You sort of expect the author of a book to talk about it on their website. I’m quite aware of the short rope in doing that. But when someone else steps up to review and/or discuss the book – especially as a video in the “how to” realm – that’s a different thing entirely. Especially […] The post “Great Stories Don’t Write Themselves” – a working author’s review appeared first on Storyfix.com ..read more

Pretty much everything and anything you need to know to empower your NaNoWriMo experience. Specifically, today I’m linking you to a roster of 32 NaNoWriMo tutorials, one for each day of the Big Month, plus a final word (post 32). NaNoWriMo is beloved by tens of thousands of writers who want a structured and metered […] The post Your NaNoWriMo Treasure Chest appeared first on Storyfix.com ..read more

If you’re reading this via email, then I invite you to CLICK THROUGH to the site and check out the new paint job and some nifty remodeling, including a cool new banner. My thanks go out to the designers and programmers who helped me get this done (which took over three weeks… and we’re still […] The post Welcome to the new bright and shiny Storyfix.com! appeared first on Storyfix.com ..read more

This will help you answer this critical question. But first, it’s helpful — to your story, and your learning curve, and thus, your career trajectory — to understand why this question is critical. Simple fact: a significant reason stories get rejected, or don’t find a self-published readership, is that the story, at its core, doesn’t glow in the dark. The premise, and perhaps even the idea that hatched it, is too familiar, too lacking in dramatic juice, too less than fully compelling. Just because the idea appeals to you doesn’t mean it will ring the bell with agents, editors and, most importan ..read more

That last one is a question I’d like your help in answering. Use the comment section below to tell me what you’d like to see here next. I’m thinking another series that does a deep dive into a critical facet of the novel writing proposition… much like the 19-part series I did in May on the groundwork and criteria for your story premise (all of it here for the taking, if you haven’t seen these posts yet; see below). Tell me where you’d like to go next. A few updates from this end: My new writing book, Great Stories Don’t Write Themselves, just won its category (Writing and Publishing) in the 20 ..read more

Sadly, you have no one to blame but yourself. Happily, there is wisdom that can keep you away from that edge. Let’s go back to process for a moment. There is really only one goal for your story development/writing process, even though some claim that “I’m just here for a good time” and they really don’t care all that much how their process turns out. The means by which we get to that goal distribute over a singular process continuum–pure pantsing at one end, pure outlining at the other, with most writers operating somewhere in between–in which you are, in an order of your own choosing, scannin ..read more

The Two Forms — and Applications — of Premise In the last entry in this series (Part 17), you were introduced to the Eight Essential Criteria for Premise. Premise may begin with a Big Idea, or sometimes premise is what leads the writer to a Big Idea… but in all cases — no exceptions here — this principle explains stories that work, and explains why they don’t. As a goal and an application, Premise is a qualitative proposition. The goal isn’t to simply check off those eight boxes… rather, you are trying to hit home runs as you fulfill each individual criteria. You can fulfill all eight criteria ..read more

In the post that was distributed earlier today (part 17 of the series) I misspelled the word “essencial” (rather, essential) in the subhead. Happily, I didn’t just misspell the word “misspell” in that first paragraph, or this one, where I’ve unwisely used it twice. Typos suck. We all make them, but saying that doesn’t remotely justify it. As someone who writes about craft and principles, I am an especially juicy target for writers who love to jump on this (the last person who wrote me about a typo used the term “For shame!!!” in her closing, as if I’d just maligned the Pope). So, this is me ac ..read more

Introducing the essential magic of PREMISE. This post might change the trajectory of your career as a novelist. It just might be the singular awareness that gets you over whatever lull or hump or wall you believe you are stuck behind. If you are already an experienced writer, your response might be… “well duh….” (which, if that’s you, this response might be a bit on the arrogant side, because trust me, all of us – including you – were once on the dark side of this awareness). It is that important. In this post I will present — after having done so many times on this site, and with an entire ch ..read more

A few flash tutorials today. Not all songwriters are professional level singers. Just as not all singers are songwriters. As authors of fiction, we need to be both when it comes to the music of our storytelling. **** That singular misplaced belief—that you can write about your idea — a story world, a character, a belief system, a super power, a moment in history — rather that apply that idea as context that stages a fully-vested, premise leading to a plot that arises from it—is responsible for more derailed dreams than perhaps any other. Because an idea is not always a premise upon arrival. So ..read more