The Every Day Novelist

Joe asks: Lots of young people want to be writers, but don’t have enough life experience to write anything interesting. What ways do you recommend to gain that sort of life experience? Meditations by Marcus AureliusThe Bed of Procrustes by Nassim Nicholas TalebThe Notebooks of Lazarus LongCity Slickers The post Question 1104: Building Life Experience appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Indiana Jim asks: Stephen J. Cannell produced some of the best television shows ever, and I know you’re an aficionado. What was his secret sauce for engaging and enduring episodic storytelling? WiseguyRockford FilesThe A TeamSilk StalkingsThe Commish The post Questions 1103: Cannell’s Secret Sauce appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

A handful of announcements, or what we’ve been up to. The Write Stuff50 by 50 ChallengeLost Days, Last Nights announcement postThe Shoes I Wore This Morning, a sample of the Lost Days collectionUnfolding the World substackAnd Then She Was Gone The post Catch-up & Announcements appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Joe asks:I’ve been enjoying these short q&a podcasts! Here’s a question for your next one: what is your take on reading as a writer? Do you believe it’s important to read widely in the genre you write, or to avoid your genre and read widely in everything else? I’ve heard … The post Question 1102: Reading as a Writer appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Tim asks: What’re your opinions on pacing an Action-adventure novel? How much action is actually necessary? King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider HaggardSahara by Clive CusslerIndiana JonesRomancing the StoneThe Killing Floor by Lee ChildJurrassic Park (film)Congo (film)The Lost World by DoyleThe Mummy The post Question 1101: Pacing in Action-Adventure appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Where/how do you go to track down and read those books out of copyright? You mentioned King Solomon’s Mine recently and I’d love to get a copy of that on my ereader if there’s a free resource to grab it. Notes:Archive.orgSFFaudio.orgLibriVox The post Question 1100: Finding Public Domain Books appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Caine asks:In a self evaluation of our own skill sets/aptitudes as a writer, what identifiers should exist that would indicate we have developed into a substantial professional writer? How do we know that we have what we need skills wise? What should we be able to do? What should we … The post Question 1099: Measuring Yourself as a Writer appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Khellan asks:I’ve recently started carving out some “guaranteed” time to write fiction 3 times a week. It’s been a long time. Do you have any tools or tricks to get you back in the particular headspace or mood for the specific story you’re working on, or have you ingrained the … The post Question 1098: Getting Back In The Mood appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Khellen asks:You mentioned punctuation and that stuff in another episode… Do you have enough to create a mini ebook with that stuff in? It is 123.6% worthwhile, because I forget and have to find a couple of books to figure out the rules! Sponsored by Archivos The post Question 1097: We Need a Punctuation Master Class appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

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 The post Question 1096: How To Write a Worstseller appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Tim asks:I’ve noticed dictation results in a more twisty story than typing, at least for me. I guess I’m curious if there are any techniques you use that alter the kind of story that results? Resources Mentioned:The Clarke Lantham MysteriesJ. Daniel Sawyer Fiction Podcast The post Question 1095: Dictation and Twisty Plots appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

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 The post Question 1093: Mentally Tough Characters appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Joe asks:What writing advice would have totally tanked you as a writer if you hadn’t ignored it? Resources Mentioned:The Collected Poems of Emily DickensonThe Best of Hemingway The post Question 1092: Destructive Writing Advice appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

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 The post Question 1091: Individual Characters or Chessmen? appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Ed asks:Can you riff on creative partnerships, particularly long term? What makes them succeed? What makes them fail? How does one find a creative partner? And how does one adapt or change when a creative partnership ends? Resources Mentioned:The Expanse by James S.A. CoreyThe Man Who Wrote Frankenstein by John … The post Question 1090: Creative Partnerships appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

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 The post Question 1089: Creating Effective Antagonists appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Dawn asks: Which is best for writing: typing, longhand, or dictation? Why? Sponsored by Archivos The post Question 1088: Writing Implements appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

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 The post Question 1087: Expanding a Short Story Into a Novel appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Dawn asks:How should a lonely writer go about networking with other writers? The post Questions 1086: Networking for Writers appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Nichole asks: How does one show the gender of a first person narrator? Resources: I, Claudius by Robert Graves Sponsored by Archivos The post Question 1085: Showing Narrator Gender in First Person appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.