Uncategorized

Thumbnail image for Fiction Technique Tip: Showing Emotion

Fiction Technique Tip: Showing Emotion

What’s wrong with this line from a novel? Sharon became upset. It’s a classic case of telling rather than showing—a fiction-writing no-no. If you tell your readers that Sharon became upset, you have interpreted and labeled her emotional state for them, rather than letting them do this for themselves. Showing a character’s emotion in your novel [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Free Stuff for Fiction Writers

Free Stuff for Fiction Writers

The Internet is full of freebies. Here are some of our favorites that are of special interest to fiction writers. Books & Magazines Book Promotion Ain’t For Sissies by author and webmistress Jenna Glatzer. Classic ebooks from Planet eBook. Classic ebooks from Project Gutenberg. Over 33,000 free ebooks; all platforms. Free and sample magazines from [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for The Writers Conference Pitch

The Writers Conference Pitch

Most writers have attended writers conferences and met editors and agents there. That’s often the reason for going. Meetings can happen at cocktail hour or during brief one-on-0ne appointments, or pitch sessions, scheduled by the conference coordinators. A chat over wine and cheese is fine, but we always recommend taking advantage of these appointments. Their [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Get a Fiction Makeover for National Novel Writing Month!

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 [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for The Writer’s Bookshelf

The Writer’s Bookshelf

If you’re like me, you treasure your writing bookshelf, the volumes that have survived the onset of the Internet and stand loyally by, ready to be perused or referred to. Below are some of the titles I treasure most. Are they on your shelf? If not, they’re worth checking out. The Chicago Manual of Style: [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for Category Fiction: What’s Hot?

Category Fiction: What’s Hot?

In my Marshall Plan® books I have always recommended writing the genre you love to read. It gives you several advantages. First, the passion you have for reading a particular genre carries over into the writing. Second, you’ll already have a good idea of what’s been done and what hasn’t. But what if you read several [...]

Read the full article →
Thumbnail image for How to Turn Off an Agent

How to Turn Off an Agent

A lot has been written about the proper way to approach a literary agent. Equally helpful, I think, are some guidelines on how not to approach an agent. Do any of the following and you’ll be sure to turn an agent right off. Educate him about publishing. Why do some writers feel compelled to begin [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →