#novelwriting — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #novelwriting, aggregated by home.social.
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https://medium.com/the-writers-reach/how-to-write-a-1st-person-present-tense-novel-f6a1e78cf8cb
A 1st person present‑tense novel lets us access the narrator’s mind. You decide what they notice, ignore, admit, and hide.
#writing #writingcommunity #1stperson #presenttense #medium #novelwriting #novels
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4 Things I Do Before I Write the First Word of a Novel
Author Marybeth Mayhew Whalen shares the four things she does before writing the first word of a novel (that's worked 11 times so far).
The post 4 Things I Do Before I Write the First Word of a Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/4-things-i-do-before-i-write-the-first-word-of-a-novel#WriteBetterFiction #WritingTechniques #firstdrafts #novelwriting #writingtechniques
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https://medium.com/the-writers-reach/give-every-scene-a-hook-b4ba17dad204
Writers talk about hooks as if they only belong at the start of a story.
Every scene needs its own small hook and inciting incident.
#writingtips #hooks #IncitingIncidents #writing #medium #novelwriting
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https://medium.com/the-writers-reach/give-every-scene-a-hook-b4ba17dad204
Writers talk about hooks as if they only belong at the start of a story.
Every scene needs its own small hook and inciting incident.
#writingtips #hooks #IncitingIncidents #writing #medium #novelwriting
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https://medium.com/the-writers-reach/give-every-scene-a-hook-b4ba17dad204
Writers talk about hooks as if they only belong at the start of a story.
Every scene needs its own small hook and inciting incident.
#writingtips #hooks #IncitingIncidents #writing #medium #novelwriting
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Writing Books in the Age of AI
Author Laura Brooke Robson breaks down the turbulence of writing books in the age of AI and proposes the answer may be to write weirder.
The post Writing Books in the Age of AI appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-books-in-the-age-of-ai#WriteBetterFiction #WritingTechniques #AI #AIAndWriters #novelwriting
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Writing a Debut Novel—Expectation Vs. Reality
Author Georgia McVeigh shares her experience of writing a debut novel and breaks down her expectations versus reality.
The post Writing a Debut Novel—Expectation Vs. Reality appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-a-debut-novel-expectation-vs-reality#WriteBetterFiction #WritingTechniques #debutauthor #DebutNovel #novelwriting
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https://medium.com/@clnichols/list/the-storyangles-40-framework-a4a488744f60
A 5-part series: The StoryAngles 40 Framework.
In the 4-Act Novel, each act is one quarter of the book and has a distinct job. There are 40 story functions, grouped 10 per act, designed specifically for long‑form fiction.
#WritingCommunity #novel #novels #medium #novelwriting #writingtips
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I was chatting to a friend over coffee recently and they mentioned they'd been to a writing course and the instructor told them always to write by hand because it freed up creativity.
I'm sure that's true for some people. In fact I'm sure it's true for many people and I even expect there's research out there to back it up. And obviously helping people develop their writing is in part about helping them with their writing process. But for me the problem comes when a process suggestion becomes a rule.
I used to write longhand, in pencil. (Using a pen paralysed me, it felt as if ink made the words unalterable.) But it turns out I have terrible fine motor skills so my hand could never keep up with the stream of thought running through my arm. Not to mention I can't spell at speed, so looking back on what I'd written was enough to throw me into despair.
Now I can't really type either and I'm still not going to win any spelling bees, but my two fingers can put enough on the screen that I know what I meant and I can go back and fix it up when the flow stops. When I discovered the word processor (I'm that old!) it let me be creative in a way paper and pen just couldn't. I can type anything because with a click it disappears. No one but me will ever know what a shockingly bad sentence I'm capable of.
For me, writing is all in the editing. I used to tell my coding son he needed to write me a program that put random junk on the page so I'd have something to edit. (Careful what you wish for!)
Even in my first draft, I'm editing as I go. I'll write a sentence, a paragraph, a scene and then realise the idea and most of the words are right but whole isn't. I'll reverse sentences, change tense, reorder paragraphs and voila, clumsy, unsubtle text develops flow and depth. (Well, I think so anyway.) I need to shore up the foundations before I can build on them. With pen and paper, I'd have a scrawl of crossings out and intersecting arrows to insertions all covered with a smear of hand-heel ink that even I couldn't read.
Some people (I suspect) use pen and paper because it guides them forward. (It's not called the puke draft for nothing!) They may well be trying to avoid exactly what I'm trying to do. And that's a good way to write, if it's right for you. But it's not the only way, because our brains are all different and each has a different key to unlock it.
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Popular genre fiction runs on a recognizable emotional engine. We come to these books for a specific feeling. Tension, wonder, desire, fear, catharsis, justice, escape.
#firstdraft #novelwriting #novel #medium #writingcommunity #writingtips #storytelling #writing #writerscommunity
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Popular genre fiction runs on a recognizable emotional engine. We come to these books for a specific feeling. Tension, wonder, desire, fear, catharsis, justice, escape.
#firstdraft #novelwriting #novel #medium #writingcommunity #writingtips #storytelling #writing #writerscommunity
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The Failed Plot, and the Novel I Gained Along the Way
Author Rosie Walker shares how her experiment to reverse-engineer a thriller led to a failed plot, but then eventually to a new novel.
The post The Failed Plot, and the Novel I Gained Along the Way appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-failed-plot-and-the-novel-i-gained-along-the-way -
Learn to Love Criticism and Get Good at Rejection
Author Victoria Dillon shares a few lessons she's picked up about dealing with criticism and rejection on her publishing journey.
The post Learn to Love Criticism and Get Good at Rejection appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/learn-to-love-criticism-and-get-good-at-rejection#BeInspired #TheWritersLife #WritingHabitsandPractices #Criticism #novelwriting
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On Writing My Faust Novel
Author Emily Nemens discusses navigating life and writing a novel that felt like the result of a Faust-style deal.
The post On Writing My Faust Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/on-writing-my-faust-novel#BeInspired #TheWritersLife #WritingHabitsandPractices #novelwriting #perseverance
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Have you seen me share my circular outlines and wondered how I did it?
This week's blog is a bit longer than usual, but I'm using the space to explain my process! -
How I Wrote My First Novel
Maybe it's not great art, but it was a lot of fun and I learned many things. Continue reading on The Writing Cooperative »
https://writingcooperative.com/how-i-wrote-my-first-novel-cf6e5d15db8 -
3 Strategies To Search Manuscript Wishlist To Find Your Dream Agent
Manuscript Wish List (MSWL)is one of the go-to resources for authors to search for literary agents to represent their work. It's a… Continue reading on The Writing Cooperative »
https://writingcooperative.com/3-strategies-to-search-manuscript-wishlist-to-find-your-dream-agent-6fd57ba748a#querying #literaryagents #theshortofit #publishing #novelwriting
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How Journalism Research Is Great Training for Novel Writing
Author Marshall Fine breaks down how journalism and journalism research is great training for novel writing.
The post How Journalism Research Is Great Training for Novel Writing appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/how-journalism-research-is-great-training-for-novel-writing#WriteBetterFiction #WritingTechniques #journalism #novelwriting
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The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel
Author Chip Jacobs shares the events leading up to a near death experience while writing a novel during a catastrophic weather event.
The post The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-tree-and-the-voice-and-writing-a-novel#BeInspired #TheWritersLife #WritingHabitsandPractices #NearDeathExperience #novelwriting
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The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel
Author Chip Jacobs shares the events leading up to a near death experience while writing a novel during a catastrophic weather event.
The post The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-tree-and-the-voice-and-writing-a-novel#BeInspired #TheWritersLife #WritingHabitsandPractices #NearDeathExperience #novelwriting
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The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel
Author Chip Jacobs shares the events leading up to a near death experience while writing a novel during a catastrophic weather event.
The post The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-tree-and-the-voice-and-writing-a-novel#BeInspired #TheWritersLife #WritingHabitsandPractices #NearDeathExperience #novelwriting
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The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel
Author Chip Jacobs shares the events leading up to a near death experience while writing a novel during a catastrophic weather event.
The post The Tree and the Voice and Writing a Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-tree-and-the-voice-and-writing-a-novel#BeInspired #TheWritersLife #WritingHabitsandPractices #NearDeathExperience #novelwriting
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One Word at a Time: How to Finish Writing a Novel
Bestselling author Traci Hunter Abramson shares four tips she's used to write more than 50 novels over the years.
The post One Word at a Time: How to Finish Writing a Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/one-word-at-a-time-how-to-finish-writing-a-novel#WriteBetterFiction #WritingTechniques #FinishingFirstDraft #NationalNovelWritingMonth #novelwriting
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The Psychology of Portnoy: On the Making of Philip Roth's Groundbreaking Novel
https://lithub.com/the-psychology-of-portnoy-on-the-making-of-philip-roths-groundbreaking-novel/
#HackerNews #ThePsychologyOfPortnoy #PhilipRoth #Literature #Analysis #NovelWriting
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The Psychology of Portnoy: On the Making of Philip Roth's Groundbreaking Novel
https://lithub.com/the-psychology-of-portnoy-on-the-making-of-philip-roths-groundbreaking-novel/
#HackerNews #ThePsychologyOfPortnoy #PhilipRoth #Literature #Analysis #NovelWriting
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The Psychology of Portnoy: On the Making of Philip Roth's Groundbreaking Novel
https://lithub.com/the-psychology-of-portnoy-on-the-making-of-philip-roths-groundbreaking-novel/
#HackerNews #ThePsychologyOfPortnoy #PhilipRoth #Literature #Analysis #NovelWriting
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The Psychology of Portnoy: On the Making of Philip Roth's Groundbreaking Novel
https://lithub.com/the-psychology-of-portnoy-on-the-making-of-philip-roths-groundbreaking-novel/
#HackerNews #ThePsychologyOfPortnoy #PhilipRoth #Literature #Analysis #NovelWriting
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The Psychology of Portnoy: On the Making of Philip Roth's Groundbreaking Novel
https://lithub.com/the-psychology-of-portnoy-on-the-making-of-philip-roths-groundbreaking-novel/
#HackerNews #ThePsychologyOfPortnoy #PhilipRoth #Literature #Analysis #NovelWriting
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The Unconscious Journey From Story to Novel
Author John C Hampsey relates his journey from writing a short story to expanding to a novel and following the unconscious mind.
The post The Unconscious Journey From Story to Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-unconscious-journey-from-story-to-novel#ShortStory #WriteBetterFiction #novelwriting #shortstory #ShortStoryWriting
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Stop Being Afraid Of This Element Of Your Writing Process
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https://writingcooperative.com/stop-being-afraid-of-this-element-of-your-writing-process-a3c302a1a31 -
Are Short Stories Or Novels Harder To Write?
A compare and contrast of our two favorite fiction forms Continue reading on The Writing Cooperative »
https://writingcooperative.com/are-short-stories-or-novels-harder-to-write-a58b9634198#creativewriting #novelwriting #fictionwriting #theshortofit #shortstorywriting
@indieauthors -
I’m currently working on my novel, writing some Morning pages to track my progress. Rewriting the terrible chapter 3 addressing the biggest issue in Draft 4. #novelwriting
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Two chapters into Draft 4 of “Project Manchester,” the story is mostly the same as the previous drafts, except for improved character development. New character sheets #writing #amwriting #novelwriting
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Just dropped my novella outline into ChatGPT #writing #novelwriting
"Your novella moves organically, emotionally, and efficiently. Each act serves a distinct function and transitions naturally into the next. The emotional pacing mirrors the creative one, which is crucial for a music-driven story.”
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The Soundtrack of a Story: How Music Shaped My Novel
Author Jane L. Rosen shares how music shaped her novel by revealing how she chose the soundtrack of her story.
The post The Soundtrack of a Story: How Music Shaped My Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-soundtrack-of-a-story-how-music-shaped-my-novel#BeInspired #TheWritersLife #WritingHabitsandPractices #music #novelwriting
@indieauthors -
On the off chance anyone is interested, I've started working on a writing tool for authors. I know there are already quite a few, but either they all felt like overkill or I just didn't get on with them.
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The Page or The Stage: The Differences in Writing Novels vs. Scripts
Award-winning playwright and novelist Leslie Liautaud breaks down the differences in writing novels vs. scripts, or The Page vs. The Stage.
https://www.writersdigest.com/the-page-or-the-stage-the-differences-in-writing-novels-vs-scripts#Genre #ScreenwritingFilm #WriteBetterFiction #WritingTechniques #novelwriting
@indieauthors -
From Short To Long: Fiction Writing Skills That Transfer
What writing short stories taught me about writing novels, and what it didn't Continue reading on The Writing Cooperative »
https://writingcooperative.com/from-short-to-long-fiction-writing-skills-that-transfer-9cfb1d983bc#shortfiction #novelwriting #theshortofit #writingskills #shortstory
@indieauthors -
Thoughts that Keep Me Going While I Write the Second Draft of My Fantasy Novel
Because this is the hardest thing I've ever done Continue reading on The Writing Cooperative »
https://writingcooperative.com/thoughts-that-keep-me-going-while-i-write-the-second-draft-of-my-fantasy-novel-d26c2e7c70c#novelwriting #writing #writingmotivation #fantasywriting #seconddraft
@indieauthors -
Attention African authors !
The Island Prize is open for submissions:https://www.hhousebooks.com/island-prize-2024-25/#africanauthors #writingcompetition #africanliterature #novelwriting
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Happy New Year !
Calling all African authors - the Island Prize is now open!
https://www.hhousebooks.com/island-prize-2024-25/
#africanauthors #africanwriters #novelwriting #writingcompetition #submissionsopen
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Happy New Year !
Calling all African authors - the Island Prize is now open!
https://www.hhousebooks.com/island-prize-2024-25/
#africanauthors #africanwriters #novelwriting #writingcompetition #submissionsopen
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Happy New Year !
Calling all African authors - the Island Prize is now open!
https://www.hhousebooks.com/island-prize-2024-25/
#africanauthors #africanwriters #novelwriting #writingcompetition #submissionsopen
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#bookmemes #writing #editing #creativewriting #contentwriting #copywriting #amwriting #writerlife #authors #novelwriting #poetry #freelancewriting #writingcommunity #fictionwriting #nonfiction #storytelling #editingservices #publishing #screenwriting #bookwriting #writinggoals #authorsofinstagram #indieauthors #writingmotivation #writingprompts
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A couple of months ago, I wrote a Mastodon thread about one of my favorite creative writing exercises known as Cartes Noires or “Black Cards” in English. The response from writers on the Fediverse was really positive. However, I found trying to explain some of the finer details of this constraint somewhat challenging with the character limit. So, that’s why we’re here! In this post, I wanted to do a write-up in a blog format so I could include more details, more photos, and a better resource for future writers.
What Is Cartes Noires?
Cartes Noires is a constrained writing exercise to help authors craft the plot for a mystery novel in about 30 minutes. To do it, you only need a standard deck of playing cards and your imagination. By setting a couple of rules about what certain cards mean, it is possible to make a fairly elaborate, novel-length whodunnit story on the fly.
There are a ton of different ways that someone could modify this basic novel writing framework to suit their individual needs or genres. The idea of using playing cards for story writing shows up in other narrative discipplines other than novel writing. In that regard, there are related farmworks out there for other genres. For instance, there is a similar similar system using a deck of cards called The Quiet Year, which is adapted for fantasy worldbuilding in the TTRPG world. What makes Cartes Noires unique is its use of laying cards out in a specific arrangement with certain positions meaning certain relationships between characters, or types of clues in the story. This makes the exercise sort of cousin of tarrot cards.
Some of the commenters from my original thread openly wondered if a tarot deck could work instead of playing cards. Even if it couldn’t (due to that pesky fifth suit), this system certainly feels like murder divinination. So, let’s light a few white spell candles beneath an alter to Agatha Christie and get started.
Who Created Cartes Noires?
The Oulipo is credited with the creation of this and many other creative writing exercises like it. The Oulipo is a group of predominantly French writers and mathematicians who sought to create a catalog of constrained writing prompts and creative writing exercises. These writing constraints designed to sharpen the skills of new and old writers alike, and they often featured a mathematical twist. Many giants of postmodern literature called themselves members at one time or another during their careers. Alums include Georges Perec, Italo Calvino, François Le Lionnais, and Raymond Queneau. The word “Oulipo” is a portmanteau that stands for Ouvroir de littérature potentielle, roughtly translated as “the workshop for potential literature.”
Creative Writing Exercises For Detective Fiction
To be more specific, the Cartes Noires system was developed by an offshoot group inspired by the Oulipo, called the Oulipopo. The extra “po” stands for the word policière, which in this case makes the translated group name read as “the workshop for potential detective literature.” Altogether, that means that the Oulipopo was focused making constrained writing prompts for mystery novels and dective fiction.
Cartes Noires was one of the creative writing exercises that came out of this group. The Oulipopo and the Oulipo saw constraints like this as a way of forcing a writer to adhere to a set of rules to help them sharpen, focus, or otherwise enhance their writing by forcing them to think outside of the box. A box, in fact, that the author helped create in the first place!
Setup & Example Exercise
Here is an example image of what Cartes Noires might look like when laid out on a table. Note that specific cards are laid out in a certain order. I will describe what each of these cards, suits, and positions means in detail.
To get started you will need a deck of playing cards, but not the whole deck.
You Will Need:
- Face Cards
- Aces
- 10’s
- 8’s
- 7’s
Note that the image I posted on this tutorial also has 2’s. This is a non-standard addition that I used to customize the constraint to my own needs, but more on that later. For now, know that you are free to adapt this system to your particular needs, or even just as a way to challenge yourself.
What The Cards Mean
- Kings and Queens represent the main suspects in your case. One of these will be your victim, you’re free to choose the one you like based on the plot suggested by the arrangement of the cards and the kind of stories you like to write.
- Jacks represent witnesses.
- Aces represent powerful motives for a suspect to commit the crime. Each suit represents a different kind of motive which I describe below. Note that aces can only implicate a single suspect at a time based on where it is placed in the grid. So, even though an Ace of Spades is touching both the King of Diamonds and the Queen of Spades, the Ace of Spades only directly implicates the Queen of Spades.
- The ace in the upper right implicates the suspect on its right.
- The ace in the bottom right implicates the suspect directly below.
- The ace in the bottom left implicates the suspect on its left.
- The ace in the upper left implicates the suspect directly above.
- 10’s represent a secret relationship between the two face cards they are touching. The suit of the card suggests the nature of the relationship.
- 7’s represent circumstantial evidence whether it be, hearsay or some other form of inference.
- 8’s represent physical evidence like blood, footprints, the murder weapon, etc.
Each type of card from this list is used to represent a different plot element in your story.
On Red Herrings
In my customized version of the constraint, I used 2’s to represent red herrings that I want to plant during the story. This could be something like a popular (but incorrect) reading of what certain evidence may mean concerning the case or even something as simple as a witness who lies to the detective.
What The Suits Mean
The card suits represent motives or character traits in a general sense. Every card’s meaning, character, or relevance to the plot can be augmented by the suit it carries.
- Spades represent misdemeanors and illegal, corrupt, or simply dubious activities.
- Clubs represent financial interests, money, greed, venality, envy, and avarice.
- Hearts represent passion, love, hatred, jealousy, and vengeance.
- Diamonds represent ambition, betrayal, and power.
Keep these suits in mind when you are laying out your cards. It will help you figure out how your suspects are connected, why they may have wanted to commit a crime, and what their backgrounds are. Get creative here!
Laying Out The Cards
To begin with, this constrained writing system is always a little more fun if you give the deck a good shuffle. That way, you can be surprised by the unexpected combinations of cards and positions. Of course, you can”fine-tune” the story by moving a few cards around to fit a particular reading.
Start With The Aces
Lay your aces out in a 2×2 grid. Remember that the placement of each ace implicates a certain suspect. Refer to the cards list above for details.
Arrange The Royals & 10’s
Place face cards directly above, below, left, and right of the Aces. In the corners, place the 10’s.
Complete The Evidence Squares
The 10’s you placed in the last step make up one corner of what I call the “Evidence Squares”. Adjacent to each ten place a single 7, and a 8. Diagonal to the 10, place a Jack.
Add Your Own Creative Touch (Optional)
Now you have a choice. As I’ve said before, you could jump ahead and decipher what your cards may mean. Or you can rearrange them, or add more cards to the base structure to suggest other requirements for your plot.
Interpreting The Cards
Now for the fun part.
Your final arrangement should give you some examples of how your prime suspects are related, why they wanted the victim dead, who that victim knew, and the kinds of evidence that the killer may (or may not) have left behind. Plus, your arrangement may suggest any number of red herrings, plausible (but ultimately, wrong) motives to kill the victim, and even some general ideas about how your detective could learn information by talking to suspects and gathering clues.
A Sample Card Reading
Using my example image once again, here are some plot points the cards may suggest:
- The King of Hearts is a writer and our victim. He appears to have been murdered in a crime of passion (AH).
- One suspect is a rich movie director (KC) who was being blackmailed by the victim (via 10C).
- Other suspects include an Ex-Lover (QH) who wanted to kill the victim because he had ruined her career, and King of Diamonds, a long-lost friend of the victim who may have murdered him over a disagreement about a crime they committed together as kids.
A note on interpreting Jacks. It helps to limit the scope of these cards to the two suspects they are closest to. Let’s refer to my example image again. The 8 of Clubs and the 7 of Diamonds in the upper left-hand corner are logically related to the Queen of Clubs and the King of Spades. This means that this witness has specific information about one or both of the suspects in this corner of the grid.
Summary
Speaking for myself, writing constraints like Cartes Noires get me really inspired to write. They a true challenge to pull off and work into a story without anyone noticing. However, they force me to consider every step in my writing and really show up during the process. I’ve said it before, it’s really easy to get in a writing rut.
As writers, we so often delude ourselves into thinking we have creative control over every aspect of our writing. We tell ourselves we can write anything we want. However, we fall short of that promise when we reach for the same tools, words, and plots time and time again.
I believe keeping creative writing exercises like this on hand can make us better writers. More than that, I think regular practice can also make us better judges of craft.
If you end up writing a piece of writing using Cartes Noires, I’d love to read it! Please feel free to share your experiences and let me know what it was like for you in your practice.
https://abmurrow.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-exercises-for-mystery-and-detective-fiction/
#AmWriting #Blog #ConstrainedWriting #Experimental #mystery #Novel #NovelWriting #Oulipo #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt
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Is he right or is he right?
Happy #Caturday !
#writingquotes #aldoushuxleyquotes #aldoushuxley #novelwriting
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Sulu the book-reading black cat recommends: 'Writing Vivid Plots: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors' 😊
mybook.to/Plot
Sulu is a rescue cat I adopted from a cat shelter. Nobody else wanted him, simply because he was black. He enjoys posing for photos and adores books. 🥰
#writing #novelwriting #fictionwriting #writers #shortstorywriter #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #cats #rescuecat #luckyblackcat #blackcat #blackcats #nanowrimo
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Your main character has a pet. What kind of animal is it? What role does it play in the plot?
#writing #writingtip #writingtips #fictionwriting #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #novelwriting
#writingskills #writingcraft #writerscraft
#nanowrimo #nanowrimo2023 -
NaNoWriMo Prompt for Today
Your main character has a secret. What is it? Why does he/she go to great lengths to hide it from everyone else?#writing #writingtip #writingtips #fictionwriting #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #novelwriting
#writingskills #writingcraft #writerscraft
#nanowrimo #nanowrimo2023