Those of you planning to enter the Amazon/Penguin Fiction Contest have probably written your pitch by now. Every novelist, sooner or later, must give some thought to “the pitch.” Like a synopsis a pitch must present–in a short space if written, in a few minutes if spoken–an overall description of the novel: main character/s, main … Read more
Say that your query letter has piqued the interest of an agent. She wants to see a synopsis, but doesn’t specify how long it should be. How do you decide? (For some reason you can’t just phone her and ask.) You can search the web for a nice simple answer. You’ll get answers, but none … Read more
Suzanne Ouimet writes: I have written several books which are ‘dialogue driven’. What I am wondering is how to express my characters’ thoughts. It gets a bit tiresome to keep saying something like ‘he thought to himself’. (who else would he be talking to anyway?) I have also tried putting the character’s thoughts in italics … Read more
If you have completed the manuscript of a novel, you may want to consider entering the Second Annual Breakthrough Novel Award Contest sponsored by Amazon and Penguin. Last year’s Grand Prize winner, chosen from a field of 5,000 entries, received a publishing contract and $25,000: Fresh Kills by Bill Loehfelm. The contest rules contain plenty … Read more
You’ve got a great idea for a mystery novel. You can hardly wait to get started, but before you launch into that first chapter, three steps can save you hours of frustration and repair work later. 1. With the murder as the central event, draw a time line. Indicate where every character is at any … Read more
One of the sessions at a writer’s conference I attended was set up like an episode of American Idol. Three New York agents played the part of the judges. Instead of performers, typed sheets of paper were the objects of their attention and wounding remarks. Conference participants submitted the first three pages of the novels … Read more
A reader asks: How much description or dialog that may be “unnecessary” to the plot is acceptable if it contributes to “atmosphere” or characterization? Short answer: Nothing “unnecessary” belongs in your novel. But this reader’s question is not about padding his novel with “unnecessary” dialog. The question is really one of proportion. What proportion of … Read more
According to Forbes Magazine, Ken Follet is one of the world’s ten most highly-paid novelists, with an annual income of $20 million. Follett wrote several not-so-great novels before Eye of the Needle made him rich and famous in 1978. Since then, every novel he publishes becomes a best seller. Many have been made into movies. … Read more
A reader commenting on Don’t Be Too Eager to Publish says: While I may agree that lengthy detail is unnecessary, I believe you are far too critical of the opening passage. Reading with interest is a very personal matter. Why put a writer in a box where he must conform to the way in which a daydream is … Read more
My son gave me a mystery the other day. He’d encountered the author at Barnes and Nobles and, having chatted with the man, he felt bound to buy a copy of his book. We’ll call the writer Author X. Under the attractive dust jacket, the sturdy binding is stamped with the title and author’s name … Read more
I know from the comments that lots of teens read Daily Writing Tips, and as a former teenage writer myself, I wanted to offer some of my tips and favourite resources. I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember – even before I could write, I made up stories to tell to … Read more
Dwayne Phillips commented on my post How to Generate Hundreds of Writing Ideas to say: I find lots of short story ideas in the Bible. As someone once said, “The copyright has expired, so you are in no danger.” I agree that the Bible can be a very rich source of ideas. This doesn’t just … Read more