Tag: Novel Writing

Writers on Writing

Why your first draft shouldn’t be perfect (and why that’s a good thing)

Mandy Webster

The pressure to write a perfect first draft has probably killed more novels than bad writing ever has. Many writers sit down to start a book believing they need to get every sentence right before moving on. They revise chapter one twenty times, polish dialogue that may not survive later drafts, and obsess over word choice while the rest of the story remains unwritten. The result is often frustration, burnout, and a manuscript that never gets finished. The truth is that a first draft isn’t supposed to produce a polished novel. It has a completely different job.

First drafts don’t need to be perfect—they need to exist. This reminder is for every writer staring down a blank page and trying to get everything right before they’ve even begun. The real work of writing starts with discovery, not polish, and every finished draft begins with something messy, uncertain, and real.

A first draft is not where a novel is perfected. It’s where a novel is discovered. When you begin writing a story, you may have an outline, character sketches, or a clear vision of the ending. But until you actually write the book, you don’t fully know what it is. Characters surprise you. Relationships deepen in unexpected ways. Themes emerge that weren’t part of your original plan. Scenes that seemed essential become unnecessary, while minor moments grow into something much larger.

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Ask the Author

Ask the Author: Can a story be told in omniscient and second-person POV?

Mandy Webster

Dear Mandy,

Can omniscient point of view be written as if it’s directed at “you?”

ANSWER: Absolutely.

Many writers assume that omniscient point of view and second-person point of view are mutually exclusive, but they’re actually describing two different aspects of narration.

Can a story be written in both omniscient and second-person POV? Yes. Second-person tells us who is being addressed. Omniscient tells us how much the narrator knows. The two can work together to create second-person omniscient narration.

Point of view refers to the pronouns being used. If the story addresses the reader or a character as “you,” it’s written in second person.

Omniscience refers to the narrator’s knowledge. An omniscient narrator knows more than any individual character. They can reveal hidden thoughts, events happening elsewhere, future outcomes, and information that the main character doesn’t know.

Because these are separate concepts, they can be combined.

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Essays

Writing action scenes in novels: Why sequence and clarity matter

Mandy Webster

Nothing kills the momentum of an action scene faster than confusing choreography. Readers will forgive a lot in a fast-paced sequence. They’ll forgive impossible odds, dramatic coincidences, even a hero surviving injuries they probably shouldn’t. What they won’t forgive is not understanding where everyone is standing. One of the most common mistakes writers make in action scenes is putting events on the page out of sequence.

When action scenes lose their sequence, readers lose the thread. Clear choreography keeps readers inside the movement instead of forcing them to stop and untangle what happened.

The problem is usually small at the sentence level, but the effect on the reader is enormous because it forces them to stop, mentally rewind the scene, and reconstruct what actually happened. They’re no longer experiencing movement in real time—they’re translating it. And that translation breaks momentum.

The issue usually isn’t that the writing is unclear in isolation. Each sentence might make sense on its own. The problem is that the order of information doesn’t match the order of events as they happen in the scene. Readers don’t want to assemble a timeline. They want to experience it.

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Ask the Author

Ask the Author: When does a novel become YA? Before you write it—or after?

Mandy Webster

Dear Mandy,

When do you decide if your novel is YA? Do you decide before you start writing or after you are done?

Answer: One of the questions writers ask constantly is whether a novel “counts” as Young Adult fiction. Sometimes the answer is obvious from page one. Other times, writers finish an entire manuscript before realizing they may have written for a different audience than they originally intended.

When does a novel become YA—and how much of that decision happens before you even write the first page? This graphic breaks down the key factors writers should consider, from voice and protagonist age to audience and market expectations, and why knowing who you’re writing for shapes every story choice you make.

The truth is that YA is both a category and a marketing designation, and those two things do not always align perfectly. At the most basic level, a Young Adult novel is written for teen readers, generally between the ages of twelve and eighteen. In publishing, though, that definition becomes much more flexible than people expect. A huge percentage of YA readers are adults, and many books with teen protagonists are actually shelved in adult fiction. That’s why YA is not determined by a single factor.

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Ask the Author

Ask the Author: Are easter eggs in novels just foreshadowing?

Mandy Webster

If you spend enough time on bookish social media, you’ll eventually see someone point out an “easter egg” in a novel—and there’s a good chance they’re actually talking about something else entirely. This is the topic of today’s Ask the Author.

Dear Mandy,

Question: Are easter eggs in a novel just foreshadowing?

Not every hidden detail in a story is an “easter egg.” Some are clues, some are foreshadowing—and some are just there for readers who like looking a little closer. In today’s Ask the Author, I unpack the difference– and how the internet sometimes gets literary terms hilariously wrong.

Answer: Lately I’ve noticed a lot of readers on social media using the term easter egg when what they really mean is foreshadowing. The two are not the same thing, even though they both involve details hidden in a story.

Foreshadowing is a storytelling technique. It’s when an author plants clues early in the narrative that hint at something that will happen later. A seemingly harmless line of dialogue, an object that appears briefly in chapter two, a character’s odd reaction to something—these details quietly prepare the reader for future events. When the twist or revelation finally arrives, the earlier hints suddenly make sense. Good foreshadowing makes a story feel inevitable rather than random.

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Writers on Writing

Life after NaNoWriMo: How writers can keep the November momentum alive #WriteMo2025

Mandy Webster

Every November, countless writers have opened fresh documents, brewed extra coffee, and joined a global community all chasing the same goal—50,000 words in 30 days. For twenty-five years, the nonprofit behind National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) gave structure and camaraderie to this creative marathon. But when the organization officially shut down in April 2025 due to financial and operational challenges, many writers were left wondering: Now what?

Just because the NaNoWriMo website is gone, that doesn’t mean you can’t still write a novel this month!

The good news is that the spirit of NaNoWriMo doesn’t belong to any one website. It lives in the collective energy of writers everywhere who come together to create, share, and cheer one another on. November can still be your month to write boldly and build lasting creative habits—you just might have to do it a little differently this year.

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Finish Writing Your Novel Now!

Wrapping up the novel writing series — and what’s next

Mandy Webster

Almost a year ago, I started this series to walk writers through the steps of the novel writing process. It’s been an incredible journey, and I hope you’ve found real value in the posts—whether you’re just starting your first draft or have been wrestling with a novel for years. Writing a book is no small feat, and I’m so glad to have been part of your journey in some way.

Wrapping up the novel writing series and tying a bow on the journey—here’s to new chapters ahead!

To make it easier for you to revisit any step or catch up on what you missed, I’ve created a dedicated page on the website that links to each section of the series. You’ll also find information there about my upcoming book, Write the Damn Novel, Already: A step-by-step guide for first-time novelists and repeat quitters. The book collects everything from this series into one easy-to-use guide with extra tips and tools designed to help you finally finish writing your novel.

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Finish Writing Your Novel Now!

What comes after “The End”: the final step in the novel writing process

Mandy Webster

Finishing a novel is an incredible accomplishment—but if you’re anything like most writers, you’re already thinking about the next one. That’s why the final step in this series on the steps of the novel writing process is simple but essential: repeat the process.

The final step of writing a novel? Do it again—because every great writer keeps going.
The final step of writing a novel? Do it again—because every great writer keeps going.

Writing your first novel teaches you a lot. You learn what sparks your creativity, where you tend to get stuck, and which tools and strategies actually help you move forward. As you begin your second (or fifth or tenth) book, you get to carry all that hard-earned knowledge with you. Take what worked from this series and leave what didn’t. There’s no one right way to write a novel—but with each project, you can refine your own.

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Finish Writing Your Novel Now!

Supporting fellow indie authors: real strategies that benefit you too

Mandy Webster

As an independent author, it’s tempting to see other writers as competition—but that mindset can hold you back. The truth is, supporting fellow indie authors can be one of the most effective and rewarding ways to grow your own audience. By building genuine connections and promoting others, you not only foster goodwill in the writing community, but you also create opportunities to expand your reach and visibility in return.

Collaboration, not competition—indie authors grow stronger together.

Promoting other authors doesn’t just benefit them. It benefits you, too. Here’s how:

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Finish Writing Your Novel Now!

Sending publication slips to bookstores and libraries: a guide for independent authors

Mandy Webster

As an independent author, getting your book into bookstores and libraries can significantly expand your readership and increase sales. One way to achieve this is by sending publication slips to bookstores and libraries that may be interested in carrying your book. Here’s what you need to know about publication slips, how to create them, and how to strategically send them out.

The publication slip for my novel, If You Didn’t See it Coming follows the guidelines listed in this blog post for creating a publication slip for your independant novel.

What is a publication slip?

A publication slip is a one-page marketing sheet designed to introduce your book to bookstores and libraries. It provides key details that help book buyers decide whether to stock your book. Think of it as a quick sales pitch in print form.

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