Table of Contents

Part 1 Best-Selling Advice: Inspiration and Ideas 2

1 Training Your Ideas: How to Keep Your Inspiration from Running Wild N.M. Kelby 5

2 Bend It, Amp It, Drive It, Strip It: How to Develop Any Idea into a Great Story Elizabeth Sims 12

3 The Taming of the Muse: Encouraging Inspiration Through Craft and Play Pauls Munier 19

4 Testing the Strength of Your Story Ideas: How to Ensure Your Idea Can Carry the Weight of a Novel Fred White 27

5 Fire Up Your Fiction: Igniting Your Novel with Passion and Purpose Donald Maass 34

Best-Selling Advice: Plot and Structure 38

6 The Hero's Journey: Implementing the Classic Storytelling Model Paula Munier 41

7 The Two Pillars of Novel Structure: How to Build a Sturdy Platform for Your Story James Scott Sell 47

8 Weaving In a Seamless Backstory: Creating the Tapestry of Your Character's Past Karen Dionne 53

9 The Essential Endgame Structure: Techniques for Ending Your Novel Effectively Larry Brooks 59

10 Supporting Stories: Adding Depth to Your Novel Through Subplots Jessica Page Morrell 65

11 Behind the Scene: Five Techniques for Crafting Stronger Scenes James Scott Bell 73

Best-Selling Advice: Characters 77

12 Character Study: Populating Your Fiction with an Authentic Cast Alice Hoffman 80

13 Unearthing Your Character: Drilling Down to the Core Personality Jeff Gerke 83

14 The Outer Limits: How to Stretch Your Character David Corbett 90

15 Complicating Your Characters: Creating Complex Motivations and Backstories Joseph Bates 98

16 Status: What No One is Teaching You About Characterization Steven James 106

17 The Main Introduction: Revealing Your Character's Key Elements from the Start Jordan Rosenfeld 114

Best-Selling Advice: Craft and Style 120

18 Transform Your Novel into a Symphony: How to Orchestrate Theme, Emotion, Character, and More Elizabeth Sims 122

19 Something to Say: Weaving Theme into Your Novel Donald Maass 129

20 Six Powerful Ways to Maintain Suspense: Keep Your Readers Captivated Steven James 135

21 Make Your Setting a Character: How to Create a Rich, Immersive Story World Donald Maass 142

22 Strengthening the Conflict: How to Fuel Your Novel with Complications Jack Smith 149

23 Seven Tools for Talk: Tinkering with Your Characters' Dialogue James Scott Bell 157

24 Choosing the Best POV for Your Story: How to Focus the Lens of Your Narrative Nancy Kress 163

Part 2 The Writing Process

Best-Selling Advice: Getting Started 169

25 Write Like Poe: Reshape, Revise, and Reimagine Great Literary Styles to Discover Your Own Voice Mort Castle 172

26 Break the Blocks to Creative Flow: Techniques for Combating Writing Inertia Jordan Rosenfeld 177

Best-Selling Advice: Rituals & Methods 184

27 Mining for Diamonds: Strike It Rich with Research Without Getting Buried Alive David Corbett 187

28 Map Your Novel with a Reverse Outline: Planning with the End in Mind N.M. Kelby 195

29 Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story: How to Go from Premise to Completed Draft K.M. Weiland 199

30 Plantsing: The Art of Plotting and Pantsing Jeff Somers 205

31 Rough It Up: Get Messy with Your First Draft to Get to the Good Stuff Elizabeth Sims 212

32 Titling Your Story: Give Your Novel a Memorable, Inspired Title Steve Almond 216

Best-Selling Advice: Revision and Editing 220

33 The Geyser Approach to Revision: How to Keep Your Inspiration Flowing During the Editing Phase James Scott Bell 222

34 Your Revision Checklist Removing the Guesswork from the Process Josip Novakovich 230

35 The Great Revision Pyramid: How to Tackle Revisions Layer by Layer Gabriela Pereira 238

Part 3 Exploring Novel Genres

36 Literary Lust Versus Commercial Cash: Earning Respect and an Income Jodi Picoult 247

37 Understanding the Elements of Literary Fiction: How to Incorporate Style, Symbolism, and Characterization Jack Smith 251

38 World Creation in Science Fiction: Establishing the Rules for Hyperspace, Time Travel, and More Orson Scott Card 258

39 What "High-Concept" Means in Any Genre: Gauging How (and Where) Your Work Fits In Jeff Lyons 269

40 Write This, Not That: Key Ingredients for a Satisfying Mystery Elizabeth Sims 274

41 The Stuff Series Are Made Of: How to Keep Readers Riveted from Book to Book Karen S. Wiesner 281

42 Writing Investigation: Clues, Red Herrings, and Misdirection Hallie Ephron 288

43 Blurred Lines: How to Write and Sell a Cross-Genre Novel Michelle Richmond 295

44 Love Gone Wrong: Five Common Flaws in Romance Novels Leigh Michaels 300

45 Between the Sheets: How to Write Compelling Love Scenes Deborah Halverson 306

46 Know Your Young Audience: How to Write for Middle-Grade and Young Adult Readers Mary Kole 310

47 Making Magic: How to Enchant Readers with Magic Realism Kristin Bair O'Keeffe 317

Part 4 Finding and Cultivating a Market for Your Work

Best-Selling Advice: Publishing 325

48 Basics of a Solid Three-Paragraph Query: How to Pitch Your Novel Like a Pro Ann Rittenberg 328

49 Your Guide to an Effective Novel Synopsis: Summarize Your Story in a Compelling Way Chuck Sambuchino and the Editors of Writer's Digest 334

50 Straw into Gold: Transform Rejection into a Plan of Action Wendy Burt-Thomas 338

51 Author Platform 2.0: The Next Steps to Successful Self-Promotion Jane Friedman - 342

52 Going Public: How to Ace Readings, Signings, Interviews, and More Elizabeth Sims 349

53 Revise Your Path to Publication: Assessing Your Current Trajectory and Adjusting for the Best Outcome Jane Friedman 355

54 Dissecting the Self-Publishing Contract: Five Key Issues for Authors Aimee Bissonette 363

55 Failure to Launch: Why Good Novels Fail to Sell Donald Maass 369

56 Best of Both Worlds: Cultivating Success as a Hybrid Author Chuck Wendig 377

Part 5 Interviews with Novelists

Best-Selling Advice: Readers 385

57 David Baldacci: Absolute Writer Jessica Strawser 388

58 Lee Child: The Rise of Reacher Zachary Petit 396

59 Patricia Cornwell: A Life of Crime Jessica Strawser 402

60 Kathryn Craft: How Structure Supports Meaning Janice Gable Bashman 410

61 Robert Crais: Fired Up Jessica Strawser 416

62 Emma Donoghue: Room with a View Jessica Strawser 422

63 Joe Hill: The Once and Future King Zachary Petit 428

Best-Selling Advice: Purpose 434

64 Khaled Hosseini: Moving Mountains Jessica Strawser 437

65 Hugh Howey: Brave New World Rachel Randall 445

66 Stephen King, and Jerry B. Jenkins: Writing Rapture Jessica Strawser 451

67 Dennis Lehane: Pride of Ownership Steve Boisson 459

68 George R.R. Martin: At the Top of His Game Rich Shivener 465

69 Brad Meltzer: Walking the Line Jessica Strawser 471

70 Jojo Moyes: Going Global Jessica Strawser 477

71 Christopher Rice: Blood Bond Zachary Petit Anne Rice 483

72 Jane Smiley: Smart Luck Adrienne Crezo 493

73 Garth Stein: Illuminated Jessica Strawser 499

Permissions 505

Index 511