Tag Archives: questions

Ya gotta have heart (Encore)

Though clichéd, it’s true that the building blocks of a good novel are the scenes. I imagine if one looked hard enough it would be possible to find a novel with neither scene nor chapter breaks, but it would definitely … Continue reading

Posted in editing, novel writing, short fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Do your characters act like people? (Encore)

Wait–You mean my human characters? It may seem like a stupid question, but it’s not. In the process of working our way out of caves and into cars, we have developed certain patterns of behavior which are common to all … Continue reading

Posted in Memoir, novel writing, short fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ya gotta have heart

Though clichéd, it’s true that the building blocks of a good novel are the scenes. I imagine if one looked hard enough it would be possible to find a novel with neither scene nor chapter breaks, but it would definitely … Continue reading

Posted in editing, novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Do your characters act like people?

Wait–You mean my human characters? It may seem like a stupid question, but it’s not. In the process of working our way out of caves and into cars, we have developed certain patterns of behavior which are common to all … Continue reading

Posted in Memoir, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Stop! Don’t answer that. How to write a novel–part 29

I care deeply about my audience. I really do. I want everyone to live long lives, read all my titles, and tell their friends about them. The irony is that in order to develop such ties, I have to treat my … Continue reading

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments