Writing a novel in the form of a letter or a diary (think Bridget Jones) is a tried and true device for writing your novel.

DEAR AMERICAN AIRLINES by Jonathan Miles uses the letter device.

Book Review - ‘Dear American Airlines,’ by Jonathan Miles - Review - NYTimes.com reports:

“‘Dear American Airlines,’ Jonathan Miles’s fine first novel, takes the form of a letter to the titular air carrier, which has stranded Benjamin R. Ford, the book’s middle-aged protagonist, in O’Hare Airport on the way to his estranged daughter’s wedding.”

So if you’re writing a novel and are stuck, write a chapter or two in the form of a letter. It’s a fascinating way to reveal more of your character and help him come alive for the reader - and for you.

As the screenwriters strike drags on, some writers are turning to writing novels.

Hollywood writers turn to Plan B: the novel comments however: “‘Oftentimes, you shudder when a screenwriter sends you a novel, because they tend to be strong with dialogue but crappy with context, and novels are all about creating the proper context for the story,’ said Evans, whose clients include Smith and Michael Chabon. ‘Screenwriters are attracted to novel writing because they can let their freak flag fly and just write what they want, but the truly talented novelist-slash-screenwriter is very rare.’”

If you assess the demands of the medium you’re writing in, you can be successful at writing anything. But writing a novel is very different from writing a screenplay.

Write more - the key to your writing success

Yes, you can write more - even if you’re a world-class procrastinator.

Did you know that when you write more, your writing improves? Many of my writing students experience this. They find that when they write more, writing is easier for them - they’re not dominated by their inner editor.

My new writing class, “Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” is based on lessons I developed for my private coaching students to help them to write more, improve their writing, and make more money writing.

If you’re struggling with your writing, the class will help. The techniques you’ll learn in class with help you write fiction, nonfiction, and copy for business.

Discover how you can write more, improve your writing, and sell more of your writing to higher-paying markets.

If it’s not on the page; it doesn’t exist.

(Similar to Angela’s Law of Getting It Done: if it’s not written down, it won’t happen.)
Let’s say that your heroine is compassionate. You understand this. As part of the prep for the book, you’ve written 20 pages of this woman’s life story so that you could understand her.

You know she’s a member of Amnesty International, she’s “adopted” a lizard at the local zoo, and she ushers spiders gently out of the bathroom, rather than swatting them with a rolled-up newspaper.

It’s not enough, however, for you to know it. You’ve got to show your heroine acting in a compassionate way on the page.

A major part of a first revision is getting all the material out of your head onto the page. (Don’t worry about it in your first draft. Just make a note on the typescript: “Show compassionate streak”, so you don’t forget later.)