Novel Writing – Page 15 – Write on the World

I’ve been thinking a lot about my fantasy novel WIP lately. The story has grown far beyond the scope of a single book. In fact, I’m pretty sure at this point that it has grown beyond the scope of a trilogy. It has reached such epic proportions, I feel I should stop searching for the end of the journey and instead start looking for a wayside stop with a magnificent view to share with my readers. In short, I am thinking about serializing my story and releasing the first part at some point in the next month or two.



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I’ve been chasing this idea around in circles for months. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but there’s this part of me that wonders if the added pressure of a potential readership anxiously awaiting the next installment will push me to get part two ready to publish. I have proven that I am at my most productive when I have hard and fast deadlines to meet. I haven’t missed a deadline yet. Continue reading “Publishing thoughts tumbling around in my mind “ →

Novel Writing, Writing Prompts

Freewriting practice: Name your protagonist’s internal villain

May 4, 2015May 4, 2015 Mandy Webster

In a recent blog post on writing villains, The Write Practice’s Joe Bunting says that in every story, “there is always only one internal villain… whether it is fear, lust for power, or control.” This, of course, got me to thinking about my own protagonist in one of my current works in progress. I decided to do a freewrite on this topic and share it with you.

My freewrite: Who is M’s internal villain?

She just wants to go somewhere and lead an adventure. She doesn’t seem to care where she goes, which allows her to be led by evil people to places that she doesn’t want to be. She is so afraid of being ordinary and being stuck where she is that she jumps at any opportunity to be someplace and someone different.

My protagonist could use a little Katy Perry in her.

One of the problems that I seem to be having with my protagonists in this and with Valley of the Bees is the fact that neither of them seem to have any agency. They both allow themselves to be victims of plot. I can’t decide if this is good or bad. I feel like it’s something that my protagonists need to overcome. But at the same time, I’ve been taught that characters who just allow themselves to be carried along by the plot are the weak superheroes of weak stories. Am I writing weak stories? Continue reading “Freewriting practice: Name your protagonist’s internal villain” →

Book Reviews, eBooks, Mount Mary College, Novel Writing, Publishing

Now available on Kindle! Papers: A Master Collection on the Art of Writing

February 26, 2015February 21, 2015 Mandy Webster

Kindle cover for my new book, Papers: A Master Collection on the Art of Writing.

It’s finally here! My new book, Papers: A Master Collection on the Art of Writing is now available for purchase on Kindle for only 99 cents!

There is so much content packed into this one book! In addition to all of the academic papers that I wrote while pursuing my master of arts in English with a concentration in professional writing, you also get several original short stories, poems, and a behind-the-scenes peek into my as-yet-unnamed fantasy novel in progress.

Challenge: Upon reading my creative thesis, which is contained in the pages of this text, help me come up with a title for my novel! If I decide to use your suggested title, I will send you a free signed copy of the print edition of Papers: A Master Collection on the Art of Writing as soon as it becomes available!

I am currently in the process of formatting this book for print and should have it available within the next few weeks. In the meantime, get your Kindle copy today! Thank you for supporting my writing journey! Continue reading “Now available on Kindle! Papers: A Master Collection on the Art of Writing” →

Memes, Novel Writing

Writing a novel is like…

February 23, 2015February 21, 2015 Mandy Webster

novel writing quote from quozio.com — Writing a novel is like putting together a blank puzzle on whose pieces you must paint portions of a picture one at a time while simultaneously trying to figure out how to fit the freshly painted pieces together.

What is writing a novel like for you? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Continue reading “Writing a novel is like…” →

Editing, Novel Writing

Notes to myself

February 22, 2015February 21, 2015 Mandy Webster

notes on my fantasy novel manuscript — There are more notes on this page than story!

I’ve been reading through the first draft of my fantasy novel manuscript these past several nights, and my notes to myself are taking on a life of their own. On some pages, like this one, my notes outweigh the original text.

The nice thing about letting a manuscript sit in a drawer for a while is that when you come back to it, you can look at it from the perspective of a reader. I see what’s missing now in the way a writer who is too close to her work can’t see.

I have about a hundred more pages to review, and then I’m hitting the notebook hard. It’s time to go stock up on pens! Continue reading “Notes to myself” →

NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, Romance

2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Novel: The final challenge

December 1, 2014November 16, 2014 Mandy Webster

Now that your trashy romance novel is complete, what are you going to do with it? From where I’m sitting, I think you have a couple of options:

Trash it. It is “trashy,” after all. Every successful author seems to have at least one novel sitting in a drawer someplace that they never want to see the light of day. Maybe this one can be yours. If that’s the case, think of this as a rite of passage that even the greatest authors have endured. You are now officially one step closer to joining their ranks. So, toss that trashy novel aside and move on to your next great idea!
Polish it up a bit and sell it. Trashy or not, your manuscript might have merit. Review a handful of published romance novels and determine whether yours might be publishable with a bit of editing. Then, go for it!
Analyze the crap out of it. Pretend like someone else wrote this steaming heap and tear it apart. Use this manuscript to help you determine where your writing weaknesses lie. Then you can use the information to determine what strategies to keep using and which ones need work. Just remember to take some time to look for the good as well. The fun thing about fast writing is that, while a lot of what you write will turn out to be crap, once in a while you will stumble upon a gem of glittering prose that might be turned into a great literary novel with a bit of elbow grease. So, tear that sucker apart and see if there is anything worth keeping.
Develop your characters and turn it into something better. Honestly, ask yourself if this shallow tripe has any potential. What would happen if you gave your characters some not-so-romantic names and threw in a few real-life problems? Could you possibly develop your story into something a step above the average Harlequin and turn it into the next Nicholas Sparks-ish novel?

Continue reading “2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Novel: The final challenge” →

NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, Romance

2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: The end is nigh

November 30, 2014November 16, 2014 Mandy Webster

Today is the day. I hope you are close to 50,000 words. You have until the end of the day today to hit that final word count goal and write your hero and heroine into their happily ever after.

Writing assignment

If you have managed to write your story through to its completion already but still need a few more words, then spend today writing an epilogue.

Epilogues are common in trashy romance novels and usually consist of a scene that takes place exactly one year after the ending of your actual story. Oh, and there is usually a three-month-old baby involved. Because of course your heroine got pregnant on their wedding night. Continue reading “2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: The end is nigh” →

NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, Romance

2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: And now to get them back together again

November 29, 2014November 16, 2014 Mandy Webster

You tore your happy couple apart. Now, how to put them back together again? Don’t make it too easy for them. What has to happen for them to regain their trust in one another? Make a list. Then get those scenes written, because YOU are RUNNING OUT OF TIME!



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Continue reading “2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: And now to get them back together again” →

NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, Romance

2014 NaNoWriMo Trashy Romance Challenge: In case you’re using your time off work to write instead of shop today

November 28, 2014November 16, 2014 Mandy Webster

To celebrate Black Friday, write the “black moment” in your novel. This is that “all hope is lost” moment where it appears that your hero and heroine are just not meant to be. Maybe they will even go so far as to tell one another goodbye forever. (Or at least they think they are saying goodbye forever.)