Nail Your Novel: Draft, Fix & Finish With Confidence. A Companion Workbook
By Roz Morris
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About this ebook
You’re writing a novel... Unlock your full potential and finish like a pro When Roz Morris first published Nail Your Novel in 2009, writers of all stripes devoured her 10-step process for drafting, fixing and finishing. This workbook enlarges that process, guiding you to:
* tame your inner critic
* devise compelling characters and surprising plots
* find resonance
* hit your essential genre/non-genre notes
* find your best method for drafting and polishing
* craft a standout title
* write a slick synopsis and sales pitch
* organise and complete your research tasks
And much more.
Use on its own or alongside the original book for extra depth.
This book is a contract with yourself. Draft, fix and finish with confidence. Get your copy now.
Roz Morris
STOP PRESS! Roz Morris's novel Lifeform Three was longlisted for the World Fantasy Award.NEW RELEASE! Ever Rest, Roz's long awaited 3rd novel, launched on 3 June 2021. Read it now!Roz Morris writes fiction and essays about unusual ways we can be haunted and how we seek people and places we belong with. Her work has been profiled by The Guardian, Literature Works, the Potomac Review, Rain Taxi and BBC Radio.Her fiction has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, although you won't have seen her name on the covers - she began her career in secret, ghostwriting fiction for big-name authors.Now she's coming out of the shadows. Her own novels have been described as 'profound tales and compelling page-turners', with fine-honed language, unforgettable characters, and gripping, unusual storylines. Plaudits include a top-ranked title in the American Library Journal programme, a longlisting for an international award alongside Neil Gaiman and a finalist position in the People's Book Prize 2017.She is a writer, journalist, fiction editor and the author of the Nail Your Novel series for writers. She teaches creative writing masterclasses for The Guardian newspaper in London and is also the author of a series for writers - Nail Your Novel.If you want to get to know her a little better, drop in at www.rozmorris.wordpress.com and her blog www.nailyournovel.com - where she keeps a regular diary of challenges she's tackling in her writing. Follow her creative adventures in her newsletter https://tinyurl.com/rozmorriswriter
Read more from Roz Morris
Nail Your Novel Instant Fix: 100 Tips For Fascinating Characters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Writing Characters Who'll Keep Readers Captivated: Nail Your Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Writing Plots With Drama, Depth & Heart: Nail Your Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nail Your Novel: Why Writers Abandon Books And How You Can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Study Guide for Book Club Discussions - Ever Rest (Books with Friends) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNot Quite Lost: Travels Without A Sense of Direction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Nail Your Novel - Roz Morris
NAIL YOUR NOVEL
Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence
A companion workbook
Roz Morris
Copyright © Roz Morris 2019
This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. All rights reserved. If you would like to share it with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording in audio or video form, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express, written permission of the author. This permission must be granted beforehand. This includes any and all reproductions intended for non-commercial or non-profit use. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The information in this book is offered on the understanding that it does not contain legal, financial or other professional advice except for writing advice. The author assumes no responsibility for any damages arising from the use of this book, or alleged to have resulted in connection with this book.
Okay, that’s the warning stuff over. Now enjoy writing.
Rozmorris.wordpress.com
Cover art by Roz Morris.
Published by Spark Furnace, Cambridge House, CB10
Table of contents
Introduction
Become a finisher
Make time to write, find your method role models, make the most of thinking time, when block strikes: reboot your muse
Befriend your inner critic
Strategies to get your critical sense on side
Task 1: shape your inspiration
Origin statement for your book
Task 2: develop your idea
In-depth questions to build protagonists, antagonists, motivations, plot, setting, time period, genre expectations, special worlds, inciting incidents, main twists, originality, endings, conflicts, point of view, removing ideas that don’t fit, refining exercises, research list, instant plot thickeners
Task 3: using your research
The hat game to encourage creative and flexible thinking
Task 4: create story events
The cards game for detailed outlining and testing your plot, checking subplots, topping up your research list, seeking resonance and dramatic contrast, recycling and reincorporating, checking character motivations, assessing an existing draft, brainstorming the right ending
Task 5: your detailed outline
For those who like outlines
Task 5½: an active break
To gain critical distance — and what to do in the meantime
Task 5¾: check your outline
Questions to make sure your outline is robust; prompts to help you discover untapped potential
Task 6: ready to write
Planning where and when you’ll write, how you’ll get in the mood, measuring progress, beating common problems, problems you can safely ignore
Task 7: another active break
Useful tasks to do while your manuscript cools off
Task 8: diagnose the problems
The beat sheet method for smart revision, controlling the timeline, flaws to look for and how to spot them at a glance, getting clarity if the book is different from the book you intended to write, restructuring without stress, assessing an abandoned manuscript
Task 9: rewrite with confidence
Creative decisions to double-check, strategies for smart revision, how to use the beat sheet, important details checklist, discovering your best process
Titles workshop
Now you know the book inside out, test and refine your title
If you have to take a break
How to minimise the loss of flow if you have to put the novel