One of the major philosophies of fiction writing is called “kill your darlings.” In it, anything is fair game when it comes to editing. No matter how much the writer loves a sentence or word or scene or even character, if it does not advance the plot in a tangible way, it must be cut. … Continue reading Writing My Novel: Kill Kill Kill
Category: Writing
Writing My Novel: Keep On Writing
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
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: 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