Wow, I’m awed by Susie’s detailed writing process. She writes great fiction, fast. I however, do not. Let’s talk about my writing process so you can see how incredibly different we are, but yet end up with a novel at the end. The longest time I took to write a book was eight months, Sweet Caroline. The shortest, four months and twelve days, Diva NashVegas. My average writing time is five months, but I prefer more. Here’s why. When writing on deadline, I’m so engaged and engrossed in my current characters I can’t carry on dialog with possible future characters. When a book is done and submitted, I begin to think of the next book while waiting for rewrites. I get a high level idea and plot, usually with beginning, […]
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About Susan May Warren
Former Russian Missionary Susan May Warren is the best-selling author of more than 40 novels and novellas with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill, and Summerside. A Christy award and RITA winner, and multiple finalist for the RITA, Christy and winner of Inspirational Readers Choice contest, Susan currently has over a million books in print. A seasoned women’s events speaker and writing teacher, she is the founder of http://www.mybooktherapy.com an online community for writers, and runs a fiction editing service teaching writers how to tell a great story. Visit her online at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com.Author Archive | Susan May Warren
Join the club!
So, I don’t know about you, but I’m really picky about who sees my work before it’s publishable. My ideas are like little unbaked cookies, too easily smashed (but still ever so tasty!) SO, I was thinking about the My Book Therapy readers (me being one of them) and how we could share our ideas in a protected setting (sort of like a, uh, THERAPY group!), and I came upon this PRIVATE social group…at Ning. It’s a fun place to interact about the topic of the week, help each other with our wips, and share our unbaked cookies with a group who promises to encourage and uplift. So — if you want to be a part of BOOK THERAPY Voices, where your inner writer finds a voice, join us! See […]
Read the RestHow to write a book in 3 months, in 3 hours a day!
(or, my organization and book development secrets!) Write a book in 3 months? In three hours a day? And have a family life, too? Bah! You laugh, but seriously, it can be done. Now, I’m not saying it’s easy. But the fact is, with a little “nose to the grindstone” as my father used to say, it’s possible. Here’s how: First, we talked yesterday about the four keys to a successful writer’s life. If you’ve committed to the task, found your writing space, wheedled out time from your schedule and determined to keep a running game plan, then it’s time to talk strategy. Let’s assume you have 12 weeks to write a 30 chapter book, with approximately 3000 words per chapter. That’s 1500 words per scene. That’s 6 pages per […]
Read the RestBook Therapy topics 2008!
Embark with us on the Heroes Journey! We’ll be studying the structure of an Epic Novel, taking it apart step by step to uncover the secrets of a best-selling novel! Get your subscription to My Book Therapy today and don’t miss an of the exciting chapters! Here’s a syllabus of the pit stops we’ll be making along the way: The Writer’s World and Discipline Premise 3 Steps to a great hero 3 Steps to a great heroine Using the GREATEST devices: Great Fear/Greatest Dream Competing Values StoryWorld Inciting Incident Hook Building a Scene Stakes Goals Backstory Secondary Characters Dialogue POV Inner Monologue Writing Tension in a Scene Weaving in Spiritual Threads Romance – Love me Tender Villains Writing Suspense – Structure Emotional Layering Subplots – how they affect the heroes […]
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