How to Fix Your Novel
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781470102616
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: Mar 4 2012
Pages: 254
Weight: 0.97
Height: 0.53 Width: 7.50 Depth: 9.25
Language: English
The essential guide to writing fiction that works - from a USA Today bestselling author who has taught more than 100,000 students.
Stuck on your novel? Not sure why your writing feels flat? How to Fix Your Novel gives you the tools to diagnose and fix the most common problems in fiction writing.
You'll learn the crucial difference between plot and story - the single most important concept in fiction. You'll master three-act structure, scene and sequel, conflict, suspense, mystery, dialogue, viewpoint, voice, and pacing. Each chapter includes practical exercises (Test Drives) so you can immediately apply what you learn.
Whether you're struggling with a work in progress or planning your first novel, this book shows you:
- How to build characters readers care about
- The checkpoint structure that guarantees your story works dramatically
- Techniques for writing big - metaphors, showing vs. telling, dialogue that sings
- How to diagnose and fix pacing problems
- A complete manuscript evaluation checklist
- Practical guidance on getting published
Steve Alcorn has spent twenty-five years teaching fiction writing through the online learning programs of more than 1,500 colleges and universities worldwide. His techniques have helped over 100,000 aspiring authors structure, write, and publish their novels.
Ready to fix your novel? Start reading now.
Visit writingacademy.com to explore online writing courses with personal instructor feedback.
Also in
Writing Instruction
1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round
Attenberg, Jami
Hardcover
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Paperback
The Well-Spoken Thesaurus: The Most Powerful Ways to Say Everyday Words and Phrases
Heehler, Tom
Paperback
Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Paperback
Empire of Ink: The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper
Wright, Alex
Hardcover
The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Paperback
Take It from Me: An Agent's Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career from Scratch
Habib, Alia Hanna
Hardcover
Paying for College, 2027: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College
Martz, Geoffrey
The Princeton Review
Chany, Kalman
Paperback
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition)
Ackerman, Angela
Puglisi, Becca
Paperback
Verb Your Enthusiasm: How to Master the Art of the Verb and Transform Your Writing
Kaufman, Sarah L.
Hardcover
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need
Brody, Jessica
Paperback
The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents: From Rejection to Representation in 8 Steps
McDonald, Patrick
Matesic, Alyssa
Paperback
Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less
Dávila, April
Paperback
The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects
Sedita, Joan
Paperback
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Paperback
Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft: A Memoir on Writing (Large Print Edition)
Coben, Harlan
Paperback
Page One to Done: Finish Your Novel in 30 Days with the Fast Drafting Method
Brody, Jessica
Paperback
How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking
Ahrens, Sönke
Paperback
Write a Novel in 100 Days: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing Your Book Fast
Purcell, Kim
Paperback
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less (Revised and Updated)
Allen, Mike
Schwartz, Roy
Vandehei, Jim
Hardcover
Scriptnotes: A Book about Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters
August, John
Mazin, Craig
Hardcover
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Hardcover
Blasting Through Blocks: An Artist's Way Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Creativity
Cameron, Julia
Paperback
Seberson Method: New Sat(r) Vocabulary Workbook: Over 700 High-Frequency Words to Master
Seberson, Katya
Paperback
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Ninth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers
Turabian, Kate L.
Paperback
Korean Stories for Language Learners: Traditional Folktales in Korean and English (Free Online Audio)
You, Eunsun
Damron, Julie
Paperback
Read These Banned Books: A Journal and 52-Week Reading Challenge from the American Library Association
American Library Association (ALA)
Paperback
Handwriting Practice Book for Kids Ages 6-8: Printing workbook for Grades 1, 2 & 3, Learn to Trace Alphabet Letters and Numbers 1-100, Sight Words, 10
Lalgudi, Sujatha
Hippidoo
Paperback
Libro de caligrafía para adultos: Explorando la belleza de las letras - Mi primer cuaderno de caligrafía creativa
Style, Life Daily
Paperback
Writing Fiction, Tenth Edition: A Guide to Narrative Craft
Stuckey-French, Elizabeth
Stuckey-French, Ned
Burroway, Janet
Paperback
The Vocabulary Builder Workbook: Simple Lessons and Activities to Teach Yourself Over 1,400 Must-Know Words
Magoosh
Lele, Chris
Paperback
AP English Literature and Composition Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 8 Practice Tests + Online Practice
Schanhals, Michael
Paperback
AP English Language and Composition Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 8 Practice Tests + Online Practice
Schanhals, Michael
Paperback
Princeton Review AP English Language & Composition Premium Prep, 21st Edition: 8 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
Learn Russian with Beginner Stories: Interlinear Russian to English
Hyplern, Bermuda Word
Gettys, Serafima
Van Den End, Kees
Paperback
The Vocabulary Workbook for 7th Grade: Weekly Activities to Boost Your Word Power
McLellan, Kelly Anne
Paperback
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
Browne, Renni
King, Dave
Paperback
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary: Learn Essential Phrases & Vocabulary 3,500 Word Two-Way Dictionary Pull-Out Fast Phrases Card Travel wit
Janes, Michael
Carillet, Jean-Bernard
Masclef, Jean-Pierre
Paperback
Thinking Through Writing: A Guide to Becoming a Better Writer and Thinker
Kaag, John
Van Belle, Jonathan
Paperback
The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create Compelling Antiheroes, Enemies, and Bad Guys
Apelyan, Dillin
D'Amato, James
Paperback
Word Power Made Easy: The Complete Handbook for Building a Superior Vocabulary
Lewis, Norman
Paperback
Print and Cursive Handwriting Workbook: 35 Lessons to Improve Your Penmanship
Sanders, Sally
Paperback
1100 Words You Need to Know + Online Practice: Build Your Vocabulary in Just 15 Minutes a Day!
Bromberg, Murray
Gordon, Melvin
Carriero, Rich
Paperback
The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need, Updated Edition: Your One-Stop Source for Mastering English Grammar
Thurman, Susan
Paperback
Violent Phenomena: Essays Toward the Future of Literary Translation
Bhanot, Kavita
Tiang, Jeremy
Paperback
Paying for College, 2026: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College
Chany, Kalman
Martz, Geoffrey
The Princeton Review
Paperback
