In the spirit of character design, how does one write a genius character? I’m still learning this skill, so let’s look at a strong example, shall we. Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is shown to be intelligent by two means that we now see often in media. First, he is shown to be highly observant and second he has high fluid and…
You finished the rewrite? Great! When you examine the first draft vs the second, the changes and improvements should be immediate. But now for the next hard part, taking you baby apart with editing before sending it over to someone else for criticism. Since the actual step of handing your manuscript to an editor doesn’t require any work from you,…
Yay! The first draft is done. Well done, that is an amazing accomplishment many people never reach. Celebrate! And take a rest before diving into the rewrite. Rest Relax away from the story and forget about it. A week at minimum, a month is great, but don’t open the first draft document at all in that time. The brain and creative…
For the next collection of random tips I’ve learned from about creating a book, let’s transition from outlining to writing. It is always a small step that for which you never feel ready to take. But it is the most necessary one to go from having an idea to being a writer. Whatever push you need to make that shift,…
Starting a new project can be a daunting task and a novel is a big project. Figuring out your writing process is a great first step. To that end, I’ll share mine in hopes it may spark an idea. (Or at least be fun filler content while you procrastinate working on your outline.) And there we are. The start of…