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Read more about the article 12 Things I Wish Every Emerging Writer Knew About Publishing

12 Things I Wish Every Emerging Writer Knew About Publishing

  • Post author:Jason Gillikin
  • Post published:August 23, 2020
  • Post category:Business of Writing/Craft
  • Post comments:0 Comments

I've developed a list of the top 12 things I wish aspiring writers of novels knew about success strategies.

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Read more about the article Two Birds, One Stone

Two Birds, One Stone

  • Post author:Jason Gillikin
  • Post published:April 16, 2020
  • Post category:Craft
  • Post comments:0 Comments

If you're allergic to detailed planning, using scene vignettes and short stories to get your mental map in order can be an effective tool for long-term productivity.

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Read more about the article How I Edit: Assessing Inbound Queries

How I Edit: Assessing Inbound Queries

  • Post author:Jason Gillikin
  • Post published:February 2, 2020
  • Post category:Craft
  • Post comments:1 Comment

One editor's approach to assessing the liteary slush pile reveals the most common reasons that queried stories end up in the rejection pile.

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Read more about the article Wheat From Chaff
Proofreading red pencil

Wheat From Chaff

  • Post author:Jason Gillikin
  • Post published:December 13, 2019
  • Post category:Craft
  • Post comments:0 Comments

While certain writing rules apply broadly, or even universally, the application of those rules can vary widely as a function of genre and story length.

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Read more about the article Developing Ethically Coherent Characters

Developing Ethically Coherent Characters

  • Post author:Jason Gillikin
  • Post published:November 10, 2019
  • Post category:Craft
  • Post comments:0 Comments

Never underestimate the power of base moral conflict to drive tension and keep a plot moving. Ethical competence is core to effective character conflict.

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Read more about the article What Would Impel You to Murder?

What Would Impel You to Murder?

  • Post author:Jason Gillikin
  • Post published:August 19, 2019
  • Post category:Craft
  • Post comments:0 Comments

Real-life cold-blooded murder is rare and complex. Authors, avoid using murder as casual plot devices because random premeditated murder isn't plausible.

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Read more about the article Planning to Write: The Dude’s Approach

Planning to Write: The Dude’s Approach

  • Post author:Jason Gillikin
  • Post published:June 19, 2019
  • Post category:Craft
  • Post comments:1 Comment

A thoughtful step-by-step process for planning a novel helps to keep the project on track and aligned to industry expectations. But there's no right way!

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