Question 1096: How To Write a Worstseller
Joe asks:Lots of people have opinions about how to write a bestseller. What are some of the more interesting and counter intuitive ways to write a book that never sells at all? Sponsored by Archivos
Joe asks:Lots of people have opinions about how to write a bestseller. What are some of the more interesting and counter intuitive ways to write a book that never sells at all? Sponsored by Archivos
Tim asks:Grit. How do you express a character’s mental toughness whether they’re a Point of View character or not? Resources mentioned:The Gulag ArchipelagoWitnessTakenJohn Wick Sponsored by Archivos
Tim asks:Do you see your characters more like real people or more like toys with all manner of features to employ in the narrative? Resources mentioned: On Fairy-Stories by JRR TolkienLast Days of Socrates by PlatoBiblical Book of JobCollected Classic Novels of HG WellsDavid Mamet Masterclass
Khellen asks:My antagonist hasn’t shown up halfway through the book and I’m not sure what to do. How do you build an effective antagonist for your stories? Resources Mentioned: Suave Rob’s Awesome Adventures by J. Daniel SawyerThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Sponsored by Archivos
Nichole asks:I’m having trouble expanding my short story into a novel. Can you give some techniques and examples? Resources: Predestination and Other Games of Chance (full cast audio podcast by J. Daniel Sawyer) Nightfall by Isaac Asimov novel, short story
Nichole asks: How can I make my first person narrator voice more distinctive? If I changed to third person, would that work better? Resources Mentioned:I, Claudius and Claudius the God, both by Robert GravesThe Clarke Lantham Mysteries by J. Daniel SawyerThe Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger Sponsored by Archivos
Tim asks:How can you make your character dynamics grow in intensity over the course of the story? Sponsored by Archivos
Ed asks:How do sexual taboos work in a shame based society? How much is internalized “don’t do this” vs. “don’t get caught”? Sponsored by Archivos
Nichole asks:What value can you get converting a first person narration to third? What are the obstacles? Sponsored by Archivos
Indiana Jim asks:You said on Twitter you had read a 500-page book by a reputed master, whom in the last eight pages, “breaks all thematic, plot, and character logic.” Without throwing this particular author under the bus, could you provide more detail on how this was accomplished so that we …