how to write a novel

What is Author Voice?

September 23, 2024

One of the most common reasons authors push back against suggested edits is author voice—they’re convinced that everything they write is part of their voice, therefore any edits will change their voice.

That’s partly true, in the same way that a voice teacher changes a singer’s voice.

Professional opera singers spend years training and fine tuning their voices, not because they’re terrible singers, but because they don’t want to be good opera singers. They want to be great. They also want to strengthen their vocal muscles so they can enjoy a long, productive career.

How, then, do authors train, strengthen, and fine tune their voices? It starts by understanding what we mean by “voice.”

An Author’s Voice

Simply put, an author’s voice is his or her unique perspective on life. That perspective manifests itself in how the author writes.

For example, if I set a painting on an easel and asked five authors to describe it, their interpretation and expression of that painting is their voice. That does not mean, however, that the writing is without errors or weaknesses.

Fine Tune Your Voice

Before you start training and strengthening your voice, you need to figure out how to do it. That means finding out your weaknesses so you can strengthen them.

If your editor says you have too much telling in your book, don’t try to justify the telling. Instead, ask for examples of unnecessary telling and suggestions for eliminating it. If your dialogue is boring, your characters are stereotypical, or your settings are bland, learn how to change it.

As you learn and apply good fiction-writing techniques, your voice won’t change into someone else’s; it will become a clearer expression of you.

Training & Strengthening Your Voice

Once you’ve fine-tuned your voice, it’s time to train it. You train your author’s voice the same way you train any muscle in your body—practice.

Vince Lombardi is often misquoted as saying, “Practice makes perfect.” What he actually said was, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” A quarterback won’t improve if he throws the ball wrong over and over again; he improves when he corrects his form and practices the new improved technique.

The same is true for writers.

If you don’t implement the fiction-writing techniques you’ve learned, you will simply train and strengthen the bad habits you already have. But as you incorporate more engaging techniques over and over again, you will train yourself to show without so much effort. Like a professional quarterback, you’ll develop muscle memory that will write stronger, clearer voice with each story.

The Hard Work

Opera singers don’t rehearse until they get a part in a show, then stop. Professional football players don’t practice every day until they sign a contract, then stop. Successful pros never stop training—neither do success authors.

Your muscle memory will never be perfect, and sometimes life will distract you from completely focusing on your writing. That’s why authors with 10, 20, or 50 books published still work with editors. They continue to ask other professionals to help them find weak spots so they can continue to strengthen their stories and writing skills. The continue to strengthen their voices.

Author voice is the most natural aspect of writing while also requiring dedication and hard work to make it shine. The effort, however, is worth it.

If you have questions about author voice, leave a comment or contact me at karin@writenowedits.com.

For more fiction-writing tips and advice, follow me on Facebook at Writing Now Editing, or sign up for my monthly newsletter and learn the easiest way to make a good impression with agents and publishers!

Research & Revising: Two Paths to Novel Writing

June 20, 2024

Most writers know that the first draft of their manuscript will never sell, but how many drafts does a writer have to write?

Honestly, the writing portion of a novel takes the shortest amount of time. The research and/or revising will likely (and should likely) take up 75% or more of the process. Depending on how you prefer to spend your time (research or revision), you’ll have different numbers of drafts (though the first draft will never be your final). And regardless of which method you prefer, you’ll have to invest time to create an engaging, readable story.

Write type of writer are you? Here’s a quick quiz:

Would you rather:

Plan every detail of your trip before you leave so you maximize the experience and don’t miss anything?
Hop on the plane and see what happens, even if it means you miss a few things?

When buying clothes, do you:

Try things on in the store to make sure you know how everything looks and feels, then buy only what you need?
Buy arms full of things to try on at home and return what you don’t want later?

Before going to a new restaurant, do you:

Find the restaurant and menu online so you know what to order when you get there?
Maybe you’ll scan the menu online, but you don’t make any decisions until you’re in your seat and everyone else has ordered?

If you answered A to most of those, you’re probably a researcher. If you answered B, you’re probably a reviser.

Researcher

Researchers like to know all the details before they start writing their stories. They have notes on:

Characters, include goals, motivations, conflicts; appearance; character arc.
They know their stories transitional moments (inciting incident, breaking point, point of no return, etc.).
They’ve calculated where in the story each main plot point and reaction should occur.
They’ve tracked the setting, including building details, topographical information, and historical events (if needed).
They have binders or folders full of notes on all of these details.

By the time a researcher sits down to write, they know almost everything they need to know about the story. They’ve spent weeks (or months) writing things down and organizing them before they ever type the first word of their manuscripts.

Reviser

Revisers tend to start with a solid understanding of either their plot or characters, but most of the details have yet to be discovered. Sometimes called seat-of-the-pants writers, they do minimal prep work before writing (usually a few days or maybe a week or two). Their process is more trial-and-error: if something doesn’t work, edit out and try something different.

Revisers (as you might imagine) spend more time revising their manuscripts. It may take 1-2 (or three or four) big revisions before they’re ready to let anyone read or critique their manuscripts.

Neither of these paths is right or wrong. Neither one yields better results than the other. They’re just different. Don’t get discouraged if your best friend is a researcher and only needs to edit her story instead of revising it. That method works for her; your method works for you.

Not sure which type of writer you are? Email me at karin@writenowedits.com and we’ll figure it out!

Conflict, Suspense, and Tension in Fiction

May 20, 2024

Conflict, suspense, and tension are not the same things. They’re often used interchangeably, but they shouldn’t be. Each one of these has a different role and performs a different function in fiction.

Conflict

New writers tend to believe that conflict means “argument,” as in having a conflict with someone else, but it’s much simpler than that—conflict is anything that prevents your characters from achieving their goals.

A conflict can be a person, event, or inanimate object. A conflict can be a seemingly good thing. As long as it gets in your character’s way, it’s a conflict.

Say your MMC (male main character) wants a promotion at work. The promotion should be a sure thing, but that would make for a boring story. It needs conflict. Anything that prevents him from getting the job will work. It could be:

A person: Someone else wants the job. That person has become a conflict.
An event: Your MMC needs to attend a company event to get the promotion, but it’s the same weekend as his wedding. His wedding is now a conflict.
An inanimate object: MMC’s fiancé agrees to change the wedding date, but his car stalls in the driveway. Then, on the way to the airport, a tree falls into the road. His car and the tree have now become conflicts.

Suspense

Readers and writers alike think of police, spies, and murder when they think about suspense, but they’re confusing suspense with danger. In the suspense, thriller, and mystery genres, the police, spies, and murder might create suspense, but in and of themselves, they are not.

At its most basic level, suspense is delayed gratification.

Let’s look at our MMC again. If he gets the promotion in chapter two, there’s no suspense because there’s no delay. But put conflicts in front him—make him and the reader wait to find out if he’s getting the job—and you’ve added suspense.

Each of the conflicts mentioned above adds more suspense.

Instead of a quick interview process, now the boss has two candidates to interview. That will take longer. Suspense.
MMC and his fiancé push back the wedding for the sake of his career. A delayed wedding equals more suspense.
A quick 30-minute trip to the airport is delayed by his car and the tree. Double suspense.

The longer it takes your characters to achieve their goals, the more suspenseful the story.

Tension

Our final piece of the confusion trifecta, tension is the term people tend to swap for conflict and suspense, but it’s actually another layer of complexity in your story.

Tension is created by your characters’ reactions to conflict and suspense, and it should lead to a sense of unrest or imbalance.

If life is going well for your characters, there’s no tension. Toss in a conflict that creates suspense, and it will yield tension. Let’s go back to our MMC’s promotion. Where does the tension come from, and what does it look like?

MMC’s relationship with the person going after his promotion will change. The situation might also change his relationships with coworkers. Someone else applying for the job has created tension in the workplace.
After rescheduling his wedding, MMC’s relationship with his fiancé will change, especially if one of them didn’t want to move the date. It’s the perfect place to add tension in the romance.
Whether or not the MMC makes it to the airport on time, his car and the tree are excellent reasons to increase tension—he could lose faith in his mechanic and begin resenting the neighbor whose tree blocked the road. Whichever way you write it, let unrest be the goal.

Regardless of the genre you’re writing, your story needs all three of these elements: conflict, suspense, and tension. Your reader will enjoy seeing how long it takes your characters to achieve their goals and seeing how the conflicts change them.

If you have questions about these, leave a comment or contact me at karin@writenowedits.com.

Also check out:

The Omniscient Point of View
First- or Third-Person Point of View

The Omniscient Point of View

March 20, 2024

Once the go-to point of view for novels, the omniscient POV isn’t as popular as it once was, but it’s making a reappearance in modern fiction. Many authors assume omniscient is easier to write because of its broad range—you can jump into any character’s head at a time—but that’s actually what makes it so difficult.

What is Omniscient POV?

The omniscient perspective is the eye-in-the-sky, all knowing perspective that allows the reader to see any character at any time in any location. Even though it’s written using third person pronouns (he, she, they), it’s a shallow perspective. It doesn’t show the characters’ emotions or thoughts at a deep level because, even though the narrator knows what each character feels and thinks, the narrator doesn’t experience those feelings or emotions.

The difference between third person and omniscient POVs can be seen in the difference between listening to an explorer tell about his adventures and listening to a reporter tell about an explorer’s adventures. When using third person, authors live inside the point-of-view character, so they show everything as if they’re experiencing it. When using omniscient, authors observe the characters, so they show everything as if they’ve observed it.

How is Omniscient Different from Head Hopping?

The difference between omniscient and head hopping lies in the details. In the omniscient perspective, each scene shows what the narrator observes, which can include observing characters in different places in the house, city, or state at the same time. Head hopping, however, uses the third person perspective, showing each character’s emotions and thoughts, without including scene breaks to distinguish a POV change.

Why Does the Narrator Matter?

What truly sets third person and omniscient POVs apart is the narrator voice. In third person, each scene is shown from one character’s perspective, and each of those characters has a unique voice. Their upbringing, education, and life experiences determine their vocabulary, tone, and rhythm. Chapters in a male POV will sound different from chapters in a female POV. Scenes in a homeless dropout’s POV will sound different from scenes in a trust fund kid’s POV. In third person, each POV character has a unique voice.

In omniscient POV, there’s one voice—the narrator’s voice. It doesn’t matter if the narrator is describing male or female, young or old, rich or poor. The words and style used by the narrator to show each scene will sound the same. This isn’t a diverse perspective that shows how different races and genders view the same situation. It’s one perspective for all things.

When Would You Use Omniscient POV?

The omniscient perspective works well in stories where the focus is on the big picture and not on individual characters. Romance focuses intensely on the emotions and thoughts of a few specific characters; it’s the perfect genre for third person. Any type of coming-of-age or personal growth drama should consider third (or first) person. Mysteries and suspense—when the reader wants to see and feel exactly what the protagonist and antagonist feel—should stick with third. These all focus on the characters.

Omniscient works well in books that focus more on setting or theme. I don’t mean setting in the sense of the house a character lives in, but the whole setting—time and location. You see these frequently in historical and speculative genres. For theme, look to literary fiction.

For example, consider a novel that shows the lives of fifteen soldiers serving in Operation Desert Storm; the emphasis isn’t specifically on one character but on what this group of characters experienced during the early 2000s in the Middle East (time and location). Omniscient also works well when introducing a cast of characters in a made-up world (location). If a is story less concerned with how a character changes in a book and more interested in how that character observes and experiences forgiveness throughout her life (theme), omniscient can work.

This does not mean you can never use omniscient in a women’s fiction novel and you can never use third person in speculative fiction. These are merely examples of genres that work well with the omniscient POV. I’m seeing it more often now in modern fiction, so understanding its strengths and weaknesses can help you decide if it’s the right POV for you.

If you have questions about omniscient or any points of view, leave a comment or contact me at karin@writenowedits.com.

For more fiction-writing tips and advice, follow me on Facebook at Writing Now Editing, or sign up for my monthly newsletter and learn the easiest way to make a good impression with agents and publishers!

For more information on point of view:

First or Third Person Point of View by Karin Beery
Writing Deep Viewpoint by Kathy Tyers

Backstory: The Right and Wrong Ways to Use Dialogue

January 20, 2024

Every main character in every book has a backstory, but the readers don’t need to see or understand it all. There are times, however, when it’s necessary to include backstory in your manuscript to either fill in plot holes or show character development. One of the best ways to do that is by using dialogue, but only if you do it the right way.

Here’s a look at the wrong way to show backstory using dialogue:

“I think one of my friends stole my watch,” Ben said.
“Why would you say that?” his mom asked.
“Do you remember my twenty-first birthday party last week? It rained all day and we had to move the activities inside? The house wasn’t big enough, so people filled the living room, dining room, and hallway?”
“Of course.”
“Well, my bedroom is at the top of the stairs. Anyone could have gone up there without us noticing.”

Here’s the problem with that section: Ben’s mom already knows the details of the party, her son’s age, and the layout of the house. There’s no reason for him to give her that information. Doing so makes it look like this conversation is a set-up to give information to the readers (which it is). There are two ways to solve this problem.

#1: Make the dialogue more realistic:

#2: Use the Dumb Puppet:

“I think one of my friends stole my watch,” Ben said.
“Why would you say that?” his mom asked.
“Do you remember how crowded the house was during my birthday party? Anyone could have gone up to my bedroom without us noticing.”
“How could you not notice someone in your bedroom?” Brian asked.
“The party was supposed to be outside, but it rained all day,” his mom said. “We had to move the activities inside. The house wasn’t big enough, so people filled the living room, dining room, and hallway. Ben’s bedroom is upstairs. Anyone could have gone up without us noticing.”

Do you see the difference between options?In the first version, the dialogue is unnatural. Yes, it gives necessary information, but it also makes the characters seems awkward. The latter options create a smoother flowing story. If the details of the party aren’t important, cut them (example one) and keep the story moving. If they are important, include a character who doesn’t know what’s going on (in this case, Brian is the Dumb Puppet) so the other characters can explain it without sounding awkward.

Are you struggling to include backstory in a more natural way? Let me know, and let’s see how we can figure it out together.

AVAILABLE NOW–get your copy here!

If you’re looking to strengthen your writing and self-editing skills, here’s what you can expect in How to Edit Your Novel:

Take your self-editing skills to the next level.

• Have you eliminated all the telling?
• Are the characters complex?
• Is every scene necessary?

Most authors will answer ‘yes!’ to these questions. But then editors and readers tell them the descriptions don’t engage them, the characters are stereotypical, and the story dragged.

How do you fix it?

Self-editing can only take you so far. But if you know the right questions to ask and you know how to interpret the answers, you’ll not only strengthen your self-editing skills, you’ll strengthen your writing.

HOW TO EDIT YOUR NOVEL doesn’t simply rehash the fiction-writing basics that create good stories-it provides examples, context, and questions that will help authors identify and strengthen their weaknesses the same way a professional editor tackles a manuscript. By combining mini writing lessons with practical self-editing tips, everything a writer needs to become a better self-editor is practically presented.

Whether you’re a new writer or an experienced author, HOW TO EDIT YOUR NOVEL can help you polish your story into a gem agents, publishers, and readers will want to keep reading.

” … bound to be a book you keep right next to your keyboard …. ”
–Cristel Phelps, Managing Editor for Fiction, Elk Lake Publishing, Inc

How to Write a Novel: Book Recommendations for All Writers

October 16, 2023

With 15+ years of experience writing and editing fiction, I can teach you a lot about plot, characters, style, pacing, and more, but I didn’t invent most of the techniques that I teach. To be completely honest, I’m still honing many of those skills myself. To do that, I continue to read books on writing, and I regularly recommend them to my clients.

Even if you hire me to edit your manuscript or coach you through the process, having these books on hand is a good idea for your own continual education and growth. These are the books that have helped me and countless others develop their fiction-writing skills.

General Fiction Writing

The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction by Jeff Gerke

“There is skill involved in writing excellent … fiction. There is craftsmanship to be learned. And there are the long hours pounding away on a manuscript that, by the time you’re done with it, has you convinced it’s the worst piece of garbage ever penned by man.”

The Story Equation by Susan May Warren

“You can plot your entire book by asking one powerful question, and then plugging it into an “equation” that makes your plot and characters come to life. You’ll learn how to create compelling characters, build the external and internal journey of your characters, create a theme, create story and scene tension, plot your novel organically, and even pitch and market your bestseller. All with one amazing question.”

5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing by C.S. Lakin

“5 Editors Tackle the Twelve Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing demonstrates the deadly dozen pitfalls on the road to a strong story, along with revisions that show writers exactly how to avoid novel failure. No other writing craft book offers such detailed instruction in how to spot and remedy the major flaws of fiction writing.”

Writing Deep Viewpoint by Kathy Tyers

“Deep viewpoint can convince your readers that they have become your characters. This powerful writing-craft skill set includes showing instead of telling, maintaining story flow, attributing dialogue effectively, and showing characters interact with convincing antagonists and believable settings. Writing coach, editor, and New York Times best-selling author Kathy Tyers presents a short powerful set of writing-craft tools in Writing Deep Viewpoint.”

Plot/Structure

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

“[A] comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 “beats” (plot points) that comprise a successful story–from the opening image to the finale–this book lays out the Ten Story Genres (Monster in the House; Whydunit; Dude with a Problem) alongside quirky, original insights (Save the Cat; Shard of Glass) to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate–and a novel that will sell.”

How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson

“How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method is a “business parable”—a how-to guide written in story form. It’s zany. It’s over the top. It’s just plain fun. Most important, it’s effective, because it shows you, rather than telling you.”

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

“How does plot influence story structure? What’s the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that’s gone off course? With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you’ll discover the answers to these questions and more.”

Characterization

Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins

“Want to bring characters to life on the page as vividly as fine actors do on the stage or screen? Getting Into Character will give you a whole new way of thinking about your writing. Drawing on the Method Acting theory that theater professionals have used for decades, this in-depth guide explains seven characterization techniques and adapts them for the novelist’s use.”

Plot Versus Character by Jeff Gerke

“What’s more important to a story: a gripping plot or compelling characters? Literary-minded novelists argue in favor of character-based novels while commercial novelists argue in favor of plot-based stories, but the truth of the matter is this: The best fiction is rich in both. Enter Plot Versus Character. This hands-on guide to creating a well-rounded novel embraces both of these crucial story components.”

What is Author Voice?

Research & Revising: Two Paths to Novel Writing

Conflict, Suspense, and Tension in Fiction

The Omniscient Point of View

Backstory: The Right and Wrong Ways to Use Dialogue

Take your self-editing skills to the next level.

How do you fix it?

” … bound to be a book you keep right next to your keyboard …. ”
–Cristel Phelps, Managing Editor for Fiction, Elk Lake Publishing, Inc

How to Write a Novel: Book Recommendations for All Writers

What are your favorite fiction-writing resources?

Latest Posts

The Fine Line Between Good & Great

Writing Descriptions: The Envelope Method

What is Character Voice?

What is Author Voice?

Dialogue: More than Talking

Effective Feedback: Get More From Your Beta Readers

Contact Us

Take your self-editing skills to the next level.

How do you fix it?

” … bound to be a book you keep right next to your keyboard …. ” –Cristel Phelps, Managing Editor for Fiction, Elk Lake Publishing, Inc

What are your favorite fiction-writing resources?

Latest Posts

Contact Us

” … bound to be a book you keep right next to your keyboard …. ”
–Cristel Phelps, Managing Editor for Fiction, Elk Lake Publishing, Inc