5 things that should be in your Style Sheet

5 things that should be in your Style Sheet

Before I even get started on this week’s blog post, I’m going to give you a warning. While this is essentially about Style Sheets, the reason I’m thinking about them is because I’m thinking about Book Bibles. I’m going to be co-presenting a seminar on creating a Book...
Craft: Your second draft… third? Fourth?

Craft: Your second draft… third? Fourth?

It’s never too late or too early to start on the next draft of the novel you’re writing. Some people believe that you must write the book all the way through to the end before you begin your second pass, but I see no reason why you should. As someone who plots their...
Non-Linear Storytelling–Should You Attempt It?

Non-Linear Storytelling–Should You Attempt It?

A client of mind recently sent me a novella. It started out with “four years ago.” Okay. I can deal with a little backstory to begin with. The next chapter was “one year ago.” Cool, we’re coming up on present day. A little slowly, but we’re good. Next chapter “present...
How Many Plots Make a Story?

How Many Plots Make a Story?

How many times have you sat down at your desk at work and did one thing without interruption until it was finished? My bet is that the answer is almost never. Things happen: an email comes in that must be responded to immediately, your boss demands that you finish...
The Goldilocks Novel Length

The Goldilocks Novel Length

How long should your book be? Do you worry about this? I know authors have enough to think about when they’re writing a novel—character arcs, plot arcs, conflict, and that timeline—but should they also worry about the length of the book? Some people say no. A...