A successful novel must feature an event, known as the inciting incident, that irreversibly ignites the story. The stronger your inciting incident, the more dramatic, compelling, and engrossing your novel. A weak or nonexistent inciting incident means no reason for your main character to become… [Continue reading below]
Read MorePublishing a children’s book in today’s extremely competitive market can be tough. And because most such books require four-color illustrations, they are also the most expensive to print — though most publishers have this done overseas. You might think it’s easier to write children’s books… [Continue reading below]
Read MoreYou have a great idea and you want to start writing a book. You love to write. You’re told you have a way with words. Your friends and family might even be encouraging you to write. But you struggle with: How to begin How to… [Continue reading below]
Read MoreWhether you’re a beginner or have been at it for decades, writing well is flat hard work. I’ve written and published nearly 200 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers, and I still take daily steps to improve my writing. One doesn’t arrive at good… [Continue reading below]
Read MoreYour goal, whether writing fiction or nonfiction, should be to paint word pictures vivid enough to engage the theater of your reader’s mind. Readers love to be educated and entertained, but they remember forever when they’re emotionally moved. So deciding which you’ll employ of the… [Continue reading below]
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