table f contents
Introduction .......................................................................................1
part i: reconnaissance ..................................................... 6
1. The writer who observes the battlefield before entering the
fray will be better equipped to plan strategy and tactics. … 8
2. The writer must understand the essentials of success for a
long-term writing career, and count the cost accordingly. … 11
3. Know the difference between a hero and a fool. … 16
4. A foundation in discipline is always the first step toward
victory. … 18
5. Career fiction writers must be aware of what the successful
writing life is like. … 22
6. A wise and well-respected writer once said, “Nobody knows
anything.” Listen to him. … 25
7. Whining will not help you win the battle for publication. … 27
8. “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” … 28
9. The outsized ego is not a weapon of value. … 31
10. Status, worry, and comparison are ways to madness, not
victory. … 33
11. To keep from turning off those who can publish you, you must
not be desperate. … 37
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12. The career novelist will develop a writing improvement
program, beginning with a notebook. … 39
13. A writer must always be prepared to break through
“the wall.” … 42
14. Turn envy into energy and more words. … 45
15. The successful novelist will not worry about competition, but
will concentrate only on the page ahead. … 47
16. Don’t worry about being worried, and don’t let worry drag
you down. … 50
17. Stay hungry so your determination will not flag. … 53
18. An army travels on its stomach, so spear some fish. … 56
19. The fiction writer must rely on self-motivation. … 58
20. A gentle reminder can deliver great force at just the
right time. … 60
21. Put heart into everything you write. … 62
22. Finish your novel, because you learn more that way than
any other. … 65
part ii: tactics ...................................................................... 66
23. The writer of potential greatness settles not for “mere
fiction.” … 68
24. A writer with a credo will not be tempted to settle for
mediocrity. … 71
25. Write hard, write fast, and the fire of creation will be
yours. … 77
26. Edit slow, edit tough, with a process both clear and
cool. … 84
27. Test your premise to prove it worthy. … 86
28. The fully engaged writer must extend operations to the two
levels of story. … 90
29. Disdain not the freshness of small improvements outside
comfort zones. … 94
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30. The key to reader bonding is falling in love with the
Lead. … 96
31. Deploy a character who reveals both inner struggle and
inner conflict. … 100
32. The writer who understands redemption is on the border
of enduring fiction. … 104
33. A premise must be supported by fresh, solid scenes. … 107
34. When you are stuck, call on a word and its cousins. … 114
35. The use of a voice journal will keep characters from becoming
little versions of the writer. … 116
36. Speed is the essence of the opening. … 119
37. Discipline clichéd or predictable story beginnings. … 124
38. Learn to pace your scene openings for specific effects. … 127
39. Remember that love means never having to say, “I love
you.” … 129
40. Characters all alone should do more than think. … 131
41. Apply the Spencer Tracy secret for creating memorable
characters. … 133
42. Utilize the Q Factor as a strategic weapon for motivation at just
the right time. … 136
43. Give backstory the proper respect, and it will help readers bond
with your characters. … 142
44. The dropping in of backstory should be active. … 145
45. Progressive revelation keeps readers turning pages. … 150
46. Dialogue will compel the turning of pages if it is a compression
and extension of action. … 152
47. The innovative writer will sometimes write dialogue only, then
fill in the blanks. … 154
48. For scenes to move with deliberate speed, the writer must
grasp the truth behind RUE. … 155
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49. The clever use of narrative dialogue will avoid the sin of
small talk. … 157
50. Success may be found in three great scenes, and no weak
ones. … 160
51. To write comedy, make the characters believe they are in
a tragedy. … 163
52. To the question of whether to outline or not to outline:
Yes. … 165
53. The writer who is anxious to start writing should follow
a mini-plan. … 168
54. The wise writer draws on select weapons to keep his story
moving forward. … 171
55. Do not miss the opportunity to warm up your third-person
point of view. … 174
56. First-person point of view is the most intimate, thus requiring
special handling. … 178
part iii: strategy ...............................................................184
57. You are a business, and your books are the product. … 186
58. A goal is just a dream unless it has legs. … 192
59. Network according to the law of reciprocity. … 197
60. Take a writing Sabbath and recharge your batteries. … 199
61. Become a snatcher of time, and maybe you’ll hit 700
books, too. … 200
62. Know when to get an agent—and when not to. … 204
63. If you charge ahead without an agent, be sure you have
something worth selling. … 208
64. In the hunt for an agent, take aim at more than one. … 210
65. Approach agents intelligently by knowing what they do and
don’t want. … 213
66. Unwise is the writer who quits his day job too soon. … 216
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67. Your weapon for pursuing publication is the killer proposal. … 219
68. Your opening salvo is the killer cover letter. … 221
69. Wow agents and editors by grabbing them with your opening
chapters. … 230
70. Utilize the principle of overcompensation to generate a killer
synopsis. … 232
71. Always be ready to talk to someone in the elevator. … 235
72. Plan your actions when attending a writers’ conference, then
work your plan. … 237
73. “Never assume that a rejection of your stuff is also a rejection of
you as a person … unless it’s accompanied by a punch in
the nose.” … 239
74. Promote as you will, but never let it affect your ability to write
your best book. … 243
75. Nurture your relationship with a trusted ally, your editor. … 246
76. For long-term success, design a typical writing day and stick
to it. … 247
77. To survive over any length of time, you must turn any criticism into
a strength. … 253
A fi nal word from Sun Tzu, and me ................................................ 256
Index ............................................................................................. 260
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