthen existing pieces and every future work by applying the three simple principles--reduce, rearrange, and reword. Once the secrets of revision are yours, you'll be able to follow Hemingway's lead--and get the words right!

    You’ve accumulated hardwon knowledge and mastered the solution to a difficult problem. Now you want to put it out into the world— and be recognized for your expertise, like those you’ve watched reap the benefits of a published book. You know you have to write it. You’ve heard it from people for years: you should really write a book. They’re right. It’s time for you to write the book that cements your legacy and impacts other people—and maybe even the world. So why haven’t you done it yet? The truth is, writing a book is scary. Is your idea good enough? How do you structure it, write it, and stay motivated? What if you actually finish it, and it’s bad? Worst of all: what if you publish it, and no one cares? If this sounds familiar, The Scribe Method will help you navigate these fears on your journey to becoming a published author. Guided by experts Tucker Max and Zach Obront, you’ll overcome the obstacles that have held you back with a simple, time-saving, effective method to writing a great book, and learn the step-by-step process that has created hundreds of bestselling titles.

    She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well.For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning graduate teaching prizes for her highly selective seminar at Syracuse, where she mentored such future hit authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas. In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and “black belt sinner,” providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre.Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers’ experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr’s own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told— and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or complicated history, whether writer or reader, will relate.Joining such classics as Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, The Art of Memoir is an elegant and accessible exploration of one of today’s most popular literary forms—a tour de force from an accomplished master pulling back the curtain on her craft.

    An imprisoned man receives an unexpected caller, after which "everything changed..."And the reader is hooked. But whether or not readers will stay on for the entire wild ride will depend on how well the writer structures the story, scene by scene.This book is your game plan for success. Using dozens of examples from his own work - including "Dropshot," "Tiebreaker" and other popular novels - Jack M. Bickham will guide you in building a sturdy framework for your novel, whatever its form or length. You'll learn how to: -"worry" your readers into following your story to the end -prolong your main character's struggle while moving the story ahead -juggle cause and effect to serve your story action As you work on crafting compelling scenes that move the reader, moment by moment, toward the story's resolution, you'll see why believable fiction must make more sense than real life. Every scene should end in disastersome scenes should be condensed, and others built big. Whatever your story, this book can help you arrive at a happy ending in the company of satisfied readers.

    The stimulating visuals laced throughout the book uniquely capture the essence of the literary imagination and provide salve for the writer's soul. Wood delves below the surface of a writer's life and illustrates her apt points with both pictures and words. She says, "Treat yourself! Buy an expensive pen, a box of colorful paperclips, a fine, handmade notebook or a leather bookmark." In other words, allow yourself a moment to luxuriate in your gift of words. She also reminds us of the need to be disciplined and to avoid being sidetracked by those little distractions -- for example, you might hold off on checking your email in the morning until you've written at least three pages. In relation to character development in fiction, the author points out that a good plot complication will either thwart or alter the character's desire. She reminds you to instill your characters with life. And, she offers an extremely useful tool -- using differently colored markers to highlight action, reflection, and dialogue in your prose. This ingenious technique will assist you in knowing when you are telling rather than showing and will allow you to create vivid action that will involve the reader in your characters and plot. All in all, Wood has authored an innovative, inspirational pocket muse that is produced in a handy carry-along size and is so unique it doesn't even require numbered pages. It is all about inspiration, digging deep, and keeping the faith as you spin out prose that will long be remembered. (Evie Rhodes)

    His 1990 National Book Award-winning novel Middle Passage is a modern classic, revered as much for its daring plot as its philosophical underpinnings. For thirty-three years, Johnson taught and mentored students in the art and craft of creative writing. The Way of the Writer is his record of those years, and the coda to a kaleidoscopic, boundary-shattering career. Organized into six accessible, easy-to-navigate sections, The Way of the Writer is both a literary reflection on the creative impulse and a utilitarian guide to the writing process. Johnson shares his lessons and exercises from the classroom, starting with word choice, sentence structure, and narrative voice, and delving into the mechanics of scene, dialogue, plot and storytelling before exploring the larger questions at stake for the serious writer. What separates literature from industrial fiction? What lies at the heart of the creative impulse? How does one navigate the literary world? And how are philosophy and fiction concomitant? Luminous, inspiring, and imminently accessible, The Way of the Writer is a revelatory glimpse into the mind of the writer and an essential guide for anyone with a story to tell.

    She remarks in the first chapter, "Save the blood and pain for real life, where tourniquets and ibuprofen can have some chance of helping. Do not be afraid to grab hold of the experience with both hands and take joy."Addressing topics all writers struggle with, Yolen discusses the writer's voice, beginnings and endings, dealing with rejection, the technical aspects of writing, and the process of coming up with an idea–and deals with each of them in a way that focuses on the positive and eliminates the negative.As Yolen says, "Be prepared as you write to be surprised by your own writing, surprised by what you find out about yourself and about your world. Be ready for the happy accident."Get ready to take joy in your writing once again.

    And that's why you should read The Miracle Morning for Writers: How to Build a Writing Ritual That Increases Your Impact and Income (Before 8AM). The Miracle Morning for Writers combines Hal Elrod's global phenomenon with Steve Scott's proven writing habit techniques (which helped him get on the Wall Street Journal bestsellers list). You learn how to take charge of your morning and maximize "the rest of the day" for your writing efforts. Here's what you'll discover in The Miracle Morning for Writers: How a morning routine can change every area of your life (Including your health, happiness, finances and relationships). The proven strategy for "finding the time" to write--even if you have a full-time job. Our method for selling lots of books (and the 8-step process to build it). Steve's favorite app for tracking your great ideas and researching your next book. Hal's process for overcoming the limiting beliefs that hold you back from success. "Flow state" and how it can forever eradicate writer's block. You will also learn: 4 business models perfect for writers, how to get started, and which one we recommend. The 10-step process for publishing a book that readers love. 6 tools for improving your writing skills. 2 techniques for doubling (even tripling) your daily word count total. How to find the "80/20" of your book-based business. The Miracle Morning for Writers is your key to building a writing habit that will increase both your income and the value you provide to the world. So take the next step in your writing journey by clicking the "Buy Now" button at the top of the page!

    How exactly is a plot put together? How do you know if your idea will support an entire novel? How do you grab reader attention and keep it? How do you create dynamic, multi-dimensional characters? What is viewpoint and do you handle it differently in urban fantasy than in traditional epics? What should you do if you're lost in the middle? How do you make your plot end up where you intend it to go?From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the handling of emotions, let award-winning fantasy author Deborah Chester guide you through the process of putting a book together. Convinced there's no need to shroud the writing process under a veil of mystery, Chester supplies tips that are both practical and proven. They are exactly what she uses in writing her own novels and what she teaches in her writing courses at the University of Oklahoma.Along with explaining story construction step-by-step, Chester illustrates each technique with examples drawn from both traditional and urban fantasy. The technique chapters include exercises to assist novices in mastering the craft of writing fantasy as well as suggestions for avoiding or solving plot problems. More experienced writers will find tips for taking their work to the next level.With an introduction by author Jim Butcher, The fantasy fiction formula provides the information you need to gain skill and proficiency in writing fantasy like a pro.