Writing a novel shouldn’t feel like throwing darts wearing a blindfold.
Welcome to Writes of Fiction, where I help you get better at the process of writing a novel.
Book gurus who espouse a One True Way to write a novel make me nervous. While somebody’s pet system might work for some writers or some types of books, there is no universal formula for writing a successful novel.
But there are universal principles for telling a compelling story—and this newsletter guides you through past the flashing lights, bells, and whistles to what matters: a great story, well told.
The best writing advice, old and new
Writes of Fiction is a helping of the most interesting and helpful advice, resources, and tools I’ve spotted recently, all curated for you in digestible bites.
So why do I spend my time sending you other people's stuff? Because it helps both of us help you make better books. My work as a book coach and editor blends these fresh ideas with classic techniques and best practices. I make it my business to keep up with today's brightest fiction writers, editors, and teachers.
The result: advice grounded in the best of old and new thinking, designed to accelerate your development as a writer.
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Office Hours community coaching calls may be one of the best-kept secrets for new writers on the internet. This is your chance to spend a whole hour talking shop face-to-face with editors and other writers—and because our little group is still small, that means more time for you. We chat about writing and storytelling strategies, and I answer your individual questions about creating fiction.
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Coaching & editing for your work in progress
As a classically trained dancer, I approach creative fluency—what I think of as your freedom of movement on the page—through a grounding in structure, form, and technique. My role as a coach and editor is to show you how, in the words of the great Pablo Picasso, to learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.
This is where theory and practice come together. In the process, you’ll discover strategies and technique you’ll use the rest of your writing career.
Over more than thirty years as a writer and editor, I’ve edited and coached developing journalists, content writers, and bloggers. I’ve been in the trenches as a journalist, magazine editor, managing editor, corporate communications manager, content writer, foreign language and j-school tutor, and communications consultant.
Now I work exclusively with emerging authors and publishers of fiction.
