The phrase &quot;cut to the chase&quot; originated in the film industry.  When shooting and editing a movie, if things are getting dull cut to a chase scene.  Cut to the chase applies to our novels and short stories, too.  Here are ways we writers can make our stories stronger and our sentences more forceful by cutting to the chase.  Also, a suggestion on naming characters.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'>Buy the master class.</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;The phrase &amp;quot;cut to the chase&amp;quot; originated in the film industry.  When shooting and editing a movie, if things are getting dull cut to a chase scene.  Cut to the chase applies to our novels and short stories, too.  Here are ways we writers can make our stories stronger and our sentences more forceful by cutting to the chase.  Also, a suggestion on naming characters.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'&gt;Buy the master class.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The phrase "cut to the chase" originated in the film industry.  When shooting and editing a movie, if things are getting dull cut to a chase scene.  Cut to the chase applies to our novels and short stories, too.  Here are ways we writers can make our stories stronger and our sentences more forceful by cutting to the chase.  Also, a suggestion on naming characters. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialo...

Episode 220 - Cut to the chase.

Here is a checklist of things we likely should think about as we begin our first chapter: some elements to have in the beginning pages of our story and some things to avoid.  Also: the strong technique of using contrast in consecutive scenes so that lights shine on both scenes.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'>Buy the master class.</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Here is a checklist of things we likely should think about as we begin our first chapter: some elements to have in the beginning pages of our story and some things to avoid.  Also: the strong technique of using contrast in consecutive scenes so that lights shine on both scenes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'&gt;Buy the master class.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Here is a checklist of things we likely should think about as we begin our first chapter: some elements to have in the beginning pages of our story and some things to avoid.  Also: the strong technique of using contrast in consecutive scenes so that lights shine on both scenes. Support the show Buy the master class. 

Episode 219 - How to get our story going.

What is a singular attribute that separates Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Alan Poe?  Their literary voices.  Here are thoughts on our own voices: if and how we should try to develop them.  Also: the strong tool of contrast, when the character contrasts with the setting.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'>Buy the master class.</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;What is a singular attribute that separates Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Alan Poe?  Their literary voices.  Here are thoughts on our own voices: if and how we should try to develop them.  Also: the strong tool of contrast, when the character contrasts with the setting.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'&gt;Buy the master class.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What is a singular attribute that separates Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Alan Poe?  Their literary voices.  Here are thoughts on our own voices: if and how we should try to develop them.  Also: the strong tool of contrast, when the character contrasts with the setting. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and a...

Episode 218 - Our  writer's voice.

Writing is like learning the violin.  We can get better.  Here are reasons we should practice, and suggestions how to do so.  And what sparked Edgar Alan Poe&apos;s imagination?  Also: how much of our story should be scenes rather than summary? The answer: should fill our story with scenes that play out  in real time in front of the reader like a movie.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'>Buy the master class.</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Writing is like learning the violin.  We can get better.  Here are reasons we should practice, and suggestions how to do so.  And what sparked Edgar Alan Poe&amp;apos;s imagination?  Also: how much of our story should be scenes rather than summary? The answer: should fill our story with scenes that play out  in real time in front of the reader like a movie.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'&gt;Buy the master class.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Writing is like learning the violin.  We can get better.  Here are reasons we should practice, and suggestions how to do so.  And what sparked Edgar Alan Poe's imagination?  Also: how much of our story should be scenes rather than summary? The answer: should fill our story with scenes that play out  in real time in front of the reader like a movie. Support the show Buy the master class. 

Episode 217 - Why and how to practice.  And Edgar Alan Poe.

What&apos;s the problem with having a lot of characters in a scene?  Aren&apos;t lots of people needed to make street scenes and party scenes and sports scenes and battle scenes credible?   I&apos;ll talk about the problem of too many characters, and how we can fix the crowded scene so it doesn&apos;t lose focus.  Also, a quick almost  magical way to make our sentences stronger using the global search function on our computer.  And lovely setting descriptions from Rachel Joyce.Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'>Buy the master class.</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;What&amp;apos;s the problem with having a lot of characters in a scene?  Aren&amp;apos;t lots of people needed to make street scenes and party scenes and sports scenes and battle scenes credible?   I&amp;apos;ll talk about the problem of too many characters, and how we can fix the crowded scene so it doesn&amp;apos;t lose focus.  Also, a quick almost  magical way to make our sentences stronger using the global search function on our computer.  And lovely setting descriptions from Rachel Joyce.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more.  Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes.  The full class—all 20 episodes—is available now for a one-time price of forty-nine dollars.  If you want structured, concise guidance, click the Buy the Master Class link in the show notes to get started.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/TheEssentialGuidetoWritingaNovel?view_as=patron"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patreon.com/posts/146939958/edit?purchase_only=true'&gt;Buy the master class.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What's the problem with having a lot of characters in a scene?  Aren't lots of people needed to make street scenes and party scenes and sports scenes and battle scenes credible?   I'll talk about the problem of too many characters, and how we can fix the crowded scene so it doesn't lose focus.  Also, a quick almost  magical way to make our sentences stronger using the global search function on our computer.  And lovely setting descriptions from Rachel Joyce. Here...

Episode 216 - Too many characters is a scene.

Hosted by James Thayer, the podcast is a practical, step-by-step manual on how to craft a novel.  It presents a set of tools for large issues such as story development and scene construction (Kirkus Reviews said Thayer's novels are "superbly crafted') and it also examines techniques that will make your sentence-by-sentence writing shine. The New York Times Book Review has said Thayer's "writing is smooth and clear.  it wastes no words, and it has a rhythm only confident stylists achieve.

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Details

Recent Episodes