Michael E. Dellert's Blog, page 34
February 24, 2016
#13WeekNovel Writing Challenge – Week Six: The Second Scene
This week, you’re writing roughly two thirds of the way through your first act. In Act One, you’re setting up the story by exploring the most dynamic ways to reveal the nature of the dramatic question. Keep in mind, your…
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February 17, 2016
#13WeekNovel Writing Challenge: Week Five — The First Draft
At last! This week you begin writing the first draft of your novel. You’re going to spend the next three weeks writing Act One. This week, you’re going to write a third of the way through your first act to…
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February 10, 2016
#13WeekNovel Writing Challenge: Week 4 – Get Specific
By now, you’re probably getting itchy to begin writing your first draft. You should feel free to get started if you like. But I recommend you give yourself just one more week to develop a still richer sense of the…
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February 3, 2016
#13WeekNovel Writing Challenge – Week Three: Narrative Drive
You continue to outline this week, developing a more specific relationship to your story. You explore your hero’s wants and needs and the worthy antagonists who propel him forward. Your hero’s goal is the through-line that drives the narrative. But…
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January 27, 2016
The #13WeekNovel Writing Challenge: Week Two – Structure
While continuing to explore your story world, this week, you begin to outline. “But Mike, I hate outlining.” That’s fine. It needn’t be for everyone. Many people think that outlining means “figuring out” the story before it happens, and lacks…
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January 20, 2016
The #13WeekNovel Writing Challenge: Week One
During the first week of my #13WeekNovel Writing Challenge, the most important thing is to enquire into the nature of your story premise. Just sit back with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and let images and…
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January 13, 2016
Another Fine Mess: The Hero’s Plight
Every hero has a plight. Not just a problem. Not just a story question. No. It’s a full-blown plight. A plight is a problem that can’t be solved without creating another problem. At the heart of every story is a…
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January 11, 2016
Hedge King in Winter: The Matter of Manred Begins…
Get Hedge King in Winter, the complete 13 episode novella. Now Available in Print and for Kindle and Nook. “The king is crippled…” Set in a grimly realistic, medieval dystopia, Hedge King in Winter opens on the tense days following…
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January 7, 2016
What You Don’t Know About My Free Book Offer
Note: Until Midnight Eastern Time tonight, 7 January 2016, sign up to the mailing list to receive free episodes of A Merchant’s Tale delivered direct to your inbox, and get exclusive bonuses. You can also follow the serial free on…
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January 6, 2016
How to Write a Serial Novella in Five Drafts
We all want to write a story. We’ve got an idea or maybe just a dream, but we’re not sure where to go with it or what to do next. How do you know when it’s time to write that story…
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