Writing how-to Snippets

A few choice tidbits gleaned from New York publishing house editors and several successful authors at a recent writers conference:

1. Trend for today's successful novels: third person POV.
2. Build rapport with characters before you kill them off (which can be a problem if you start with a murder in the first chapter).
3. Insert the threat of danger rather than danger itself to keep suspense high.
4. Common "early writer" mistake: resolving conflict before the end of the book without introducing a related conflict.
5. Developing a 20-second "elevator pitch" about your project is a MUST. Use it as promotion in conversations everywhere (you won't be considered a bore if you keep it brief and people won't roll their eyes when they see you coming).
6. Include an unexpected change in each scene.
7. Nothing will kill a story worse than an extemporaneous scene (a scene added to explain the story line).

More later...