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July 5, 2020 By Anne R. Allen 51 Comments

The Biggest Writing Craft Issue New Novelists Face, and 7 Ways to Avoid It.

The Biggest Writing Craft Issue New Novelists Face, and 7 Ways to Avoid It.

 by Anne R. Allen We all have a writing craft issue or two…or three or four or five, no matter where we are in our careers. Yes, even professional authors who have written ten or more novels. I’m wrestling with some myself with my forthcoming Camilla book, Catfishing in America, which is still, alas, only […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: episodic storytelling, Novel structure, The Lady of the Lakewood Diner

June 22, 2014 By Anne R. Allen 71 Comments

How to Plan a Novel without Actually Outlining: 3 Awesome Tips from Nathan Bransford

How to Plan a Novel without Actually Outlining: 3 Awesome Tips from Nathan Bransford

I’m so jazzed  we’re hosting Nathan Bransford this week!  Mr. Bransford—who is a children’s author, former literary agent, and blogging legend—gave this blog its start when he offered me a guest spot on his blog in 2010. I wrote a piece on why you should keep writing, no matter what, called You May Be a Bestseller on Trafalmadore.  […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: How to Be a Writer in the E-Age, how to write a novel, Nathan Bransford, Novel structure, Outlining, pantser vs. planner, Writing tips

November 11, 2012 By Anne R. Allen 36 Comments

The Biggest Problem Facing the Beginning Novelist—And 6 Tips for Avoiding It

The Biggest Problem Facing the Beginning Novelist—And  6 Tips for Avoiding It

 by Anne R. Allen   Creating compelling narrative takes more than great characters, sparkling dialogue and exciting action.  All those elements have to come together in one story. One story. Not a series of episodes. As creatures of the television era, a lot of us tend to think in episodes rather than one long story […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: Antagonist, E. M. Forster, episodic storytelling, How to Write a Damn Good Novel, how to write a novel, James N. Frey, Kristen Lamb, logline, Michael Chabon, Novel structure, Story arc

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Anne R. AllenAnne R. Allen writes funny mysteries and how-to-books for writers. She also writes poetry and short stories on occasion. She’s a contributor to Writer’s Digest and the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market.

Her bestselling Camilla Randall Mystery Series features perennially down-on-her-luck former socialite Camilla Randall—who is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.

Ruth Harris NYT best selling authorRuth is a million-copy New York Times bestselling author, Romantic Times award winner, former Big 5 editor, publisher, and news junkie.

Her emotional, entertaining women’s fiction and critically praised novels have sold millions of copies in hard cover, paperback and ebook editions, been translated into 19 languages, sold in 30 countries, and were prominent selections of leading book clubs including the Literary Guild and the Book Of The Month Club.

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