The Editor's Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Many writers have great expectations for their first novel manuscript. But are those expectations realistic? A look at what you can expect of your first novel.
Writers often become so lost in their stories that they can’t look at them dispassionately. Remember to step back and away from your fiction so you can get a true picture of a story.
Writers sometimes don’t know how to begin writing a new story, but you can begin anywhere, with any story element. You can begin at any point in the story.
I don’t take on every manuscript that’s sent to me for editing. The simple reason is that many are not ready for a professional edit. A look at my reasons for turning down an edit.
A novel’s first draft is never the final product. Learn both what’s missing from a first draft and what should be taken out to make it a better manuscript.
Invite readers into your story with a compelling open. Readers want to be enticed into new worlds—make yours an attractive one, a world readers will willingly step into, willingly stay in while your fictional events unfold.