The Every Day Novelist

Tim asks: What’re your opinions on pacing an Action-adventure novel? How much action is actually necessary? King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider HaggardSahara by Clive CusslerIndiana JonesRomancing the StoneThe Killing Floor by Lee ChildJurrassic Park (film)Congo (film)The Lost World by DoyleThe Mummy

Where/how do you go to track down and read those books out of copyright? You mentioned King Solomon’s Mine recently and I’d love to get a copy of that on my ereader if there’s a free resource to grab it. Notes:Archive.orgSFFaudio.orgLibriVox

Caine asks:In a self evaluation of our own skill sets/aptitudes as a writer, what identifiers should exist that would indicate we have developed into a substantial professional writer? How do we know that we have what we need skills wise? What should we be able to do? What should we be NOT doing? King Con by Stephen J. Cannell

Khellan asks:I’ve recently started carving out some “guaranteed” time to write fiction 3 times a week. It’s been a long time. Do you have any tools or tricks to get you back in the particular headspace or mood for the specific story you’re working on, or have you ingrained the habit well enough that not writing is always the problem for you? Sponsored by Archivos

Khellen asks:You mentioned punctuation and that stuff in another episode… Do you have enough to create a mini ebook with that stuff in? It is 123.6% worthwhile, because I forget and have to find a couple of books to figure out the rules! Sponsored by Archivos

Joe asks:Lots of people have opinions about how to write a bestseller. What are some of the more interesting and counter intuitive ways to write a book that never sells at all?Sponsored by Archivos

Tim asks:I’ve noticed dictation results in a more twisty story than typing, at least for me. I guess I’m curious if there are any techniques you use that alter the kind of story that results?Resources Mentioned:The Clarke Lantham MysteriesJ. Daniel Sawyer Fiction Podcast

Tim asks:Grit. How do you express a character’s mental toughness whether they’re a Point of View character or not?Resources mentioned:The Gulag ArchipelagoWitnessTakenJohn WickSponsored by Archivos

Joe asks:What writing advice would have totally tanked you as a writer if you hadn’t ignored it?Resources Mentioned:The Collected Poems of Emily DickensonThe Best of Hemingway

Tim asks:Do you see your characters more like real people or more like toys with all manner of features to employ in the narrative?Resources mentioned: On Fairy-Stories by JRR TolkienLast Days of Socrates by PlatoBiblical Book of JobCollected Classic Novels of HG WellsDavid Mamet Masterclass

Ed asks:Can you riff on creative partnerships, particularly long term? What makes them succeed? What makes them fail? How does one find a creative partner? And how does one adapt or change when a creative partnership ends? Resources Mentioned:The Expanse by James S.A. CoreyThe Man Who Wrote Frankenstein by John Lauristen Sponsored by Archivos

Khellen asks:My antagonist hasn’t shown up halfway through the book and I’m not sure what to do. How do you build an effective antagonist for your stories?Resources Mentioned: Suave Rob’s Awesome Adventures by J. Daniel SawyerThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienSponsored by Archivos

Dawn asks: Which is best for writing: typing, longhand, or dictation? Why?Sponsored by Archivos

Nichole asks:I’m having trouble expanding my short story into a novel. Can you give some techniques and examples? Resources: Predestination and Other Games of Chance (full cast audio podcast by J. Daniel Sawyer) Nightfall by Isaac Asimov novel, short story

Dawn asks:How should a lonely writer go about networking with other writers?