Writing a Novel
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Cover Design
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How to meet the reader's expectations and give your book its best chance.
Front and Back Matter
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What to include before and after the story itself.
Themes and Subtext
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The arty parts of writing don't need to be engineered up-front.
Editing
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How to edit your manuscript, and why you'll need other pairs of eyes to help you.
The First Draft
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The best way to approach your first draft, and guarantee you'll finish it.
Outlining
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How to outline your story before starting, to make the writing process easier.
Truth
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stories should tell lies that are truer than real life allows.
Research
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Details in fiction aren't about adding information, but rather creating the appearance of knowledge and truth.
Chapters
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You should only start thinking about chapters after you've written the first draft of your book.
Prologues and Epilogues
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There's no need to avoid prologues and epilogues, as long as you don't let them get in the way of the story.
Plot and Structure
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stories have a common and intuitive structure, and it's a useful tool for writing a novel.
Tools
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Always use the right tools for each stage of the creative process.
Routine
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The deep magic of writing consistently is to make the task very boring.
Plotting vs Pantsing
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A full plan, or no plan at all, can each be appropriate for different authors or works.
Finding the Idea
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Noticing story ideas is a skill you can learn, as is finding the emotional centre of a tale.
Inspiration
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Inspiration is something that comes after you start work, not a prerequisite for it.
Motivation
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Getting into a working mindset, and striving to be a writer every day.
An Introduction and a Pep Talk
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What the Trouble With Writing is about, and why you can absolutely write a novel.