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Writing Tips

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Limbering Up for Novelists

Musicians often limber up by playing music different from what they’re used to. It keeps them fresh, gives them a new perspective on what they’re doing. Novelists can do the same thing–limber up by trying different forms of storytelling.
I’ve recently done this, and enjoyed it immensely. Here’s what I tried and how I felt about each.
Flash [...]

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Thumbnail image for Novel Writer’s Podcast – Writer’s Coaching Call – Part 1

Novel Writer’s Podcast – Writer’s Coaching Call – Part 1

This is the first part of the Coaching Call held in October, providing some insider secrets, tips and ideas for getting your novel published.
This podcast covers why a sharp focus on genre is more important than ever to publishers, and what you can do about it. Other topics include:

How to give your manuscript a [...]

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Putting Myself Out of Business

A Special Report
All we hear nowadays is that publishers won’t look at unagented material anymore; the legendary slush pile is dead.
But it’s not true! Even if you don’t have an agent (and these days it’s harder than ever to get one), if your novel is completed you can start submitting right now. A number of [...]

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Free Coaching Call: A Whole New Way to Get Your Novel Published and Sold

writer coaching call

October 4, 9 PM EST
You’re invited to a special writer’s coaching call on Sunday evening, October 4 at 9 p.m. EST. This is a chance to pick up some insider secrets, tips and ideas for getting your novel published.
We will talk about why a sharp focus on genre is more important than ever to publishers–and [...]

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Novelist, Edit Thyself!

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A common writer’s complaint in recent years is that editors no longer edit. That’s by no means true, but it is true that many editors are not able to devote the time to improving a manuscript that they once could. Today, many editors are more like marketers, concentrating first on acquiring books that will make [...]

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Ten Inside Secrets for Novel Writing Success

Agents and editors must be able to categorize your novel, so make sure you know what genre it fits into: romance, literary, mainstream, horror . . . ?
Today’s novels are more like movies than ever: your story must have a compelling “high-concept” hook. Work hard to make sure your story idea is dramatic and [...]

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Fight Your Instincts! Three Bad Habits to Watch for When You Write

In my years working as an editor, agent, packager, and novelist, I’ve noticed that other novelists often give in to certain instincts when they’re writing—Instincts that work to the detriment of their fiction. If you’re aware of these instinctive weakeners, you’ll more likely be able to avoid them. Here are the three worst offenders:
INSTINCTIVE HABIT [...]

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