Saddle up the bronco, batten the hatches, take cover, and grab some popcorn. It’s climax time. Near the end of a novel, your characters will confront their biggest obstacles, all the simmering plots and subplots will come to a head, and oh, yes, it helps if the climax comprises your best, most dramatic, and most […]
How to Write a Novel
How did you choose your novel’s structure?
We all know some writers are planners and some writers are pantsers, but when it comes to structuring a novel, there are vastly more choices than the simple question of how you get it done. Multiple POVs. Different time periods. Nonlinear mysteries. There are so many different ways to piece it all together. How did […]
What I’ve learned from the sales of my guide
One of the best parts about self-publishing is getting nearly real-time data on how and where your book is selling. I’m not one of those writers who feels comfortable posting my exact sales and royalty figures online, but I’m seriously thrilled with how How to Write a Novel is doing and thanks to everyone who has […]
Sometimes the boring idea is best
When people set off to write a novel, they often feel as if they need to break every single mold and come up with something no one else has thought of before. And then, when writing the novel, writers sometimes feel pressure to get their characters from Point A to Point B in the most! […]
How Do You Get Going on a New Project?
I’m in the process of starting a new project, which is very exciting. Only I realized the other day that it’s the first time in five years since I’m starting something new. And I’m a little psyched out. I started writing the Jacob Wonderbar series in 2008. Ever since then I’ve written three Jacob Wonderbar […]
Self-publishing was way easier than I thought it would be
It’s been about a month and a half since I self-published How to Write a Novel: 47 Rules for Writing a Stupendously Awesome Novel That You Will Love Forever. Both the e-book and print editions are out, the reviews are coming in, and so far I’ve sold more than 1,500 copies. In the past month the […]
