Book Review: Is Life Like This?: A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months, by John Dufresne

It's not surprising that there are so many books on novel-writing that are structured around a time frame. Writers do want to finish, of course. And having a deadline can provide the motivation needed to get to "the end".

John Dufresne, a novelist and writing teacher, has added his own interpretation with Is Life Like This?: A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months. What makes his entry different?

Dufresne brings his own style to the book, and it reads like a friend sitting down in a coffee shop, who is willing to lead you through the confusing maze of writing your first novel. His introduction is one of the best pep talks for writers I've ever heard--and I've sat through quite a few wonderful keynote speakers at the conferences I've attended.

One point I appreciate is Dufresne's advice to "cherish" the uncertainty writers feel at the beginning of the writing process. His encouragement goes a long way to endow writers with the confidence to tackle the job of writing a novel.

Dufresne shares how the writing process works "by fits and starts, with equal parts elation and frustration". He tells why it's a good thing to lose your way in the course of writing a novel. And he admits that "everything in your life is incompatible with writing and always will be". How's that for a dose of reality?

Dufresne breaks down the novel-writing process into tasks and assignments for each week. He plans on having you spend three hours a day, for twenty-six weeks. Along the way, readers will learn all the basics they need on plotting, characterization, and dialogue, with wonderful quotes from writers interspersed with the chapters.

The author goes further, by giving details on keeping a writer's notebook and what to record in it. Many famous writers have kept such a notebook, and Dufresne quotes from some of them. He also shares how to analyze the novels you read and learn from them.

By the end of six months, you'll have a first draft, which then can be revised and polished. Realistically, within a year, dedicated writers can expect to have a manuscript ready for prime-time.

Perhaps a time frame will motivate you to finish your novel. What do you think?

Five Ways to Make Your First Page Better

At one of my first writers conferences (the amazing Pikes Peak Writers Conference), one of the sessions I attended was called a Read and Critique. Each audience member brought two copies of their manuscript's first page, and read it aloud in front of a literary agent--and the writers in the room. After each writer read, the agent commented on what she liked or didn't like about the first page, and whether she would keep on reading. It was definitely not for the faint of heart!

Though I was really nervous as a new writer, I learned a lot that day. Here's a glimpse back:

Twenty-five writers sit tensed in their chairs, palms sweating, throats clearing. Clutched in each pair of hands: a single page. Each sheet contains just 16 lines, but those lines hold power over each writer’s future.

As the agent steps into the room, 25 sets of eyes follow her and shine with questions. “Will she like it? Maybe a little?” “Will all these people snicker at the words I’ve written?”

A few sly glances gauge the distance to the exit, should the worst happen.

The agent, Sandra Bond, clears her throat (did she rub her palms on her slacks?) and surprises us all. “I’m much more nervous than all of you,” she says. It dawns on us that she is in the hot seat, having only five minutes to listen to and pass judgment on another’s writing.

Whether or not that makes us feel better, it does remind us that agents are human. They don’t like rejection any more than the rest of us. Sandra’s vulnerability eases some of the tension in the room.

As the writers stand and read from their pages, Sandra gives excellent, specific constructive criticisms, which add up to the equivalent of a wonderful seminar on how to hook a reader. Here are some highlights:

The first sentence is paramount. Start with a graphic, visual scene—action, tension, dark humor. Don’t confuse your reader with the first line, hoping they’ll keep reading to figure it out. They’re more likely to put it down. If your first line or paragraph doesn’t grab the friends you test it out on, try ditching it and begin with your second paragraph. Sandra says this won’t always work, but it’s worth a try.

Show your character’s personality immediately. Whether it’s through humor and sarcasm, or fear and paranoia, let your reader see your character’s quirks and sensitivities. What are the “must haves” or “can’t stands” in their world?

Beware the prologue. While many successful authors use them, Sandra warns that writers must be aware that lots of readers skip them. If your prologue reveals something crucial to the story, weave the information into your novel, or turn the prologue into chapter one.

Use the senses to pull in the reader. Two submissions that seemed to be popular with Sandra and the group as a whole, employed this idea. One focused on several unusual smells that helped connect us to what the main character liked and didn’t like. Another used sound—a particular sound brings back snatches of memories from the lead character’s life—and makes us want to know what sound stirred up these recollections.

If you’re tackling a memoir... Sandra noted that memoirs are a difficult genre to get into. In order to distinguish yours, accentuate your voice to make it compelling and unique. She told us that a memoir should never begin with, “When I was nine...” Find the voice that will grab your reader.

Attending a Read & Critique session helped me realize that I could not only survive reading aloud in a group, but pick up some great writing tips as well. 

Have you overcome your fears and read in a group? 

Writing Your Goals for 2011: Part Four-Workspace Goals

Fourth in our series designed to get you set to write your best in 2011 is a focus on your workspace. You may wish you could write in a secluded mountain cabin, or adopt the office of a famous writer, but reality dictates that all you have to work with is what you've got. Here are some ideas to make the most of it.

You may be dealing with a corner of your bedroom, or a spacious extra room. Perhaps you write in a coffee shop, or on your lunch hour. Think through your five senses, and see how you might be able to make that space your own with a few tweaks.

Sight. Visually, your space has a huge impact on you. It's time to figure out what inspires you, and what handicaps you, in regards to your writing. Some writers need lots of natural light. Others only the light of their computer. One writer is inspired by a fantastic view while the next finds it distracting. You may feel the need to work alone, or in a place bustling with activity. Try a variety of visual stimuli to figure out what works for you.

Sound. Quiet or noise? Classical music or rock? You may find white noise (a fan blowing, or a wave machine) helpful to block out distractions. Some writers work better when there is noise all around and they're able to create a quiet space in the midst of it. If you have small children, you may find you work well during nap time, or in the middle of a noisy kids' program.

Smell. We don't think about smell much. My daughter gave me one of those reed diffuser air fresheners for Christmas, and now my writing space smells like a spring rain. For you, it might be a scented candle, or the decision to remove the litter box from your office.

Taste. What gives you the energy to keep going during a long writing session? For me, it's a hot cup of tea, and maybe a scone or something. Keep a stash of nuts or seeds, and something to drink nearby. Train your body to realize it's time to work when you eat certain foods.

Touch. You may like the smooth feel of the keyboard under your fingers. Or maybe that's just the only way you've written. Try grabbing a legal pad, or a leather-bound journal and moving away from the computer. Yes, I know you'll have to type your words eventually, but sometimes a pen in hand connects to the creative side of the brain in a way that typing does not.

What have you done to create a workspace that makes you want to write?

Agent Friday: Jill Corcoran

Today we have another agent who is also a writer. Jill Corcoran is an award-winning author and poet. I have no idea how she makes time for both her jobs--plus her roles as a wife and mother. And she blogs. 

I'm feeling rather inferior today.

But it's time to shake it off and figure out what I can learn from this human dynamo. And while she represents children's literature at The Herman Agency, what she's learned in the business applies to all of us.

Since Corcoran fills dual roles as writer and agent, she's experienced querying and rejection from both sides of the desk. You'd imagine she's got something to say on the subjects. And you'd be correct.

Querying. Corcoran dissects a query in Formula for a Query Letter.  She explains how to format your query to send in an email. And then in How to Write a Query Letter, she gathers links from all kinds of agents with their advice. One stop shopping.

Rejection. No one likes it. But at least you know Corcoran has experienced it as a writer. Find some encouragement (and some great links) in The Dissection of Rejection and Rejection Revisited. If you're worried an agent will hate your manuscript, don't worry. Corcoran walks you through what to do if you hear bad news.

Where to start your story. The first pages of your manuscript are critical. You've probably had them critiqued multiple times, and polished them till they shone. But is your story starting in the right place? Strong writing is essential, but so is finding the perfect place to begin. Corcoran shares her thoughts on how to find that sweet spot to Activate Your Story.

Researching agents. In Monday's post on your personalized query plan, I recommended starting a list of agents to query in the future. Corcoran makes it easier, by compiling a list of links to sites where you can check them out.

Do you think you'd be able to handle writing and agenting?

Free Resources from Bob & Jack's Writing Blog

 I think you're going to be thrilled with today's resource. When I researched Tuesday's post on strong verbs, I found a blog with so many amazing resources, I've spent a couple of days browsing. It's time to feature Bob and Jack's Writing Blog.

Jack Remick and Robert J. Ray are successful novelists independently. Together, they wrote The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery, one of several sequels to The Weekend Novelist by Robert J. Ray. And together they host a blog bursting with information for fiction and memoir writers. If you've been looking for a site that not only gives detailed information on the craft of writing, but writing exercises, too, you've found the right place.

Bob and Jack's goal is to get you writing. To give you lines to get you started. Instead of just reading about how to write, they'll make you do it. I can't ask for anything better. It's like being a kid in a candy store.

On their site, Bob and Jack offer not one, but seven free writing courses. Courses like From Memory to Story and A Course in Memoir. Elements of Dramatic Writing or Make Bad Writing Better.

Are you a visual writer? They post diagrams to help writers of particular genres. The Birth to Now Diagram for memoir writers blew me away. But don't worry if you aren't writing memoir. There are diagrams for mystery, crime, and the hero's journey.

Of course there are plenty of articles on craft. Like How to Read Like a Writer, a three-part series that will make you a better reader. I'll definitely begin using the Scene Checklist--seventeen critical elements of a scene. If you're just getting started, check out the Beginner's Mind, an article explaining how to face a blank page, and use a timer to help you get going.

I've barely scratched the surface of Bob and Jack's blog, and that doesn't even include a separate site they maintain, based upon the Weekend Novelist books. The Weekend Novelist site has many more resources for the hungry writer.

I'm so glad I came across such giving authors. Many others would charge for the information they give away. Makes you want to go buy some of their books, huh?

Book Review: To Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson

Last week I told you what makes me want to write. One thing is reading good books. I wrote that post after finishing Jill Williamson's book, To Darkness Fled. Williamson is a new author, who debuted with By Darkness Hid.

I write fantasy, so I love to read it. And Williamson does not disappoint. By Darkness Hid (Book 1) was full of action, intricate plotting, and believable characterization. To Darkness Fled gets even better.

Achan Cham, a "stray" even lower than a slave, has learned that he is actually the rightful king of Er'Rets. However, and imposter has taken the throne, and he is forced to flee into the perpetually dark half of the kingdom to hide and attempt to raise an army. 

Achan is accompanied by Vrell Sparrow, a boy who is a gifted healer. But unknown to Achan, Vrell is a young woman, fleeing an arranged marriage to the false king. Both Achan and Vrell possess the gift of bloodvoicing--the ability to speak to others through their mind. This ability saves both of them on many occasions, but having someone read her mind endangers Vrell's ability to keep her secret. 

Traveling through a dark land for most of a novel is no task for a light-weight writer. Williamson does a masterful job of engaging the senses--especially smells, sounds, and textures to create a mood. The setting is definitely a character here. But the characterization is even better. When a writer is unable to use facial expression in much of a story, the skillful use of tone and accent keeps the reader engaged without realizing what's missing.

Reading these books makes me want to write better. Add more action to my manuscript. Stay away from predictable plotting. Deepen my characters.

Have you read a novel that made you stop and pick up a pen?

Pump Up Your Writing: Using Strong Verbs

As a writer, you hear that you ought to avoid adverbs. That you shouldn't include strings of adjectives, or cliches. One way to do all three is to strengthen the verbs you use.


There are plain-vanilla verbs, and there are Rocky Road-with-chocolate-sauce-and-whipped-cream-verbs. The verbs you choose will make a difference  in your fiction.


Sentences that use walked, sat, and thought pale in comparison to stalked, sprawled, and stewed. However, don't label yourself as a failure if strong verbs don't automatically show up in your manuscript. Adding stronger verbs is something you do in your rewriting.


The purpose of your first draft is to get the story on the page, in all it's unedited glory. Once you've got it down, you can analyze it for overuse of adverbs, adjectives, cliches--and wimpy verbs.


Here are a few resources to help you tackle the job.


Dragon Writing Prompts has compiled a massive list of 1000 strong verbs to take the place of weak ones. The list is grouped by verb: for example, she has dozens of strong verbs to use in place of "walked" or "ran". I'm planning to print out the list and keep it handy. And Coherent Visual has a similar, downloadable list in both Word and .pdf formats.


Charlotte Rains Dixon posted a two-part post on strong verbs. The first is What is a strong verb?, and the second continues with How to ferret out strong verbs.


Creative Juices Books lists seven reasons why strong verbs are important (and when to use passive verbs).


Carolyn Jewel shares why strong verbs help you write with strength and specificity, and why "to be" should be your verb of last resort.


Bob and Jack's writing blog gives a number of great examples of both strong and weak verbs.


Give it a try right now. Take a random page of your manuscript and highlight every verb on the page. Count how many are "plain vanilla" and substitute some stronger verbs. When you read it again, how much better is it?

Writing Goals for 2011: Part 3- Your Personalized Query Plan

Each Monday in January, we're focusing on different goals for writing. If you've missed the previous installments, here are some links:

Part 1: Making Time to Write

Part 2: Making Your Writing a Business

Today's focus is on queries. You may not feel ready to query yet, but to keep on top of all the details, it's a good idea to begin preparations a year ahead, if possible. A little work now will make the process far less stressful down the road.

I've broken the steps down into a timeline.Don't worry if you've got less time--querying can be done faster if you're ready.

One year out. At this point you're still writing your manuscript, but you feel confident you'll be done within about six months. 

1. Take some time each day to begin researching agents. Read their blogs (if they have them) and note which ones represent your genre or niche. Sites like AgentQuery and QueryTracker can help you narrow them down.

2. Seek out an online or in-person critique group, and get your manuscript critiqued.You'll learn so much that the rest of your novel will be stronger.

3. Keep working on your craft: always have a book on writing that you're working through (some great suggestions here), and try to attend any workshops or conferences you can, whether in person or online.

4. Don't stop writing until your manuscript is finished. You won't be able to query at all until it's done.

Six months out. Your manuscript is finished, but not necessarily polished. You have a list of potential agents. Where do you go from here? Is it time to query now? 

1. Using a spreadsheet or paper, make a chart of the agents you're interested in, listing their agency, email, preferred method of query (either email or snail mail), and what they request as part of a query. Double-check that your preferred agents are still with their agency--this is a constantly shifting business, and it's up to you to keep track of where people work.

2. Have your manuscript critiqued again, perhaps by a different critique group, or hire a professional editor, if finances allow.

3. Begin drafting your query letter, and bring it to your critique group for feedback.Here's a link to formatting an email query.

4. Format a synopsis, since some agents will ask for this.Have your critique group check this, also.

Three months out. You're feeling ready, probably itching to hit the send button. There are a few more things to do.

1. Consider setting up a website or blog if you don't already have a web presence. Many agents like to "check out" potential authors they're interested in. 


2. See if you can find some beta readers to give you overall feedback on your novel. It really helps if these are people you don't have a relationship with. Your friends and family will be impressed that you wrote a book, and won't be able to be as objective as strangers. Take their comments and make any necessary changes.


3. Take a little time to study query do's and don'ts. Here are a few links to get you started.
Five questions to ask yourself before querying. 
Tips from twenty agents to make your query shine.
A list of don'ts from SlushPileHell.

Time to release your query. If you're prepared, this should be the easy part--except for your nervousness!


1. Make a plan for sending your query. This article gives a plan for getting a 75% response rate to your query. Find out about the best and worst times to query.


2.  Check again that your target agents are still at the agency you have listed. Send your query in batches, a handful at a time, spaced a few weeks apart. Keep track (on your spreadsheet) of what you sent to each agent, the date, and their response. Note that agents who pass on your work may not respond at all. Don't take it personally, they're just too busy to reply to each query. When an agent does respond, send what they ask promptly.


3. If you're thinking of revising your query and resending to your target agents, read this first.

Where are you in the query process?

Agent Friday: Folio Literary Management

Folio Literary Management is a powerhouse. They not only boast a dozen agents,  they also have a separate division, Folio Jr., to handle children's books. The agency hosts a blog, and posts additional resources on their website. Let's dig in.


You probably want an agent. You definitely want to have a good relationship with that agent. But like a healthy marriage, it takes work. Get prepared by reading Top Ten Pieces of Advice for a Good Agent-Author Relationship.


If characterization is a struggle for you, it helps to read as much as you can on making your character believable. One of Folio's agents shares Characters That Get Me Every Time--and Why.


Planning on attending a writer's conference this year? Me, too. But don't just pick up and go. Do some preparation ahead of time. Trust me, you'll head into the conference with far more confidence. Agent Scott Hoffman lists five ways to Get the Most Out of Your Writer's Conference Experience. In addition, you'll find more information in Jeff Kleinman's Guide to Conference Etiquette.


Right now you may be editing your novel. After that, you'll likely show it to your critique group, eliciting all kinds of advice on revising your manuscript. Once you secure an agent, the first order of business will probably be--more revisions. How will you react? Agent Laney Katz Becker gives her perspective on why revisions are important in Divas Need Not Apply.


Though it may sound far away to you now, it's not a bad idea to begin establishing a relationship with local bookstores. Find some great advice straight from a bookseller sharing do's and don'ts for authors hoping to market their books.


From the agency's resource page:


A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Published
Frequently Asked Questions for Agents
Knowing Your Genre
Jeff Kleinman's Rules of Rejection
How to Formulate Your Query Submission Plan
The Top 5 Ways Not to Get an Agent


Wow. Lots of resources to look through today. What are the areas you feel pulled to first?