Here’s a reprint of a post I wrote a decade ago. Do you struggle with ending your story? Trying to come up with something startling or unexpected? You might want to think again. As contradictory as this might sound, endings in novels need to seem inevitable without being predictable. When your reader finishes the book , she should feel that this was the only  way it could have ended. Everything has led up to this finale, and it just plays out perfectly. This isn’t predictability. You don’t want readers thinking they knew exactly what was going to happen and are bored as they hur ..read more

Today’s guest post is by Dario Villirilli. Writing a great book is not quite all it takes to get published. No matter how remarkable your manuscript may be, you’ll first have to effectively pitch it to literary agents. This entails crafting a great query letter, following industry dos and don’ts, ensuring the timing is right, utilizing the appropriate format, and targeting agents who are searching for projects like your own. While rejection is an inevitable part of the journey, there are actions you can take to increase the chances of your query letter being read and seriously considered. So ..read more

Here are some thoughts discussed in my book Writing the Heart of Your Story—important things for novelists to think about when deciding to commit the time and effort toward crafting a novel. May this book be just the guide you need—showing you how to get to the heart of your story so you can touch readers’ hearts. What would you say was the difference between a good book and a great one? Between a forgettable novel and a classic that lingers long in your memory, maybe even for years? Between a book with a title and plot you’ve forgotten mere days after you read it and one with lines that haunt ..read more

This is a reprint from 10 years ago, looking at one of my absolutely favorite movies. If you haven’t seen it yet, I urge you to do so, watching with a writer’s eye. You will learn a lot about great theme and excellent plot structure. Okay, got your popcorn? Today we’re going to look at the movie K-Pax. Why do I love this movie so much? Because aside from the fact it tells a great story with heart and has a terrific  and creative plot, it has very rich themes that anchor this movie and make it so very special. Although the story seems to be about some guy who claims to come from a faraway ..read more

Are you a “list” person? I sure am. Even though I have software programs like Sticky Notes to help me make my many (countless) lists, I still find myself scribbling notes to myself: Things to do today (before I breathe) . . . Those of us who depend on lists as if they’re lifelines to sanity understand the “list mentality.” Life is busy and distracting, especially in this tech age in which a gazillion things are vying for our attention. It’s hard to keep track of our schedules, kids, keys, glasses—you name it. In order to write a terrific novel, we have to organize so many things. Novels aren’t ..read more

Today’s guest post is by Dan Rice. When I started writing, I dreamed of creating an epic fantasy series. Hence, I set the goal to bang out a series one book after another. This posed a couple of problems. First off, my writing was horrible, not marketable at all. My early efforts were so bad, I ultimately decided my only choice was to start over anew. As I became more knowledgeable of the writerly world, I learned that it’s often best to market a book that works both as a stand-alone and the first in a series. I decided that was the way to go because it’s hard to gain traction while querying w ..read more

Today’s post is by Luke Lovelady. Writing your first novel is without a doubt the most simple, fun, and stress-free project you will undertake. *Cue the damaged writers laughing in the background* Okay, while it might not be any of those things, there is truly poetic beauty that comes with grappling with the daunting task of writing your first novel. The feeling of holding a written piece of work that you slaved months (maybe years) pouring your heart and soul into is like no other feeling in the world. From my experience, writing my first manuscript in high school came with countless wasted h ..read more

How do you make your story memorable long after the last page has been turned? How do you captivate your readers, and leave them with a powerful impression? You GO BIG! Writing big means going beyond mere words—it means creating images in your readers’ minds, a movie that will involve all their senses and keep them on the edge of their seats. Let’s take a look at two of my favorite techniques for writing big. The Power of Suggestion A big part of memorability is vivid writing, and that’s mostly accomplished by simply showing rather than telling, which can be hard because vivid showing involves ..read more

Here’s another post I wrote ten years ago on theme. Enjoy! I can’t resist talking about my favorite movie—well, my entire family’s favorite movie. We have to get our fix, watching Strictly Ballroom, nearly every time we’re all home for a weekend. Although we can mouth and act out every line (can’t quite master all the dance steps yet!), we never tire of this movie. We sit, absolutely transfixed, as we watch Francesca and Scott dance the Paso Doble. There are a few movies that hold the same fascination for me—and they all have one thing in common—great themes. Themes That Recur throughout the S ..read more

Today’s post is a reprint from 10 years ago. Theme is so important in a work of fiction, so dig in and learn how this exceptional film can help you develop theme in your story. Nell is an amazing movie. Brilliant on so many levels. The plot itself is wonderful and enough to drive the story. But we see again another story where there is a theme underlying the plot. Nell is not just about a girl who has spent most of her life in isolation. In Nell, we are put face-to-face with the question about our place in the world—what is considered normal and sane in the way we live our lives. Two forc ..read more