Cliffhangers still work.
The copy of The Warsaw Protocol by Steve Berry that my wife brought me from the library was labeled Rapid Read. Instead of three weeks, I’d have to complete the 384-page novel in just one.
That wasn’t a problem. Berry had used time-honored techniques to keep readers engaged. First, he used multiple point-of-view characters, alternating between their perspectives — with one … Continue reading
Don’t expect an instant novel.
Several friends on Facebook have been posting about working to write a novel this November.
It’s great to see their determination and progress. I just hope they realize that at the end of the month, their novel won’t be done.
They may have a first draft, even a good first draft, but it’s won’t yet be a polished novel. For nearly … Continue reading
Give them the problems flagged in your junk emails.
Before I clear my spam folder, I always take a quick scan to check if there’s anything legitimate.
This past week as I scanned the subject line, I thought They must think my life’s a mess. Imagine if someone had all those problems.
I began to imagine just that — and decided that novelists … Continue reading