Advice for Writers

In the ever changing world of digital and traditional print publishing, the craft and quality of writing matters more than ever as a way to set your work apart from the crowd. Come to this board to be inspired by advice from excellent writers and learn about how to build a writing career around doing what you love.
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5y
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Jane Friedman
billiards and pool balls with the words building a believable chain of events in your novel
Building a Believable Chain of Events in Your Novel | Jane Friedman
Steven James (@readstevenjames) autor Troubleshooting Your Novel writes, "An event’s effect on a character should be immediately evident to readers. Every action should be justified by the intersection of setting, context, pursuit, and characterization. They all need to make sense. They all need to fit. If you have to explain why something just happened, you’re telling the story backward."
a flow diagram with the words do you need to request permision?
A Writer's Guide to Fair Use and Permissions + Sample Permissions Letter
If you want to use copyrighted material in your own published work (whether a print book, magazine, or online venue), then it may be necessary to request formal permission for its use. And whether you really need to request permission depends on whether your use would fall under fair use guidelines.
the 2012 - 2013 book publication page for jane friedman
The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2023–2024
One of the biggest questions I receive from authors today: Should I traditionally publish or self-publish? In response, I’ve been sharing this chart on key publishing paths since 2013.
a book cover with pencils and the title, every word counts a key to great writing make every word count
A Key to Great Writing: Make Every Word Count | Jane Friedman
Author Stephen Wilbers writes, "Use words sparingly, as if you were planting a garden one seed at a time—not throwing out handfuls of seed willy-nilly, hoping a few kernels might land in the right spot and take hold. Get the full value out of every word you write. Recognize the power of a single, well-chosen word. Trust it to do its work. As a rule, the more economically you use language, the more powerfully you will deliver your message."
a pile of wooden blocks with the words, have trouble getting that book done? try doing
Have Trouble Getting That Book Done? Try Doing Less. | Jane Friedman
Author and writing coach Ginger Moran (https://twitter.com/gingermoran) writes, "I’ve been writing my fourth novel, my sixth book—and it’s going slowly. I’m trying not to succumb to that huge, overwhelming “I have to write a whole book—yikes I can’t do that” freak-out that is the surest way not to write a book." Click here to read her techniques to deal with this common problem.
the forest for the trees an editor's advice to write
The Forest for the Trees (Revised and Updated): An Editor's Advice to Writers
Advice for Writers: The Forest for the Trees (Revised and Updated): An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner -- a fabulous read, written with empathy and insight.
a red tricycle with the words, what early experiences inform your fiction?
What Early Experiences Inform Your Fiction? | Jane Friedman
I experienced weird accidents as child—getting stung by a nest of wasps, falling into a pool without knowing how to swim—and these moments have held in them the essence of life, before my own self-awareness had time to take shape. In his essay at Glimmer Train, Kurt Rheinheimer mentions these times as rich material for building fiction. Read more here.
a book cover with the words writing life written on it and grass growing out of the ground
When the Writing Life Isn't About Talent, Discipline, or Stubbornness | Jane Friedman
Author Melissa Yancy (@melyancy), in her essay The Upside of Failure, shines a new light on what failure brings to the writing life. Her exploration isn't the usual reflection on rejection, but rather a contemplation of what it means to keep writing when you don't or can't launch into it full-time, and it's a day job that pays the bills.
a book cover with the title making peace with your ghosts written in black and white
Making Peace with Your Ghosts | Jane Friedman
When writers talk about where their ideas come from, the answers are as varied as wildflowers: they write about what keeps them up at night, or they ask “what if?” or they explore topics that leave them full of questions without answers.
a dart hitting the bulls with text that reads do you have intention? how to set achievable and meaningful goals
Do You Have Intention? How to Set Achievable and Meaningful Goals | Jane Friedman
Nina Amir (@ninaamir), author of Creative Visualization for Writers, writes, "The most successful people in every industry use goals as road maps to help them reach their desired destination. It’s no different for writers. If you don’t know where you want to end up—and you don’t care—you’ll arrive somewhere but not necessarily at the destination you intended."
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the london book fair logo with an image of two people
Balancing the Art and Business of the Writing Life
Watch my 30-minute talk on how to bring together the art and business sides of your career in a way that doesn't feel like a bad marriage.
an orange circle with the quote i worry that i am a friend
5 On: Caroline Leavitt | Jane Friedman
Author Caroline Leavitt reveals the fears behind her middle-of-the-night writer anxieties, the contents of her colored book tour folders, her reaction to the praise her latest novel is receiving, and more in this 5 On interview.
numbers and numerals are arranged in an abstract pattern on a sheet of paper
Word Count for Novels and Children's Books: The Definitive Post | How Long Should a Book Be?
If your novel’s word count is much higher than 100,000 words, you have a bigger challenge ahead of you. Eighty thousand words is the industry standard for a debut novel. See this post for a definitive list of appropriate word counts by genre. If you have an off-putting word count, some agents recommend withholding this fact until the end of the letter, once you’ve potentially hooked them.
a woman with blonde hair wearing a black top and pearls on her necklace is looking at the camera
Webinar Nov 2016
If you enjoyed Ginger Moran's guest post on my blog this week, consider joining Ginger for her free online session on November 2 at 12 p.m. Eastern: From Confusion to Confidence: How Successful Writers Get Their Novels & Memoirs Done and the 3-Step Process to Use So You Can Too.
a woman with long brown hair standing in front of a door and looking at the camera
Erin Rose Belair
Erin Rose Belair writes about the ghosts she’s made peace with. She describes this feeling in her essay for Glimmer Train: "I used to think stories had to come from some higher order, some grand tale. But I only started writing stories when I learned how to make peace with those ghosts, when I learned how to listen to what I was already telling myself." Read the rest here.