Pin-pointing your novel climax

There’s really only one thing we can talk about today: CLIMAXES. The climax of your novel is, bizarrely enough, the premise. It’s the point of the entire story. Suppose you’re a writer working intensely on an incredibly deep and meaningful story. You’re an eighteenth-century American who’s been in Europe and… Read more“Pin-pointing your novel climax”

Making a scene out of your climax

So you’re sitting at the table in the captain’s cabin across from Assuipe, guzzling wine and trying not to bang your elbows on the brass table rail that keeps stuff from flying off during storms. He’s allowed you to change your britches, but you’re still wondering whether your heart will… Read more“Making a scene out of your climax”

Telling your story in shorthand: the synopsis

You’ve got a query letter. You know what to put in your author bio. You’ve even looked up how many pages of your manuscript this particular agent you’re querying wants to see with your query. What’s missing? That’s right. Laura Mosko, Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market Editor, has outlined… Read more“Telling your story in shorthand: the synopsis”

7 Things That Can Go Wrong & Generally Do

Let’s talk about querying. Because I found a great piece on querying the other day while investigating an agency with which one of my clients is in talks, Folio Literary Management. You’ve all read this advice before (although Mr. Kleinman’s is particularly well-written). So why is it that when you… Read more“7 Things That Can Go Wrong & Generally Do”