Description
In every novel there are pivotal places that can make or break a book. Write them well, and you'll have your readers begging for a sequel. Write them poorly, and your book will get scathing reviews and sell only a handful of copies. These pivotal places are "linchpin moments," and in this book you'll learn how to nail these moments.Based on real advice from editing hundreds of novels, John Matthew Fox guides writers through the process of creating a novel that soars in the reader's imagination. After reading this book, you'll be a better storyteller, a better self-editor, and a better writer.In this book you'll learn how to:Flood your readers with strong emotionsCreate memorable beginnings and endingsDescribe characters for the first timeMake readers swoon in romantic scenesKill off characters (without enraging your readers)Harness the element of surprise
John Matthew Fox has published in Crazyhorse, Third Coast, Shenandoah, and the Chicago Tribune. He provides editing services and resources for writers at the literary blog Bookfox, which has received mentions from The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Publisher's Weekly, and The Huffington Post. He earned an MFA from the University of Southern California and an MA from New York University, but after teaching at the collegiate level for a decade, he decided to focus on Bookfox full time. After traveling to more than forty countries and living in three, he has settled down in Orange County, California, with his wife, twin boys, and six chickens.