How to study fiction

Something that you have to do as an author is come up with story ideas: on time, on certain subjects, about 80% as expected and 20% new and fresh, and to fit with the rest of your work. Difficult. But what’s even more difficult are the requirements left unsaid: The idea has to generate a […]

I’ve been working a lot on studying marketing lately.  Not just indie book marketing, but the principles behind selling stuff. When I started out as a writer, I thought writing was mostly about putting one’s thoughts and feelings down on the page, and then some magic would happen, and people would like what I wrote

This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?”  The rest of the series is here.  You may also want to check out the series on pacing, here, which I’m eventually going to fold into this series

This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?”  The rest of the series is here.  You may also want to check out the series on pacing, here, which I’m eventually going to fold into this series

This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?”  The rest of the series is here. … Techniques to help handle reading issues (post-reading!): You’ve read the book.  Now what? I’ll go into more depth about

How do you surprise your readers? I use two methods:  Wilhelm’s Law and the Agatha Christie Technique. Wilhelm’s Law:  throw away your first three ideas.   What this means: Your first idea is generally the most obvious one.  It’s been done. Your second idea is generally a response to the first.  Because most stories have been

This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?”  The rest of the series is here. … What to read, how to read, and how to start studying it.  Every professional writer seems to have the

This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?”  The rest of the series is here. … I’d like to take a moment to interject something that came up in the middle of writing these posts.

This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?”  The rest of the series is here. … Resources related to productivity/speed issues:  Look for good general productivity, happiness, and habit-changing books and websites, like The Seven Habits