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
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
Plant the seeds in advance.
It can’t be. I took a second look. Yes, it is. Driving toward me on a two-lane in western Nebraska came four familiar Model A Fords. I pulled to the side and waved as they passed, then followed them a mile into a hotel parking lot.
As soon as they told me,
the facts from several months ago
… Continue reading