Archive:
Fiction
You’ve settled on the idea for your novel. You’ve narrowed it to a sentence or two, and you’re ready to tackle what seems an insurmountable task—developing your lead character. If you’re an Outliner (one who outlines your novel first), it’s time for character development, an endeavor not for wimps. Spellbinding stories feature believable characters who […]
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Want Jerry as Your Mentor? Learn More If you’re a Pantser (one who writes by the seat of your pants), you’re not interested in outlining a novel. Trust me, I’m a Pantser myself. I’ve written nearly 200 books, two-thirds of those novels — and guess what? I don’t outline. Oh, I’m not saying I don’t […]
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Naming characters can be nearly as stressful as naming a newborn. You want interesting and memorable names, but not quirky or outrageous — unless you’re writing a comedy. You definitely don’t want boring names. When you hit on the right name, you’ll know it. And if you’re like me, your favorite novels have unforgettable characters […]
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Want Jerry as Your Mentor? Learn More You know writing a book is going to be hard, even grueling. But synopsizing it should be easy. So, why does it feel so intimidating? It’s not just because you must convince an agent or a publisher (in as few as 500 words) that your novel or nonfiction […]
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If your writing bores you, it’ll put your reader to sleep. And unfortunately, your first reader will be an agent or an editor. Your job is to make every word count—the only way to keep your reader riveted until the end, which is no small task. Riveting dialogue is your friend because it can accomplish […]
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