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How to Fix Your Novel

Author : Steve Alcorn

Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 23,68 MB

Release : 2012-03-04

Category : Authorship

ISBN : 9781470102616

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Book Description

Have you started a novel, only to get part way into the manuscript and find yourself stuck? Or do you have an idea for a novel, but aren't sure where to begin? Have you completed a first draft, but feel it doesn't quite have the luster of professional writing? In this lively and fun-to-read guide, Steve Alcorn shows you the remedies you need to achieve success. Step by step, you'll breathe life into old manuscripts, create new novels that read like bestsellers, and put the spark back into your writing life. Topics include: Story Structure Character Building Viewpoint Tense Voice Setting Conflict Suspense Mystery Dialogue Writing Big Beginnings and Endings Getting Published Whether you're a first time novelist still planning your story, or an experienced author looking for ways to bring your fiction to life, How to Fix Your Novel is the ideal prescription.



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

Author : Janice Hardy

Publisher : Fiction University Press

Page : 380 pages

File Size : 29,48 MB

Release : 2016-08-29

Category : Language Arts & Disciplines

ISBN : 9780991536450

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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.



Elements of Fiction Writing - Scene & Structure

Author : Jack Bickham

Publisher : Penguin

Page : 168 pages

File Size : 23,4 MB

Release : 1999-03-15

Category : Language Arts & Disciplines

ISBN : 1599637979

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Book Description

Craft your fiction with scene-by-scene flow, logic and readability. 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 disaster • some 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.



Story Engineering

Author : Larry Brooks

Publisher : Penguin

Page : 288 pages

File Size : 13,3 MB

Release : 2011-01-27

Category : Language Arts & Disciplines

ISBN : 1599632810

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Book Description

What makes a good story or a screenplay great? The vast majority of writers begin the storytelling process with only a partial understanding where to begin. Some labor their entire lives without ever learning that successful stories are as dependent upon good engineering as they are artistry. But the truth is, unless you are master of the form, function and criteria of successful storytelling, sitting down and pounding out a first draft without planning is an ineffective way to begin. Story Engineering starts with the criteria and the architecture of storytelling, the engineering and design of a story--and uses it as the basis for narrative. The greatest potential of any story is found in the way six specific aspects of storytelling combine and empower each other on the page. When rendered artfully, they become a sum in excess of their parts. You'll learn to wrap your head around the big pictures of storytelling at a professional level through a new approach that shows how to combine these six core competencies which include: • Four elemental competencies of concept, character, theme, and story structure (plot) • Two executional competencies of scene construction and writing voice The true magic of storytelling happens when these six core competencies work together in perfect harmony. And the best part? Anyone can do it!



The Story Grid

Author : Shawn Coyne

Publisher : Black Irish Entertainment LLC

Page : 459 pages

File Size : 26,17 MB

Release : 2015-05-02

Category : Reference

ISBN : 1936891360

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Book Description

WHAT IS THE STORY GRID? The Story Grid is a tool developed by editor Shawn Coyne to analyze stories and provide helpful editorial comments. It's like a CT Scan that takes a photo of the global story and tells the editor or writer what is working, what is not, and what must be done to make what works better and fix what's not. The Story Grid breaks down the component parts of stories to identify the problems. And finding the problems in a story is almost as difficult as the writing of the story itself (maybe even more difficult). The Story Grid is a tool with many applications: 1. It will tell a writer if a Story ?works? or ?doesn't work. 2. It pinpoints story problems but does not emotionally abuse the writer, revealing exactly where a Story (not the person creating the Story'the Story) has failed. 3. It will tell the writer the specific work necessary to fix that Story's problems. 4. It is a tool to re-envision and resuscitate a seemingly irredeemable pile of paper stuck in an attic drawer. 5. It is a tool that can inspire an original creation.



Self-editing for Fiction Writers

Author : Renni Browne

Publisher :

Page : 248 pages

File Size : 39,45 MB

Release : 1993

Category : Language Arts & Disciplines

ISBN :

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Book Description

Two professional editors share with expertise and proven techniques for turning manuscripts into published works of fiction.



Angel Stations

Author : Gary Gibson

Publisher : Pan Macmillan

Page : 422 pages

File Size : 31,67 MB

Release : 2012-02-09

Category : Fiction

ISBN : 1447221192

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Book Description

For an age, humanity has borrowed from caches of alien technology found in space. Among these artefacts are portals known as Stations, which our spacecraft now use to traverse the galaxy. The ‘Angels’ who created this technology vanished aeons ago, but they left behind powerful enemies with long memories. These are about to target the Stations with a wave of destruction – and nearby worlds will suffer the same fate. One Station orbits the distant planet Kaspar, now occupied by scientists and armed militia who monitor life on the surface. Here, ignorant of our existence, the only known sentient species other than humankind is slowly evolving. But things are about to change. As devastation sweeps the galaxy, Kaspar’s mysterious ‘Citadel’ may be key to repelling this threat. But at what cost to its native inhabitants – and its human guardians?



Writing With Emotion, Tension, and Conflict

Author : Cheryl St.John

Publisher : Penguin

Page : 257 pages

File Size : 42,53 MB

Release : 2013-10-31

Category : Language Arts & Disciplines

ISBN : 1599637642

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Book Description

Craft an Emotionally Charged Story That Will Resonate with Readers Emotional impact shouldn't be dropped into your novel as an afterthought or forced upon your story with a pair of pliers and an iron grip. It should be carefully sewn into the fabric of the story to create tension-filled moments that will keep readers turning pages. In Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict, you'll learn how to layer emotional moments and deep connections to create a tapestry filled with conflict, pathos, and genuine feeling. • Create emotional depth, conflict, and tension in your novel by carefully crafting your plot, characters, setting, word choice, and more. • Learn what makes readers "tick"--and what will elicit the strongest emotional responses. • Write believable, emotional scenes and dialogue--and trim away the sappiness. When writing a novel, your ultimate goal is to make readers smile, weep, rage, and laugh right along with your characters. Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict will show you how to evoke a multitude of feelings in your readers--and keep them coming back for more.



The Last Draft

Author : Sandra Scofield

Publisher : Penguin

Page : 274 pages

File Size : 19,28 MB

Release : 2017-12-05

Category : Language Arts & Disciplines

ISBN : 0143131354

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Book Description

The definitive handbook for the novelist who is ready to revise This wise and friendly guide shows writers how to turn first-draft manuscripts into the novels of their dreams. A critic, longtime teacher, and award-winning novelist, Sandra Scofield illustrates how to reread a work of fiction with a view of its subject and vision, and how to take it apart and put it back together again, stronger and deeper. Scofield builds her explanations around helpful concepts like narrative structure, character agency, and core scenes, using models from classic and contemporary writers. The detailed, step-by-step plan laid out in The Last Draft offers invaluable advice to both novice and experienced writers alike. In Scofield, they will find a seasoned, encouraging mentor to steer them through this emotional and intellectual journey.



Let's Write a Short Story!

Author : Joe Bunting

Publisher :

Page : 107 pages

File Size : 43,15 MB

Release : 2012-11-30

Category : Short story

ISBN : 9780988449701

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Book Description