FDF #16: Increasing your writing speed
Bestselling author Chris Fox discusses how to get the most out of your writing time by increasing your writing speed. Learn tips and effective habits to improve your daily word count.
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FDF #15: Forbidden Sins of Your First Page
Author Tex Thompson discusses some common pitfalls of a novel's first pages, and how to kick yours into proper place. Learn about exposition, pacing, whether or not to use a prologue, and using unexpected emotions to hook a reader.
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FDF #14: Writing mistakes to avoid in your novel
Book editor Susan Barnes reveals the most common missteps that authors make. These mistakes can cause poor reviews, lost sales, and readers abandoning your novel midway through. In this half-hour event, Susan teaches how to avoid common pitfalls and what to watch our for when you're writing and rewriting a draft.
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FDF #13: Bringing your location to life
On this First Draft Friday, bestselling author Maria Luis joins host Alessandra Torre. Maria shares how to use your location in the same way that you do your characters – to help bring your book to life!
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FDF #12: Self-Editing Steps for Authors
Learning how to improve your manuscript is an important skill for any author to have. On this First Draft Friday, USA Today bestselling romance author Penny Reid and Authors A.I. CEO Alessandra Torre discuss self-editing. Penny will share the steps she takes in her own self-edit process.
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FDF #11: Getting Cozy with Mysteries
These bestselling mystery authors have an open discussion about writing in the mystery genre. They’ll share tips for appealing to mystery readers, what those readers expect in a novel, and what to avoid when penning a mystery novel.
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FDF #10: Four-Act Fiction
Lou Aronica, Publisher of The Story Plant and New York Times bestselling author, and John Adcox, author and CEO of Gramarye Media discuss a four-act structure, and tips on how to use it in your fiction-writing.
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FDF #9: Skeletons in Your Plot
Don’t have time (or the will) to create detailed book outlines in advance? Paranormal romance/urban fantasy author Steffanie Holmes will share her skeleton draft method. Steff writes a first draft for a book in a few days without any kind of plan or outline.
Read MoreFDF #8: Flawed Heroes & Virtuous Villains
Bestselling British crime and thriller author Andy Maslen discusses the art of creating complex, believable, three-dimensional characters, starting with your protagonist and antagonist.
Read MoreFDF #7: The turn-key technique to creating memorable characters
Where do you start when creating characters for a new book or series that your readers will love? Veteran authors Judith Lucci and Fiona Quinn — who have more than 40 bestsellers between them — discuss a little-known technique they use to harness memory, sensory perception and logic to build engrossing characters and scenes.
Read MoreFDF #6: The secret sauce of great editing
What are the benefits of working with a professional book editor? Jason Kirk and Charlie Holmberg discuss how good editors can teach authors to “fish” and improve their self-editing skills with each succeeding manuscript. Jason is the award-winning editor of 100+ books with 20 years of editing and publishing experience.
Read MoreFDF #5: Productivity tips for authors
Legal thriller author Robin James has a special superpower: writing through distractions. She and Danielle offer tips on how to be more productive with your writing and how to power your way to success.
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