How Professionals Write

Three drafts are likely not enough.

How many drafts does it take to perfect a novel? According to one veteran writer, at least four.

In his Facebook post this past weekend, Ace Andrew Collins mentioned he has “signed contracts with publishers for 96 releases: 42 nonfiction, 28 novels, and 26 youth books.” So it’s fair to say he knows something about writing success.

A few days … Continue reading

Cut Surplus Scenes

For coaching on what to cut, watch a film’s special edition.

After I watched a special edition DVD Romancing the Stone, I made a point to see the bonus features. As I watched, I realized they offer insights for a novelist.

Great novels aren’t written, the saying goes. They’re rewritten.

This includes reviewing each scene’s purposes ― confirming it accomplishes such tasks as advancing the story … Continue reading