When I finished my novel’s first draft, I knew two things could happen: I could take a break and revel in the success of finally writing a book while I enjoy the summertime a little. I could jump immediately back into writing, using what I learned while writing my novel to produce some quality stories… Continue reading Writing My Novel: Keep On Writing
Category: Writing My Novel
Writing My Novel: When Outlines Fail
When I first started seriously working on my novel, I said that “I definitely want to outline.” I knew that going into writing something as complex as a novel without a plan would lead to failure. So I sat down and thought about what I wanted to happen in my novel. I broke it down… Continue reading Writing My Novel: When Outlines Fail
Writing My Novel: The First Draft is Complete
It’s done. Finished. At 85,953 words, the first draft of my first novel is complete. And I feel so incredibly strange now that I want to jump right back in and get back to writing. But I can’t. I have to step back, take a few—many—deep breaths, and just let it sit. My wife is… Continue reading Writing My Novel: The First Draft is Complete
Writing My Novel: The End?
My novel is drawing to a close. In fact, I’ve written one version of the final scene and just have to go back and fill in a few chapters in the middle I realized could use a little expansion before I decide if that’s the ending I really want the book to have. And that’s… Continue reading Writing My Novel: The End?
Writing My Novel: A Well Deserved and Much Needed Break
May 2010 was the first time I ever actively pursued my dream of being a novelist. I always said I wanted to be a novelist, and I even started some novels over the years. But I never actually put forth the effort it took to actually make that dream a reality. I would write 500… Continue reading Writing My Novel: A Well Deserved and Much Needed Break