How do you create characters with depth? How do you write the opposite sex, authentic teenagers, plausible antagonists and chilling villains? How do you inhabit a character who isn't like you? Whether you write literary or genre fiction, this book shows you how to create people who keep readers hooked and make you want to tell stories

What keeps a reader curious? It's the story. You might have a dazzling prose voice and plausible characters, but if they don't do anything, the reader is likely to lose interest.So where do you find story ideas? How do you make them into a captivating read?Do you know what genre you are best suited to write? What is literary fiction and how do you write that? How will you give your book depth without seeming preachy or bringing the plot to a standstill?What are the hidden patterns that ply the reader's emotions, regardless of your genre or style? How can you use them with originality? If you want to write a story that breaks the usual conventions, how do you do it?Whatever type of novel you want to write, this book will show you, in down-to-earth tutorials, games and exercises.Use it before you write and when revising, to diagnose your story's strengths and weaknesses, to decide how to begin, what to put in the middle, how it should end. If you've had feedback from critique partners and editors, use it to decode what's really wrong - instead of what they think might be.Most of all, use it to find out where you already have spellbinding plot material. Discover where your best ideas are hiding and how to tell stories with drama, depth and heart.By a bestselling ghostwriter, literary author, creative coach and book doctor.

Are you writing a novel? Do you want to finish? Will you get lost or fizzle out? Will you spend more time reading about how to write than getting words down? Most manuals tell you about characters, structure, heroes' journeys. It's great to know that - but it's not writing. Nail Your Novel is a project plan -10 steps and you're done.

Got 90 Days? Then You Can Be a Novelist... Many famous authors write their novels in a matter of weeks. William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying in six weeks. Joyce Carol Oates often cranks out two or three books a year. Stephen King believes first drafts should take no more than three months to complete. So, what's the trick? Novel writing isn't about inspiration. It's about the time, energy, and discipline to see the project to its finish. With 90 Days To Your Novel at your side, now is the time. This inspiring guide will be your push, your deadline, and your spark to finally, without excuses, and in three short months, nail that first draft of your novel. The difference between wanna-be writers and real writers is the difference between talk and work. If you commit to the schedule and the techniques within 90 Days to Your Novel and invest two to three hours a day for twelve weeks, you will complete your book. An outline will appear. Characters will take shape. A plot will emerge. Scenes will come together and form a story worth reading. And then the talking can begin! This helpful guide provides: • Instruction that distills the elements of the novel - from crafting your outline to developing intriguing characters and believable plots • Strategies for gaining support from your family and friends • Motivating insights about writing and writers to minimize your inevitable moments of doubt • A schedule to keep you in the writing zone and keep you focused, creative, and working Whether you're writing your first novel or your third, this guide provides the coaching, the planning, and the writerly commiseration to help get your book written.

“One of the most anticipated YA debuts of 2018, Brightly Burning is a gothic, romantic mystery with hints of Jane Eyre, Marissa Meyer, and Kiera Cass.” —Entertainment Weekly “Brightly Burning delivers a brooding gothic mystery and a swoony romance, all set in space. Donne’s atmospheric, twisty update of a cherished classic will keep you up late into the night!” —Elly Blake, NYT bestselling author of the Frostblood Saga Stella Ainsley leaves poverty behind when she quits her engineering job aboard the Stalwart to become a governess on a private ship. On the Rochester, there’s no water ration, more books than one person could devour in a lifetime, and an AI who seems more friend than robot. But no one warned Stella that the ship seems to be haunted, nor that it may be involved in a conspiracy that could topple the entire interstellar fleet. Surrounded by mysteries, Stella finds her equal in the brooding but kind nineteen-year-old Captain Hugo. When several attempts on his life spark more questions than answers, and the beautiful Bianca Ingram appears at Hugo’s request, his unpredictable behavior causes Stella’s suspicions to mount. Without knowing who to trust, Stella must decide whether to follow her head or her heart. Alexa Donne’s lush and enthralling reimagining of the classic Jane Eyre, set among the stars, will seduce and beguile you.

Learn more than 1,300 essential test words by reading a mesmerizing mystery"--Cover

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story. It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think). In Story Genius Cron takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of a novel from the first glimmer of an idea, to a complete multilayered blueprint—including fully realized scenes—that evolves into a first draft with the authority, richness, and command of a riveting sixth or seventh draft.