Inspiration

Thumbnail image for 10 Things You Need to Know to Write & Sell Your First Romance Novel

10 Things You Need to Know to Write & Sell Your First Romance Novel

See this article as an illustrated PDF. Summer is coming, and so are the romance conventions, most notably the Romance Writers of America convention to be held in New York City beginning at the end of June. It’s the premiere convention for hopeful writers who attend workshops and panels in the hope of learning the [...]

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Anticipating Trends

When deciding what kind of novel to write, it’s not always smart to pick a genre that’s currently hot. By the time your novel is written and on submission to editors, that genre may have gone cold. Some genres appear to be eternally hot—vampire fiction, for instance—but everything cools off eventually. You’re always safer trying [...]

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When Genres Collide

Anyone familiar with my novel writing system or my views on fiction writing in general know I stress targeting a specific genre when tackling a novel. Is it a romance? A mystery? A science fiction novel? A Western? I stress this simply because editors stress it, and I’m all about not only writing novels but [...]

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Thumbnail image for 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Novelists

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Novelists

I will decide on one genre of novel—the genre I most enjoy reading—and stick with it. I will study novels in this target genre to get a good idea of the kinds of stories they tell. I will work hard to come up with a story idea that fits my target genre yet is fresh [...]

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Fiction Makeover Contest Winners

We are pleased to announce the winners of The Marshall Plan® Fiction Makeover Contest. 2 Grand Prize Winners Hannah Cobb for Mortis James Montgomery Jackson for Bad Policy Ms. Cobb and Mr. Jackson each won: A copy of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software A copy of The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing Ebook Our [...]

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Get a Fiction Makeover for National Novel Writing Month!

A Contest Sponsored by The Marshall Plan® In celebration of National Novel Writing Month (November 2010), Evan Marshall and Martha Jewett, leading literary agents and authors of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software and The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing ebook, are sponsoring a contest for aspiring novelists. Send them a proposal for your novel for a chance [...]

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Adapt The Marshall Plan® for Short Stories

I am often asked whether The Marshall Plan® system can be adapted for writing short stories. Absolutely. Here’s what I recommend: Set up your template (or have the software do it) as follows: Use the shortest possible word length, 50,000 words. Opt for no romantic involvement. Opt for an invisible opposition. This way, neither a [...]

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