Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Episode 97 - Clothing our characters. Also, how to end a scene.

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How we dress our character will show--that is, to reveal--much about our characters to the reader.  Clothing is evidence of our character's pers...

Episode 96 - How to create emotions in our characters and readers.

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Huge rewards for fiction readers are a character's emotions; love, fear, gratitude, respect, loathing, and many others.  Here are techniques on ...

Episode 95 - More strong dialogue techniques.

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the last episode we talked about major dialogue techniques.  Here are smaller ones--but still important techniques--that'll make our dialogue...

Episode 94 - Seven big dialogue writing techniques.

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dialogue in fiction is fun to write and fun to read.  Here are seven techniques that'll help make our dialogue shine.  Also, why should we crea...

Episode 93 - Can we avoid stupid writing?

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about stupid writing,  And: how to get our story going without over-explanation and back-story.  How John Updike and Frank Baum wrot...

Episode 92 - Fourteen scene mistakes and how to avoid them.

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a list of the fourteen biggest mistakes we can make when creating our scene, and how to avoid them.  Also, we'll talk about how to avoid...

Episode 91 - The benefits of a buddy, and Willa Cather and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adding a close friend for our story's protagonist offers many benefits.  Here are some thoughts on buddies.  And: how did novelists Willa Cathe...

Episode 90 - Techniques for creating riveting settings.

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bland settings works against the story, and riveting settings propel the story forward.  Here are techniques for creating powerful settings that will...

Episode 89 - Avoiding the biggest mistakes before we begin to write.

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here are thoughts on how to avoid early mistakes in our writing,  those blunders we might make before we write the first sentence of our story.    ...

Episode 88 - Writing the fight scene.

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Action is the most interesting element in most novels, and a fight is action.   Here are some techniques for writing a fight scene.   Also, here&ap...

Episode 87 - How to write a fabulous first sentence.

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first sentence of our story should suggest to the reader, "Come on in and listen."  A good first sentence propels the reader into the s...

Episode 86 - The importance of a tie-up later list. Also: sequels.

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why should we keep a tie-up later list?   How to create one and their importance are mentioned.   And Angelou, King, and Tolstoy.  Also: should we ...

Episode 85 - Dialogue's three most important techniques.

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listening to characters speak is a great pleasure for readers.  It's as if the reader is a character in the scene, listening in, eavesdropping. ...

Episode 84 - Why we should create a funny character, and how to do so.

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humorous characters are fun to read about and fun to write about.  Here are some thoughts on why funny characters are important in our stories, and s...

Episode 83 - How to show our character's thoughts to avoid interior monologue.

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here are ways to show with action and dialogue what our character is thinking so we can avoid visiting the character's mind for interior monologu...

Episode 82 - Finding the courage to write, and describing our first-person hero.

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do we need courage to write our first novel?  If so, where do we find it?  Also, writing the physical description of our hero in a first-person nove...

Episode 81 - The top ten fiction writing techniques.

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here's a list of the most important techniques we should think about when plotting and writing our novel or short story.  Also, more on making o...

Episode 80 - Maybe we are writing magic, and strong versus weak words.

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did soon-to-be famous writers know as they drafted their novels that they were creating magic for readers?   Maybe.   Maybe not.   And how can we...

Episode 79 - Tips for writing YA fiction. Also: adding detail to our scenes.

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Young adult fiction is a vast market, and many wonderful writers create YA novels.  Here are some thoughts on YA, some techniques we might keep in mi...

Episode 78 - Developing a distinctive voice, and flashbacks.

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A distinctive voice can add a charming or compelling aspect to a story.  What is voice?  And do we need a distinctive voice?  Maybe not, maybe so. ...

Episode 77 - Eleven techniques for writing strong sentences.

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The words on our page should be a clear window to our story.   How can we do that?  Here are eleven techniques to make our sentences forceful and cl...

Episode 76 - Writing our synopsis, and avoiding filters.

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A literary agent or a publisher may ask for a synopsis of our novel, a three to five-page summary.  Here are techniques on how to write one.  Also, ...

Episode 75 - The magical difference between scene and summary.

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New writers tend to put too much summary into their stories.  I'll talk about how to avoid that mistake, making sure that most of our novels are...

Episode 74 - How to describe our villainous villain, and how to get unstuck.

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A great pleasure in our fiction reading is coming across a dastardly villain, someone so bad and so well-described we will never forget him or her.  ...

Episode 73 - How to make settings work for our story, and how writers get to work each day.

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here are two errors we might make when describing our setting.  First, using a dull setting.  And, second, making the setting inert, that is, not ha...

Episode 72 - Finding an agent, and writing a query.

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once we have completed our novel, it may be time to obtain the services of a literary agent.  Here are thoughts on how to find good ones, and how to ...

Episode 71 - Using the critical tool of contrast. And writing vivid character descriptions.

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Blue is bluer when placed next to yellow.  Here are techniques on the use of contrast to make our scenes and characters more vivid.  Also, we can le...

Episode 70 - Writing a story in the first-person.

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here are some thoughts about how we can write our story in the first-person, some techniques that will capture the reader.   Also, usually the fewer ...

Episode 69 - Learning character and setting descriptions from the masters.

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the best ways to learn the craft of fiction is to read the works of great writers, those novelists who know how to offer the reader unforgettab...

Episode 68 - Do we have an idea or a plot? Also: how to write joyful dialogue.

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between an idea and plot?  It's important to know as we begin writing.  Also, readers love joyous dialogue.  Here a...

Episode 67 - Lighting the writing fuse, and showing rather than telling about the setting.

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What in our lives made us want to write?  Here's a discussion about lighting that fuse.  Also: here are techniques for showing rather than tell...

Episode 66 - Creating characters readers love. Also; techniques for writing sad dialogue.

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A main reason readers put a novel on their all-time top-ten favorites list is because they fall in love with a character.  Here's how we can cre...

Episode 65 - A writer's thoughts on ChatGPT. And the benefits of identifying our genre.

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I've been checking out the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, and here are some impressions of its use for writers.  And: what are the ben...

Episode 64 - How to get started writing, and tips on romantic and angry dialogue.

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How can we get off the dime and start writing our novel or short story?  Here are some thoughts.  Also, readers love emotional dialogue; techniques ...

Episode 63 - How to bring our settings to life, and writing the romantic scene.

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a strong technique for immersing readers in our settings.  Readers will think they are right there with our characters.  Also, almost all st...

Episode 62 - A technique for bringing our characters to life, and writing the action scene.

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a strong technique to make our characters vivid and memorable for the reader.   And also: most novels should have action scenes.   The craft...

Episode 61 - How to detect and fix a sloppy scene. Also: how to unleash story ideas.

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes a scene we've written just doesn't feel right.  Something is amiss but we can't put our fingers on it.  Here's a metho...

Episode 60 - Fabulous sentences of fiction, font fiddling, and slow motion.

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A terrific way for writers to find inspiration is to hear legendary sentences from famous novels.  Here are a few.  Should we fiddle with fonts in o...

Episode 59 - Plotting with a spreadsheet. And the unreliable narrator. Also, fiddling with the flow of time.

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can we use a spreadsheet to plot our novels?   Some authors do.   Here are thoughts about using Excel for outlining a story.   Also, most main char...

Episode 58 - Making writing less daunting, and some techniques to avoid weak sentences.

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How can we handle the dispiriting feeling that writing our novel is a huge, endless, and hard chore with completion far in the future, if ever?  Here...

Episode 57 - An important tool, the timeline. Also, authorial distance.

23 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Creating a timeline can help us keep things straight as we plot and write.  Also, here's a discussion of authorial distance, which is the closen...

Episode 56 - How many characters are too many? And he wore his guilt like a harness.

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For each scene, the perfect number of characters exists.  We'll talk about that number.  Too few, and we don't have a scene.  Too many, a...

Episode 55 - How many words should we write a day? And the use of contrast.

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How many words a day?  Too fast, and our story might be sloppy.  Too slow, and we'll never finish.  Here are some thoughts about our pace of w...

Episode 54 - Fear of failure, author photos, and the use of humor.

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here are thoughts on how we might handle doubts about our writing abilities, the fear of failure.  Plus, more tips on facing the camera.   And: humo...

Episode 53 - Embarrassing stuff, and the middle of the novel.

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We shouldn't write about embarrassing stuff, and here's a list.  Also, here are techniques to rev up the middle of the novel, often the har...

Episode 52 - Making our sentences more lively, and avoiding reader disbelief.

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here's a strong way to make our sentences pop, to make our writing lively and energetic.   Also: how to keep the reader engaged by reducing disb...

Episode 51 - The wonder factor.

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's apply the wonder factor to our stories, giving readers elements that will make them shake their heads and smile, and so remember our writin...

Episode 50 - The right kind of surprise ending, and wonderful character descriptions.

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The ending of our novel should be a surprise but not a complete surprise.  Here are techniques for crafting that balance.  And famous character desc...

Episode 49 - Avoiding the biggest mistake, and keeping the POV tight.

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If we are going to spend a year or two writing a novel, shouldn't we avoid a mistake in our very first chapter that ruins the novel's chance...

Episode 48 - Writing strong dialogue, and Ray Bradbury on plotting.

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dialogue is fun to write and fun to read.  What's the best way to mix dialogue with action?  How can we make sure dialogue and action work toge...

Episode 47 - A strong plotting technique, and leeches.

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes when plotting we run out of ideas.  Here's a good way to prime the plotting pump.  And more on qualifiers, the leeches that infest th...

Episode 46 - What if no one comes to our book signing? And crafting our narrative voice.

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No one in line to buy an autographed copy of your novel?  You are not alone.  The Wall Street Journal tells of famous authors who have suffered empt...

Episode 45 - Techniques to make our dialogue riveting.

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dialogue is fun to write and fun to read.  Here is a strong technique to make our dialogue fascinating for readers.  Also, novel writing's rule...

Episode 44 - How to avoid another prospect-killing mistake.

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We'll talk in this episode about another big mistake, one that will cause agents and editors to put aside our manuscripts after four or five page...

Episode 43 - Dialogue should do double duty. Here's how.

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dialogue that does only one thing might be inert.  Talk between our characters should do double duty, and here are techniques about how to write doub...

Episode 42 - The single most important writing technique.

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What's the one most important writing technique for novelists?  If we get it wrong it sinks our publishing chances.  We'll talk about how ...

Episode 41 - How can we know if we have the talent to write?

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can we know in advance if we have the talent to write a novel, before we spend the time and effort to write it?  Here are some thoughts.  Also, we c...

Episode 40 - Creating villainous villains.

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here are techniques for creating fictional villains readers will love to loathe and fear.  We writers can make readers shudder when our scoundrels  ...

Episode 39 - How to create characters readers love.

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Readers want to fall in love with our characters.  Here are some techniques about how to create characters readers will be passionate about, and so w...

Episode 38 - We shouldn't write these scenes, and strong techniqes for character description.

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some scenes are too much, and they may ruin a novel for readers.  What are they?  Plus, here are some good techniques for describing our characters,...

Episode 37 - When to stop preparing and start writing.

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How can we know when we've prepared enough?  Is it time to start chapter 1?  Here's a list of eight things we probably should have figured...

Episode 36 - The most interesting to the least interesting aspects of a novel.

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some elements of a novel are more interesting than others, and some are less interesting.  Writers should give readers more of the involving and fasc...

Episode 35 - A close look at scene structure, and avoiding mushy sentences.

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scene structure is an art hidden from the reader but critical for the success of a scene.  We'll talk about structure in this episode.  Also, h...

Episode 34 - Why and how to practice writing, and more thoughts on thoughts.

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should we as writers practice our craft?  What are the benefits, and how should we do so?  And here are more ideas about making clear to readers wha...

Episode 33 - Danger signs our plot is dull.

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here are eight signs that our plot isn't as interesting as we'd like, which is to say; it's dull.  And how to fix it.  Also, how do w...

Episode 32 - A formula for showing, and clear and spare writing.

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We should show as opposed to tell most of the time.  But sometimes telling is fine.  Here is a formula for when to show and when to tell.   Also, w...

Episode 31 - Favorite novels and check-mark plotting.

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Making a list of our favorite novels is fun and it can teach us something about writing, plus the strong technique of check-mark plotting.Support the ...

Episode 30 - Plotting and the power struggle.

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Plotting our story is so important that we return to it here.  How can we know what works and doesn't work in a story?  We'll talk about p...

Episode 29 - The pattern of a novel.

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Successful novels almost always follow a pattern, and we'll talk about the pattern in this episode.  Also, what put you in mind of writing ficti...

Episode 28 - The enchanter quality, and weather and rudeness.

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Vladimir Nabokov said a writer should have the enchanter quality.  Here are examples from H.P. Lovecraft.  And how does Nora Roberts work?  Also, s...

Episode 27 - The importance of genres and formulas. And thoughts about titles.

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Formulas became formulas because they work.  Our genre will offer guidelines (formulas) for our plots.  And: titles are fun to think about but it&ap...

Episode 26 - Navel gazing and how to avoid it. And more on showing

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Interior monologue and how to avoid it.  And more techniques regarding the critical skill of showing rather than telling.  And visits to John Steinb...

Episode 25: The magic of writing. Cause and effect. And thinking.

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We writers may never know to whom our words will have a profound meaning.  Plus, the importance of cause and effect.  And the perils of interior mon...

Episode 24 - Showing others our work. And strong sentence-by-sentence writing techniques.

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should we show friends and family our manuscripts as we compose them?  Good reasons for and against exist.  The key to vivid writing: be specific, d...

Episode 23: Editing our own manuscript

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What should we look for when editing our own manuscript?  How do famous authors do it?  What should we look for as we edit?  This episode discusses...

Episode 22: A summary of earlier episodes, and techniques for musical writing.

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Topics of earlier episodes are boiled down to sixteen points, and we'll talk about them briefly.  Also, here are some things we can do to make o...

Episode 21: Creativity and how to get it.

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How can we shake loose from our brains plots for our novels?  Here's my favorite way.  Plus, benefits and perils of writing with a partner.  M...

Episode 20 - Reasons we fail to start.

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Why don't we begin our novel?  Here's a reason, and a way to avoid it.  Plus, we'll talk about qualifiers and intensifiers, the leech...

Episode 19 - More on modifiers, including the useless and the dangling. And clunky reach words.

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many adjective and adverb s do nothing but pad a sentence, making the sentence rickety.  Here are some techniques on avoiding these useless or uninte...

Episode 18 - Lots of things to avoid: the negative, cliches, and too many modifiers.

04 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we focus on sentence-by-sentence writing.  How can we make our sentences vivid and powerful?   Some strong techniques are discussed,...

Episode 17 - Keep it simple but not too simple, and metaphors.

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our writing should be a clear window to the story, and a technique is to, in Einstein's phrase, keep it simple but not too simple.  Here are som...

Episode 16: Theme, odd questions, more on conflict, and vivid writing.

21 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As writers, should we be concerned with a themes for our stories?   And a critical question: are writers allowed to be weird?  We'll also retur...

Episode 15 - Techniques for writing about settings.

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our setting -- the place and time of the scene -- anchor our characters the the ground.  Here are techniques for writing our settings to get the most...

Episode14: The fourth wall, the ending, and some bad writing.

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our topics this episode are how to avoid breaking the fourth wall, onomatopoeia (clunk, thud, kersplat), and techniques on ending the novel.  We&apos...

Episode 13: More on dialogue, and techniques about foreshadowing and coincidences

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dialogue is so important to our stories that we'll talk more about it here.  Then we'll move on to foreshadowing--including the Chekhov&apo...

Episode 12 - Dialogue

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A fictional character's dialogue sounds like a person speaking in real life, but not too much like a person speaking in real life.  In this epis...

Episode 11: Point of view and voice.

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here are techniques to control our point of view so that our story doesn't have a dizzying quality as the reader jumps from one character's ...

Episode 10: More show and tell, and the grammatical person.

16 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The difference between showing and telling is so important that we continue with it in this episode, including the technique of saving it for later. ...

Episode 9: Showing versus telling

09 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We'll talk about the most critical skill for vivid writing, showing versus telling.  Showing reveals.  Telling explains.  Showing is almost al...

Episode 8 - Scene and summary

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We'll discuss the difference between summary and scene., and why writing scenes rather than summaries is so important.  Point of view will also ...

Episode 7 - How to craft a scene.

27 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Crafting a scene involves mechanics hidden from readers.  Here are techniques that lead to the success of a scene: ways to grab the reader, immerse h...

Episode 6: Villains and sidekicks.

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How can we create compelling villains and lovable and maybe eccentric sidekicks?  How many characters should we put in a scene?  How about basing a ...

Episode 5: Creating compelling characters.

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Characters in fiction come in a huge variety, and creating characters involves techniques that discussed in this episode.  There are reasons we find ...

Episode 4: Pace, the first sentence, back-story, over-description

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We'll talk about how to keep the reader involved in  the story, how to move a plot forward.  And we'll discuss one of my favorite topics: ...

Episode 3 - Go big or go home.

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is there an idea dump where we can find a fresh plot for our novel or a strong plot point for the next chapter of our novel?  No, but good methods ex...

Episode 2: Getting ready to start writing a novel.

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Getting ready to start a novel.  Drafting a  a plan (timetable).  An outline (pros and cons).  Other useful pre-writing and during-the-writing doc...

Episode 1: Learning and getting better at the craft of writing.

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Follow the rules.  Go with what works to increase our chances of getting published.  Writing can be learned.  And if we know how to write, we can g...