What’s Taking So Long? A Novel Update

Those who read the last post related to my novel-in-progress may remember that I had a “nearly completed rewrite” as of last December. Some of you, possibly, are wondering what happened with that. Others, if I may be so fortunate, might be newcomers curious about when they can expect to see the published version of… Continue reading What’s Taking So Long? A Novel Update

Third Person Omniscient and Head Hopping

Third person omniscient is a point of view that allows the author to provide a window into the thoughts and feelings of any character at any time, which can be an exceedingly powerful tool. Many writers, however, struggle to pull off these moves from one character’s head into another. In third person limited, every time… Continue reading Third Person Omniscient and Head Hopping

“Show, Don’t Tell”… in Third Person Omniscient?

One of the most difficult things to grasp for writers used to writing in third person limited is how to make effective use of the narrator when writing in third person omniscient. This isn’t helped by the fact that many of the “rules” I’ve heard or have had repeated to me seem to have been… Continue reading “Show, Don’t Tell”… in Third Person Omniscient?

30 Books in Third Person Omniscient

As a writer, one thing that helps me improve my craft is reading books that use a technique I’m trying to master. Reading a how-to-write book teaches you the theory, but I find that delving into how the professionals have done it both solidifies the knowledge and details examples for handling specific cases the how-to… Continue reading 30 Books in Third Person Omniscient

So… How’s that Novel Coming?

The question in the title is one I have been asked countless times as an aspiring writer. It started out in junior high, when I was turning a former short story into my first ever novel. Of course I’d told my friends all about it with excitement, and of course I’d completely underestimated how much… Continue reading So… How’s that Novel Coming?

Novel Openings in Third Person Omniscient

As someone writing a novel in the third person omniscient point of view, I’ve gotten some conflicting advice about the best way to “hook” the reader. Tales are told of agents rejecting based on the first sentence. The first paragraph, everybody seems to say, is crucial. But most of the so-called rules I’ve seen for… Continue reading Novel Openings in Third Person Omniscient

How to Create a New Character Sketch Template for Scrivener

The default character sketch template in Scrivener for Windows works well enough if you want to track a few key details about the characters in your novel. It can also be edited to add more information or take it away. But have you ever wanted to just start from scratch and create a brand-new template… Continue reading How to Create a New Character Sketch Template for Scrivener