First Draft in 30 Days


Book Description

Flexible and customizable, this revolutionary system can be modified to fit any writer's approach and style.




Book in a Month


Book Description

What Can You Accomplish in 30 Days? If you make time to write and put away all of your excuses, could you stay on track and finish your novel in only a month? With a structured plan and a focused goal, yes, you can! Using a combination of flexible weekly schedules, focused instruction, and detailed worksheets, author Victoria Schmidt leads you through a proven 30-day novel-writing system without the intimidation factor. Book in a Month shows you how to: • Set realistic goals and monitor your progress • Manage your time so that your writing life has room to flourish • Select a story topic that will continue to inspire you throughout the writing process • Quickly outline your entire story so that you have a clear idea of how your plot and characters are going to develop before you start writing • Draft each act of your story by focusing on specific turning points • Keep track of the areas you want to revise without losing your momentum in the middle of your story • Relax and have fun–you are, after all, doing something you love So what are you waiting for? If you've been putting off your book project, let Book in a Month be your guide and find out just how much you can accomplish.




From First Draft To Finished Novel


Book Description

Build a fully developed, multi-layered story from the ground up! Writing a story is not that much different than building a house. Both require some brainstorming (to provide a clear vision), a blueprint or outline (to lay a solid foundation upon which that vision can be built), building or drafting (to make the vision a reality), and decorating or revising (to polish the masterpiece and make it presentable to the public). In From First Draft to Finished Novel, novelist Karen S. Wiesner carefully explores each of these stages, showing you how to: Create a quick outline to help organize and expand your original idea Develop a detailed Story Plan Checklist to solidify your story's details Combine and effectively use tools like your outline and story checklist to weave together a cohesive draft Put together a strong query letter and submission package This book also features exclusive worksheets, checklists, and detailed examples designed to help you: Improve your outlining techniques through the use of character, plot, and setting sketches Write a strong Story Plan Checklist that ensures your characters evolve and your plot progresses Develop your editing skills using revision and "punch" checklists Whether you're working on a new story or a project in development, From First Draft to Finished Novel is your blueprint to a story readers won't be able to resist.




No Plot? No Problem!


Book Description

Chris Baty, motivator extraordinaire and instigator of a wildly successful writing revolution, spells out the secrets of writing—and finishing—a novel. Every fall, thousands of people sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which Baty founded, determined to (a) write that novel or (b) finish that novel in—kid you not—30 days. Now Baty puts pen to paper himself to share the secrets of success. With week-specific overviews, pep "talks," and essential survival tips for today's word warriors, this results-oriented, quick-fix strategy is perfect for people who want to nurture their inner artist and then hit print! Anecdotes and success stories from NaNoWriMo winners will inspire writers from the heralding you-can-do-it trumpet blasts of day one to the champagne toasts of day thirty. Whether it's a resource for those taking part in the official NaNo WriMo event, or a stand-alone handbook for writing to come, No Plot? No Problem! is the ultimate guide for would-be writers (or those with writer's block) to cultivate their creative selves.




Final Cut


Book Description

'Creepy and packed with suspense and menace, it draws the reader into a community that has more than its fair share of skeletons to hide.' Daily Mail The phenomenal new thriller from the multi-million-copy bestselling author. __________ Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to ordinary people. It used to be a buzzing seaside destination. But now, ravaged by the effects of dwindling tourism and economic downturn, it's a ghost town - and the perfect place for film-maker Alex to shoot her new documentary. But the community is deeply suspicious of her intentions. After all, nothing exciting ever happens in Blackwood Bay - or does it? Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to an extraordinary secret. __________ READERS ARE GRIPPED BY FINAL CUT 'Thrilling to the end, and will keep you guessing' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Full of twists, turns and great atmosphere' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'A brilliantly crafted thriller' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING 'Dark and twisty, and full of surprises and so smartly done' Joanna Cannon 'I loved that behind this disturbing and clever plot there's a genuinely heartrending story.' Emma Curtis 'The master storyteller S J Watson is back with another clever psychological thriller' Woman & Home 'An intriguing and unsettling new thriller' Fabulous 'Watson adroitly [brings] the strands of his story together to create a disturbing journey to a shocking truth' The Observer 'S J Watson has done it again. Even more compelling than Before I Go To Sleep' Lesley Kara




Novel Shortcuts


Book Description

Proven techniques for writing a high-quality first draft fast! Novel Shortcuts shows you how to quickly write a first draft that's also rich and engrossing. (It's really possible!) Through detailed instruction and valuable exercises, award-winning novelist Laura Whitcomb addresses everything from premise development to foreshadowing to tone and beyond. You'll uncover shortcut strategies and tools like: A four-step approach for crafting stronger scenes Plot-planning devices, including plot webs, timelines, and plot menus Guidelines for building your story around essential crosshair moments Comprehensive checklists featuring quick fixes to common story gaffes relating to plot, character, voice and style, setting, description, and more Plus, learn how to stay committed to and enthusiastic about your project as you develop it from a new idea to a complex and realistic story. Novel Shortcuts is your roadmap to a smooth and expedient writing process!




Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft: A Step-By-Step Guide to Revising Your Novel


Book Description

Get all three Fixing Your Revision Problems books in one omnibus This book contains Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems, Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems, and Fixing Your Setting & Description Problems--PLUS a BONUS workshop: How to Salvage Half-Finished Manuscripts. A strong story has many parts, and when one breaks down, the whole book can fail. Make sure your story is the best it can be to keep your readers hooked. Janice Hardy takes you step-by-step through the novel revision process, from character issues, to plot problems, to description issues. She'll show you how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix problems hurting your manuscript. With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft offers eleven self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you: Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story Create unpredictable plots that keep readers guessing Develop compelling hooks to build tension in every scene Determine the right way to include information without infodumping Fix awkward stage direction and unclear character actions Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft starts every workshop with an analysis and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. Learn how to: Develop a strong and effective revision plan Analyze your manuscript to find its strengths and weaknesses Spot common red flag words for problem areas (such as told prose) Determine the best way to revise a scene, plot, character, or novel Fix problems holding your novel back Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft is an easy-to-follow guide to revising your manuscript and crafting a strong finished draft that will keep readers hooked.




Welcome to the Writer's Life


Book Description

Learn how to take your work to the next level with this informative guide on the craft, business, and lifestyle of writing With warmth and humor, Paulette Perhach welcomes you into the writer’s life as someone who has once been on the outside looking in. Like a freshman orientation for writers, this book includes an in-depth exploration of all the elements of being a writer—from your writing practice to your reading practice, from your writing craft to the all-important and often-overlooked business of writing. In Welcome to the Writer’s Life, you will learn how to tap into the powers of crowdsourcing and social media to grow your writing career. Perhach also unpacks the latest research on success, gamification, and lifestyle design, demonstrating how you can use these findings to further improve your writing projects. Complete with exercises, tools, checklists, infographics, and behind-the-scenes tips from working writers of all types, this book offers everything you need to jump-start a successful writing life.




The Savior's Champion


Book Description

Hoping to save his family, one man enters his realm's most glorious tournament and finds himself in the middle of a political chess game, unthinkable bloodshed, and an unexpected romance with a woman he's not supposed to want.




How to Be Ferociously Happy


Book Description

When you were born you took deep breaths right away. You proceeded to accomplish truly complicated things: you learned to talk and walk and write. Language is complex and daunting and you did it. You already come equipped to be good at many things. The ability to pick them up is part of your original composition. Trust that.