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How To Write Shop

Articles on the craft and business of writing

Finding Your Muse and Keeping Her

September 24, 2010 by Kathy Steffen 3 Comments
finding your muse

Finding your muse is hard enough but then you have to keep her! Last summer I did a talk about finding and working with my muse.  I laughingly called it “How I Grab My Muse, Pin Her to the Wall, and Make Her Sing!” Yeeks, no wonder she hides from me. All kidding aside, the … [Read more…]

Posted in: Inspiration, Writing Life Tagged: inspiration, muse

How to Write a Scene– Article 1: Scenes in fiction

September 22, 2010 by Lori Devoti 10 Comments

Article One in How to Write a Scene, Scenes in Fiction by Lori Devoti, a  How To Write Fiction Series. When I first started writing I sat through a number of workshops where multi-published NY Times-best-selling authors would spout what are and aren’t scenes in fiction, and what could and couldn’t be in a book … [Read more…]

Posted in: Scenes, Writing Craft Tagged: conflict, disaster, dwight swain, scenes

25 Questions to ask a Literary Agent before Signing.

August 5, 2010 by Lori Devoti 7 Comments
questions for a literary agent

Twenty Five questions to ask a literary agent may seem like a lot. Afterall, there are a lot of great, reputable agents out there but there are also a lot of not so great and not so reputable ones. Even more important to realize is that even if you find a great, reputable agent interested … [Read more…]

Posted in: Agents and Editors, Writing Business Tagged: literary agent, proposals, publishing business, query letters

Character Checklist for Book-Carrying Characters

August 4, 2010 by Lori Devoti 4 Comments
Rhett and Scarlett

What makes a book or movie special…makes it stick with you long after the cover is closed and the final credits have rolled? The special effects? The car chase? The slapstick comedy? Maybe for a while, but stories that really have lasting power contain one thing, great characters. And, honestly, building great book-carrying characters isn’t as … [Read more…]

Posted in: Characters, Writing Craft, Writing Tips Tagged: characters, checklist, writing tips
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The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers
by Christopher Vogler

The Writer’s Journey explores the relationship between mythology and storytelling in a clear, concise style.

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Techniques of the Selling Writer 
by Dwight V. Swain

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain

Classic book on how to write books that readers will want to read!

This is one of the foundation books that all novelists should have on their bookshelf.

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