Archive:
The Writing Craft
You’ll find loads of advice to help you find a great novel idea, start writing, and push through what I call the Marathon of the Middle. But you may not find as much on how to end a story, though that’s every bit important. Of my more than 200 published books, more than two-thirds have […]
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If it’s true that conflict is the engine of fiction—and I believe it is—what is the best way to inject it into your fiction? By introducing a worthy, effective antagonist. What is an Antagonist? It’s your villain, and every good story needs one. While some would argue that certain nonhuman elements, like the weather or […]
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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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Want Jerry as Your Mentor? Learn More As a reader, I’ve never felt a good book was too long, even more than a thousand pages. And I’ve never found a bad book short enough. One of the most common questions writers ask me: “How long should my manuscript be?” Well, different publishers look for different […]
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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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