Keep readers inside your character’s head.
The novel’s opening chapter reminded me of the car commercial that promotes its lane-departure warning system. If the car drifts across the center line, it sounds a loud alert.
This prospective author could have used something similar for his novel’s point of view. Unknowingly, he kept drifting from his main character’s awareness.
In a scene with Miriam … Continue reading
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
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