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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Writing Craft » Page 9

Writing Craft

How to Write Better Novels

By Steve Laubeon June 26, 2017
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The Christian Writers Institute is excited to announce a new book by Kathy Tyers called, Writing Deep Viewpoint: Invite Your Readers Into Your Story. (releasing July 14th.) It is one of few fiction craft books to explore the topic of writing the deep point-of-view. Here is what bestselling author Davis Bunn has to say about it:

There is no single component of the writing craft as vital to good fiction, and to developing an artistic voice, as point of view.  The term covers a great deal of ground, but basically boils down to sharing the world of your characters, starting from within.  Writing Deep Viewpoint helps establish a foundation from which a novelist can spread artistic wings and fly.  Highly recommended.

Kathy is known for her very popular Firebird science fiction series and her authorship of two bestselling Star Wars novels.

From the back cover of the book:

Why is deep viewpoint vital for hooking and holding your readers?

Who is narrating each scene of your story?

What are readers really looking for when they pick up a novel?

Where does the real action of a written story take place?

What are the two most important rules of storytelling?

When should viewpoint be established?

Deep viewpoint can convince your readers that they have become your characters. This powerful writing-craft skill set includes showing instead of telling, maintaining story flow, attributing dialogue effectively, and showing characters interact with convincing antagonists and believable settings.

In the book (184 pages) Kathy uses examples from her own novels to help guide the reader to look at their own work and create the magic of powerful storytelling.

Whether you are a fledgling novelist or a long time successful veteran, I highly recommend the book to you. [Full disclosure, as the president of the Christian Writers Institute, I’m the publisher, so I’m somewhat biased. I also happen to be Kathy’s agent…and her publisher at Enclave Publishing. But I would not have suggested Kathy write the book if I didn’t think it worthy.]

Links to pre-order:
$15.99 in paperback. $7.99 in ebook.
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

It is currently being approved for ebook pre-order on the following sites:
Apple iTunes

 

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Category: Book Review, Craft, Writing CraftTag: Book Review, Deep POV, Writing Craft

Writing Cinematically: 10 Movie Techniques to Apply to Your Novel 

By Guest Bloggeron June 19, 2017
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Our guest blogger today is Deborah Raney. We have had the fun of working together since I first became an agent. It also happens that while at Bethany House I was one of the first to review the proposal which became her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, (the inspiration for the World Wide Pictures film of the same title) and launched Deb’s writing career. Twenty years and thirty-plus books later, …

Read moreWriting Cinematically: 10 Movie Techniques to Apply to Your Novel 
Category: Craft, Writing CraftTag: Cinematic Technique, Craft, Writing Craft

How to Ruin Beloved Characters

By Karen Ballon June 14, 2017
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Did you all read Steve’s post about Edgy Christian Fiction? An excellent post, and one that addressed vitally important issues for us as Christian who write. So why am I writing about it when Steve dealt with it so well. Because last night I experienced the ugly effects of edginess on characters I have enjoyed and loved. First, let me say that I know my experience has nothing to do with …

Read moreHow to Ruin Beloved Characters
Category: Writing CraftTag: Characters, Edgy, Writing Craft

Choosing Your Words Wisely, Part 2

By Dan Balowon May 2, 2017
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Here are some of my all-time favorite jokes: To get to the other side. Hugh and only Hugh can stamp out florist friars. Silly Rabbi, kicks are for Trids! Oh, my baking yak! Minnie was called, but Chew was frozen. I better run this through again! Give me a couple of eggs. Place one of these on every corner and wait for my signal! After all these years, those jokes still make me laugh. What? …

Read moreChoosing Your Words Wisely, Part 2
Category: Craft, CreativityTag: Language, Writing Craft

Are You Sure You Want to Write Great Literature?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 27, 2017
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“′Classic′ – a book which people praise and don’t read.” – Mark Twain At my college preparatory school, our vacations weren’t unfettered thanks to “Summer Reading” that required us to read four books during break. Our list going from seventh to eighth grade was limited to four books so we had no choices. I only remember two – Pride and Prejudice and The Oxbow Incident. I’m sure none of …

Read moreAre You Sure You Want to Write Great Literature?
Category: Reading, The Writing LifeTag: Reading, Writing Craft

Choosing Your Words Wisely, Part 1

By Dan Balowon April 25, 2017
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There are a number of reasons for the apparent decrease in reading in the world, from attention-span changes brought on by reader’s addiction to various “screens” to climate change. But it might simply be a vocabulary problem. The first time this concept came to me was about 25 years ago in a New York City taxi when a very talkative driver and I discussed local sports, politics and society in …

Read moreChoosing Your Words Wisely, Part 1
Category: Craft, CreativityTag: Creativity, Vocabulary, Writing Craft

Writing the Deeper Story

By Dan Balowon March 21, 2017
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I realize this will probably date me, but I sincerely enjoyed a popular radio feature by Paul Harvey called, “The Rest of the Story.” I assume some reading this post today also remember it. For generations, the venerable radio commentator, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 90, told a little known story about a well-known person or event, only revealing the subject of the story at the end of …

Read moreWriting the Deeper Story
Category: Craft, Creativity, Encouragement, Inspiration, Marketing, TheologyTag: Inspiration, Writing Craft

Remove the Barriers in Fiction

By Karen Ballon February 15, 2017
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Few things empower fiction better than well developed characters. Which is why you don’t want to create unintentional barriers between your characters and your readers. What barriers, you ask? Well, here’s one that affects POV characters: John knew he was about to learn something important. Do you see it? The barrier? No? How about here… Sally realized she wasn’t getting it at all. This barrier is …

Read moreRemove the Barriers in Fiction
Category: Craft, Writing CraftTag: fiction, Writing Craft

What is Your Attention Span?

By Steve Laubeon February 13, 2017
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I came across the study that claims the average person now has a shorter attention span than that of a goldfish. Eight seconds. This means most people tend to lose concentration in less than ten seconds. As an experiment, I read the above paragraph out loud. It took about 10 seconds to complete. That means I just lost you. At least the goldfish will swim around its bowl and come back to the same …

Read moreWhat is Your Attention Span?
Category: Communication, Craft, Inspiration, Reading, The Writing LifeTag: book proposals, Creativity, Writing Craft

Contrived is a Four-Letter Word

By Karen Ballon February 8, 2017
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Few things irritate fiction readers more than a story peopled by characters who act and react without any apparent reason for what they’re doing and saying. No reason, that is, except to illustrate the author’s message. Or prove the author’s point. Well, you say, don’t we all have a message or point in what we write? Isn’t fiction about letting our characters take the readers on a journey of …

Read moreContrived is a Four-Letter Word
Category: CraftTag: Craft, fiction, Writing Craft
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