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Still Room to Join In on Plotting Madness!

There is so much to know about crafting a solid plot.

If you’ve been following my blog awhile and studying The Writer’s Toolbox books on novel craft, you know this to be true.

Whether you’re trying to write your first novel or you’ve written a dozen, plotting is always challenging.

But that doesn’t mean it gets easier.

If you keep trying to dig holes with a teaspoon in hard-packed ground, it doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been at it. It isn’t going to get easier unless you dig smarter. Continue Reading…

Three Aspects of Your Book’s “Aboutness”: Goal, Question, and Premise

Today’s guest post is by Barbara Linn Probst.

 So what’s your book about?

We’ve all had that question put to us by friends, relatives, agents, or other writers.  It’s a reasonable question for them to ask.

“Well, it’s the story of a woman who . . .”

“It tells what happens when . . .”

Nope. That’s the setup. It’s not what the book is about.

Coined by R. A. Fairthorne in 1969, “aboutness” is a term used in linguistics, philosophy of language, and the informational sciences to convey both intention and content—that is, the aim and subject of a text. Continue Reading…

Don’t Let Your Age Be a Reason to Not Write

Today’s guest post is by teen writer Enette Venter. 

If you are a teenager and you are writing, then chances are someone is going to tell you stop. Might be a parent who wants you to follow a better career plan or a friend who thinks you’re just not cut out for it.

Everyone will try to have a say about you and your life the minute you decide to write a book.

“Writing doesn’t really pay,” they’ll tell you.

“Perhaps writing can be your hobby when you’re older.”

“Just don’t let your writing distract you from your schoolwork.” Continue Reading…

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