20
t h e  w r it er’s little  hel per veyth in g you n d to kn ow to writ b tt e and g t p ublish d  JAMES V . SMIT H, JR .

Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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the writerrsquos

little

helperveyth ing you nd to know towrit btte and gt publishd

JAMES V SMITH JR

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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ContentsINRODUCION GETING SARED 1

Writing MechanicsWRIING O BE UNDERSOOD 4

EFFECIVE SENENCES 7

HE PASSIVE VOICE DEFINED 10

Ceativity WRIING CREAIVELY 15

WRIING UNIQUE SORIES 16

WRIERrsquoS BLOCK 17

Fiction TechniquesIMAGERY VERSUS DESCRIPION 20

FLASHBACKS 23

FORESHADOWING24

EXURIZING YOUR NOVEL 25

HE ALERNAIVE O DESCRIPION 28

ADVANCED IMAGERY ECHNIQUES 32

RANSIIONS 101 35

IRONY 37

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ChactesCHARACERS CHARACERS CHARACERS 41

MINIMUM CHARACER ELEMENS FOR ANY SORY 42

KEEPING RACK OF CHARACERS 45

HOW O PU A FACE ON YOUR CHARACERS 46

WHY DO GOOD CHARACERS DO BAD HINGS 48

HE DARK SIDE OF CHARACER 51

DONrsquo GO INO HE BASEMEN 52

NAMES 53

CHARACER REDEMPION 55

SEREOYPES 58

Dilogu DIALOGUE 62

AVOIDING BAD DIALOGUE 64

DIALOGUE EXERCISE 65

CONFLIC IN DIALOGUE 68

VOICE 71

Point of ViwPOV 74

NARRAION 77

CHARACER POV 80

GETING HE READER INVOLVED 82

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Plot SIMPLICITY 101 85

STORY STRUCTURE 86

FOCUS 88

TRIUMPH VERSUS TRAGEDY 89

SUBPLOTS 92

Writing ScenesORGANIZING TEN EASY SCENES 97

SCENE-ERY 100

NARRATION VERSUS SCENE-ERY 101

THE SCENE CARD 102

EVERY SCENE MUST HAVE A PURPOSE 107

THE ACIIIDS TEST FOR EVALUATING SCENES 108

WRITING SCENES WITH IMPACT 109

Beginnings amp EndingsSTRUCTURING YOUR FIRST WORDS 113

THE WRITING SAMPLE 115

STRUCTURING THE CLIMAX 116

GRABBING THE READER 119

TITLES 121

PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES 123

LAST WORDS 125

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PacingPACING WITHIN A SCENE 130

THE ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 134

ADJUSTING THE PACE OF YOUR STORY 137

FINAL ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 140

Wod Chice INVENTIVE WORDS 143

ADVANCED WORD INVENTION EXERCISE 146

THE CREATIVE WRITERrsquoS BRACKETING TOOL 149

WHAT STRIKING WORDS CAN DO 151

EditingAVOIDING AMATEUR MISTAKES 154

EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 157

READING EASE 159

USE SHORT WORDS 162

EDITING USING THE READING EASE IDEAL 163

MORE EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 166

PARAGRAPHS THAT SING 168

EDITING SCENES USING THE REI 169

FINAL EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 172

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Getting Published THE 21 KEY TRAITS 176

REJECTION AINrsquoT FATAL 178

A THOUSAND WORDS ARE WORTH 180

HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER 182

CATEGORY FICTION 183

MARKETING YOUR OWN SERIES 186

PROPOSING THE ldquoBIG BOOKrdquo 189

CONFLICT THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF FICTION 192

THE END 194

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

INDEX 196

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WRITING MECHANICS 1

Int oducion Geting Sared Tis book hits the technical aspects of writing 1047297ction from the point of

view of giving readers what they want in a bestseller

WHAT WILL THIS LITTLE HELPER DO FOR YOU

INSPIRE YOUOf course Irsquoll try to do that Any book like this 1047297rst

has to give you a feeling of ldquoI can write and sell a novel I want to

do it I will do itmdashoutta my wayrdquo Irsquove tried to inspire you

ANSWER YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS You want to know how

to write characters that compel You have questions about plots set-

ting style story structure and dialogue Good topics all and wersquoll

address them but not as other how-to books do Where this book

differs is in its point of view

GIVE YOU TOOLS Most writing how-tos use checklists shortcuts

exercises and stepsmdashtools you can use to write 1047297ction Tis book

does too But again with that unique twist While other books tell

you what a writer must domdashfrom a writerrsquos point of viewmdashthis one

comes at the writer from the angle of what readers say they want a

writer to do

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2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

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WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

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CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

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FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

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44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

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64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

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88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

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BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

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Getting Published

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176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

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About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

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Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

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ContentsINRODUCION GETING SARED 1

Writing MechanicsWRIING O BE UNDERSOOD 4

EFFECIVE SENENCES 7

HE PASSIVE VOICE DEFINED 10

Ceativity WRIING CREAIVELY 15

WRIING UNIQUE SORIES 16

WRIERrsquoS BLOCK 17

Fiction TechniquesIMAGERY VERSUS DESCRIPION 20

FLASHBACKS 23

FORESHADOWING24

EXURIZING YOUR NOVEL 25

HE ALERNAIVE O DESCRIPION 28

ADVANCED IMAGERY ECHNIQUES 32

RANSIIONS 101 35

IRONY 37

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ChactesCHARACERS CHARACERS CHARACERS 41

MINIMUM CHARACER ELEMENS FOR ANY SORY 42

KEEPING RACK OF CHARACERS 45

HOW O PU A FACE ON YOUR CHARACERS 46

WHY DO GOOD CHARACERS DO BAD HINGS 48

HE DARK SIDE OF CHARACER 51

DONrsquo GO INO HE BASEMEN 52

NAMES 53

CHARACER REDEMPION 55

SEREOYPES 58

Dilogu DIALOGUE 62

AVOIDING BAD DIALOGUE 64

DIALOGUE EXERCISE 65

CONFLIC IN DIALOGUE 68

VOICE 71

Point of ViwPOV 74

NARRAION 77

CHARACER POV 80

GETING HE READER INVOLVED 82

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Plot SIMPLICITY 101 85

STORY STRUCTURE 86

FOCUS 88

TRIUMPH VERSUS TRAGEDY 89

SUBPLOTS 92

Writing ScenesORGANIZING TEN EASY SCENES 97

SCENE-ERY 100

NARRATION VERSUS SCENE-ERY 101

THE SCENE CARD 102

EVERY SCENE MUST HAVE A PURPOSE 107

THE ACIIIDS TEST FOR EVALUATING SCENES 108

WRITING SCENES WITH IMPACT 109

Beginnings amp EndingsSTRUCTURING YOUR FIRST WORDS 113

THE WRITING SAMPLE 115

STRUCTURING THE CLIMAX 116

GRABBING THE READER 119

TITLES 121

PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES 123

LAST WORDS 125

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PacingPACING WITHIN A SCENE 130

THE ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 134

ADJUSTING THE PACE OF YOUR STORY 137

FINAL ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 140

Wod Chice INVENTIVE WORDS 143

ADVANCED WORD INVENTION EXERCISE 146

THE CREATIVE WRITERrsquoS BRACKETING TOOL 149

WHAT STRIKING WORDS CAN DO 151

EditingAVOIDING AMATEUR MISTAKES 154

EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 157

READING EASE 159

USE SHORT WORDS 162

EDITING USING THE READING EASE IDEAL 163

MORE EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 166

PARAGRAPHS THAT SING 168

EDITING SCENES USING THE REI 169

FINAL EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 172

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Getting Published THE 21 KEY TRAITS 176

REJECTION AINrsquoT FATAL 178

A THOUSAND WORDS ARE WORTH 180

HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER 182

CATEGORY FICTION 183

MARKETING YOUR OWN SERIES 186

PROPOSING THE ldquoBIG BOOKrdquo 189

CONFLICT THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF FICTION 192

THE END 194

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

INDEX 196

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WRITING MECHANICS 1

Int oducion Geting Sared Tis book hits the technical aspects of writing 1047297ction from the point of

view of giving readers what they want in a bestseller

WHAT WILL THIS LITTLE HELPER DO FOR YOU

INSPIRE YOUOf course Irsquoll try to do that Any book like this 1047297rst

has to give you a feeling of ldquoI can write and sell a novel I want to

do it I will do itmdashoutta my wayrdquo Irsquove tried to inspire you

ANSWER YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS You want to know how

to write characters that compel You have questions about plots set-

ting style story structure and dialogue Good topics all and wersquoll

address them but not as other how-to books do Where this book

differs is in its point of view

GIVE YOU TOOLS Most writing how-tos use checklists shortcuts

exercises and stepsmdashtools you can use to write 1047297ction Tis book

does too But again with that unique twist While other books tell

you what a writer must domdashfrom a writerrsquos point of viewmdashthis one

comes at the writer from the angle of what readers say they want a

writer to do

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

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FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

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44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

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64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

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BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

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Getting Published

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176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

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About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

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Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 3: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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ChactesCHARACERS CHARACERS CHARACERS 41

MINIMUM CHARACER ELEMENS FOR ANY SORY 42

KEEPING RACK OF CHARACERS 45

HOW O PU A FACE ON YOUR CHARACERS 46

WHY DO GOOD CHARACERS DO BAD HINGS 48

HE DARK SIDE OF CHARACER 51

DONrsquo GO INO HE BASEMEN 52

NAMES 53

CHARACER REDEMPION 55

SEREOYPES 58

Dilogu DIALOGUE 62

AVOIDING BAD DIALOGUE 64

DIALOGUE EXERCISE 65

CONFLIC IN DIALOGUE 68

VOICE 71

Point of ViwPOV 74

NARRAION 77

CHARACER POV 80

GETING HE READER INVOLVED 82

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Plot SIMPLICITY 101 85

STORY STRUCTURE 86

FOCUS 88

TRIUMPH VERSUS TRAGEDY 89

SUBPLOTS 92

Writing ScenesORGANIZING TEN EASY SCENES 97

SCENE-ERY 100

NARRATION VERSUS SCENE-ERY 101

THE SCENE CARD 102

EVERY SCENE MUST HAVE A PURPOSE 107

THE ACIIIDS TEST FOR EVALUATING SCENES 108

WRITING SCENES WITH IMPACT 109

Beginnings amp EndingsSTRUCTURING YOUR FIRST WORDS 113

THE WRITING SAMPLE 115

STRUCTURING THE CLIMAX 116

GRABBING THE READER 119

TITLES 121

PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES 123

LAST WORDS 125

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PacingPACING WITHIN A SCENE 130

THE ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 134

ADJUSTING THE PACE OF YOUR STORY 137

FINAL ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 140

Wod Chice INVENTIVE WORDS 143

ADVANCED WORD INVENTION EXERCISE 146

THE CREATIVE WRITERrsquoS BRACKETING TOOL 149

WHAT STRIKING WORDS CAN DO 151

EditingAVOIDING AMATEUR MISTAKES 154

EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 157

READING EASE 159

USE SHORT WORDS 162

EDITING USING THE READING EASE IDEAL 163

MORE EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 166

PARAGRAPHS THAT SING 168

EDITING SCENES USING THE REI 169

FINAL EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 172

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Getting Published THE 21 KEY TRAITS 176

REJECTION AINrsquoT FATAL 178

A THOUSAND WORDS ARE WORTH 180

HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER 182

CATEGORY FICTION 183

MARKETING YOUR OWN SERIES 186

PROPOSING THE ldquoBIG BOOKrdquo 189

CONFLICT THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF FICTION 192

THE END 194

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

INDEX 196

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WRITING MECHANICS 1

Int oducion Geting Sared Tis book hits the technical aspects of writing 1047297ction from the point of

view of giving readers what they want in a bestseller

WHAT WILL THIS LITTLE HELPER DO FOR YOU

INSPIRE YOUOf course Irsquoll try to do that Any book like this 1047297rst

has to give you a feeling of ldquoI can write and sell a novel I want to

do it I will do itmdashoutta my wayrdquo Irsquove tried to inspire you

ANSWER YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS You want to know how

to write characters that compel You have questions about plots set-

ting style story structure and dialogue Good topics all and wersquoll

address them but not as other how-to books do Where this book

differs is in its point of view

GIVE YOU TOOLS Most writing how-tos use checklists shortcuts

exercises and stepsmdashtools you can use to write 1047297ction Tis book

does too But again with that unique twist While other books tell

you what a writer must domdashfrom a writerrsquos point of viewmdashthis one

comes at the writer from the angle of what readers say they want a

writer to do

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2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

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WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

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CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

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FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

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44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

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64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

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BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 4: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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Plot SIMPLICITY 101 85

STORY STRUCTURE 86

FOCUS 88

TRIUMPH VERSUS TRAGEDY 89

SUBPLOTS 92

Writing ScenesORGANIZING TEN EASY SCENES 97

SCENE-ERY 100

NARRATION VERSUS SCENE-ERY 101

THE SCENE CARD 102

EVERY SCENE MUST HAVE A PURPOSE 107

THE ACIIIDS TEST FOR EVALUATING SCENES 108

WRITING SCENES WITH IMPACT 109

Beginnings amp EndingsSTRUCTURING YOUR FIRST WORDS 113

THE WRITING SAMPLE 115

STRUCTURING THE CLIMAX 116

GRABBING THE READER 119

TITLES 121

PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES 123

LAST WORDS 125

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PacingPACING WITHIN A SCENE 130

THE ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 134

ADJUSTING THE PACE OF YOUR STORY 137

FINAL ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 140

Wod Chice INVENTIVE WORDS 143

ADVANCED WORD INVENTION EXERCISE 146

THE CREATIVE WRITERrsquoS BRACKETING TOOL 149

WHAT STRIKING WORDS CAN DO 151

EditingAVOIDING AMATEUR MISTAKES 154

EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 157

READING EASE 159

USE SHORT WORDS 162

EDITING USING THE READING EASE IDEAL 163

MORE EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 166

PARAGRAPHS THAT SING 168

EDITING SCENES USING THE REI 169

FINAL EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 172

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Getting Published THE 21 KEY TRAITS 176

REJECTION AINrsquoT FATAL 178

A THOUSAND WORDS ARE WORTH 180

HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER 182

CATEGORY FICTION 183

MARKETING YOUR OWN SERIES 186

PROPOSING THE ldquoBIG BOOKrdquo 189

CONFLICT THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF FICTION 192

THE END 194

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

INDEX 196

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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WRITING MECHANICS 1

Int oducion Geting Sared Tis book hits the technical aspects of writing 1047297ction from the point of

view of giving readers what they want in a bestseller

WHAT WILL THIS LITTLE HELPER DO FOR YOU

INSPIRE YOUOf course Irsquoll try to do that Any book like this 1047297rst

has to give you a feeling of ldquoI can write and sell a novel I want to

do it I will do itmdashoutta my wayrdquo Irsquove tried to inspire you

ANSWER YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS You want to know how

to write characters that compel You have questions about plots set-

ting style story structure and dialogue Good topics all and wersquoll

address them but not as other how-to books do Where this book

differs is in its point of view

GIVE YOU TOOLS Most writing how-tos use checklists shortcuts

exercises and stepsmdashtools you can use to write 1047297ction Tis book

does too But again with that unique twist While other books tell

you what a writer must domdashfrom a writerrsquos point of viewmdashthis one

comes at the writer from the angle of what readers say they want a

writer to do

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

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WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

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CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

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FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

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44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

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64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

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88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

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BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

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Getting Published

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176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 5: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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PacingPACING WITHIN A SCENE 130

THE ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 134

ADJUSTING THE PACE OF YOUR STORY 137

FINAL ULTIMATE PACING TOOL 140

Wod Chice INVENTIVE WORDS 143

ADVANCED WORD INVENTION EXERCISE 146

THE CREATIVE WRITERrsquoS BRACKETING TOOL 149

WHAT STRIKING WORDS CAN DO 151

EditingAVOIDING AMATEUR MISTAKES 154

EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 157

READING EASE 159

USE SHORT WORDS 162

EDITING USING THE READING EASE IDEAL 163

MORE EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 166

PARAGRAPHS THAT SING 168

EDITING SCENES USING THE REI 169

FINAL EDITING HIP SHOTS AND QUICK TIPS 172

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Getting Published THE 21 KEY TRAITS 176

REJECTION AINrsquoT FATAL 178

A THOUSAND WORDS ARE WORTH 180

HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER 182

CATEGORY FICTION 183

MARKETING YOUR OWN SERIES 186

PROPOSING THE ldquoBIG BOOKrdquo 189

CONFLICT THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF FICTION 192

THE END 194

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

INDEX 196

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WRITING MECHANICS 1

Int oducion Geting Sared Tis book hits the technical aspects of writing 1047297ction from the point of

view of giving readers what they want in a bestseller

WHAT WILL THIS LITTLE HELPER DO FOR YOU

INSPIRE YOUOf course Irsquoll try to do that Any book like this 1047297rst

has to give you a feeling of ldquoI can write and sell a novel I want to

do it I will do itmdashoutta my wayrdquo Irsquove tried to inspire you

ANSWER YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS You want to know how

to write characters that compel You have questions about plots set-

ting style story structure and dialogue Good topics all and wersquoll

address them but not as other how-to books do Where this book

differs is in its point of view

GIVE YOU TOOLS Most writing how-tos use checklists shortcuts

exercises and stepsmdashtools you can use to write 1047297ction Tis book

does too But again with that unique twist While other books tell

you what a writer must domdashfrom a writerrsquos point of viewmdashthis one

comes at the writer from the angle of what readers say they want a

writer to do

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

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FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

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44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

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64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

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88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

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BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

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Getting Published

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176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

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About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

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Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 6: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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Getting Published THE 21 KEY TRAITS 176

REJECTION AINrsquoT FATAL 178

A THOUSAND WORDS ARE WORTH 180

HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER 182

CATEGORY FICTION 183

MARKETING YOUR OWN SERIES 186

PROPOSING THE ldquoBIG BOOKrdquo 189

CONFLICT THE INDISPENSABLE ELEMENT OF FICTION 192

THE END 194

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

INDEX 196

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WRITING MECHANICS 1

Int oducion Geting Sared Tis book hits the technical aspects of writing 1047297ction from the point of

view of giving readers what they want in a bestseller

WHAT WILL THIS LITTLE HELPER DO FOR YOU

INSPIRE YOUOf course Irsquoll try to do that Any book like this 1047297rst

has to give you a feeling of ldquoI can write and sell a novel I want to

do it I will do itmdashoutta my wayrdquo Irsquove tried to inspire you

ANSWER YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS You want to know how

to write characters that compel You have questions about plots set-

ting style story structure and dialogue Good topics all and wersquoll

address them but not as other how-to books do Where this book

differs is in its point of view

GIVE YOU TOOLS Most writing how-tos use checklists shortcuts

exercises and stepsmdashtools you can use to write 1047297ction Tis book

does too But again with that unique twist While other books tell

you what a writer must domdashfrom a writerrsquos point of viewmdashthis one

comes at the writer from the angle of what readers say they want a

writer to do

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2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

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WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

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CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

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FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

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44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

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64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

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88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

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BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

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Getting Published

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176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

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About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 7: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 720

WRITING MECHANICS 1

Int oducion Geting Sared Tis book hits the technical aspects of writing 1047297ction from the point of

view of giving readers what they want in a bestseller

WHAT WILL THIS LITTLE HELPER DO FOR YOU

INSPIRE YOUOf course Irsquoll try to do that Any book like this 1047297rst

has to give you a feeling of ldquoI can write and sell a novel I want to

do it I will do itmdashoutta my wayrdquo Irsquove tried to inspire you

ANSWER YOUR TECHNICAL QUESTIONS You want to know how

to write characters that compel You have questions about plots set-

ting style story structure and dialogue Good topics all and wersquoll

address them but not as other how-to books do Where this book

differs is in its point of view

GIVE YOU TOOLS Most writing how-tos use checklists shortcuts

exercises and stepsmdashtools you can use to write 1047297ction Tis book

does too But again with that unique twist While other books tell

you what a writer must domdashfrom a writerrsquos point of viewmdashthis one

comes at the writer from the angle of what readers say they want a

writer to do

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 820

2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 920

WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1020

CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1120

FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1320

64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

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BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

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Getting Published

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176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 8: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 820

2 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

INJECT YOUR FICTION WITH A TOUCH OF MAGIC Admit it You

want a book like this to guarantee you a bestseller Tis book will

simply tell you how to analyze the needs of readers and show you

how best-selling writers meet those needs

Whether you write the bestseller depends on the magic in your 1047297ction

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 920

WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1020

CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1120

FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1220

44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1320

64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

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DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 9: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 920

WRITING MECHANICS 7

Popular novelists do write sentences o orty words or more But

rarely back-to-back You most ofen 1047297nd a long sentence bracketed by

short ones

Effective SentencesBESIDES WORD COUNT WHAT OTHER FACTORS AFFECT

COMPREHENSION IN SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Answer Singularity A sentence works best when it expresses a single ideausing no more words than necessary to express that idea

Sentences come in a variety o shapes and orms In high school you

learned the terms simple complex and compound in de1047297ning sentence

constructions Irsquoll rede1047297ne these terms because yoursquore more interested in

writer unctions than sterile de1047297nitions

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Te effective simple sentence states a act portrays an act or paints an

image Te writer adds only minimal but relevant clari1047297cation As always

the 1047297rst job o such a sentence is to move a story orward i not by action

or con1047298ict then by an image that expands understanding

A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail (an image of

nine words)

Bill grasped her arm (an action of only four words)

A new fear chilled her skin (six words of conflict)

Simple sentences send direct messages And directness helps you main-

tain singularity Whatrsquos more the message usually involves only one

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1020

CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1120

FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1220

44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1320

64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1420

DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 10: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1020

CREATIVITY 15

Writing Creatively WHAT DO READERS WANT BY WAY OF CREATIVITY

IN YOUR WRITING

Tey want a fresh experience Tey want you to invent You donrsquot have to

make up a new language as in A Clockwork Orange Terersquos no need to go

experimental either writing in accents or phonetics to the point where

the writing feels alien

Rather readers want to see familiar words used in fresh ways And

they want to read good stories told in creative ways You must entertainprovoke and excite your readers with your creative genius You get to the

top of this writing game when you Wow your readers with words and

stories You just cannot do that without a passion to invent

Not to dwell on the dark side of this point but you must at least avoid

what I call the death knell of creativity automatic writing Irsquom talking

about the stuff you read in most papers the junk you grind out at work

the utter mind-numbing trash that you 1047297nd on 9604683 percent of Websites in America

RULE OF THUMB Avoid automatic writing If itrsquos coming too easily

beware It might not be the muse in you talking but the garbage man

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1120

FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1220

44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1320

64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1420

DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 11: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1120

FICTION TECHNIQUES 35

My agent once made a deep impression on me in a discussion about

The Bonire o the Vanities She said ldquoSometimes I wish om Wole

wouldnrsquot describe so much and in such excruciating detail Sometimes I

wish hersquod just leave a little bit to my own imaginationrdquoBest advice about imagery Irsquove ever gotten

Transitions 101 HOW CAN I MAKE MY NOVEL FLOW SMOOTHLY

ransitions Tese come in two orms large- and small-scale transitions

Small-Scale Transitions

OUTRIGHT PHRASES Later last week next day yesterday then soon

afer Like that

DIRECT REFERENCES Ofen using pronouns like he she and it to reer

to nouns in previous sentences and paragraphs

REFLECTIONS OF IMAGES AND IDEAS From one part o the scene to

the next

REPETITION OF WORDS OR SYNONYMS From one paragraph to an-

other Simple yet effective

CAUSE AND EFFECT Something happens in one paragraph and its re-

sult is seen in the next

CONTRADICTION Something is stated or supposed in one paragraph

but is reversed in the next

AN OVERALL DOMINANT ATMOSPHERE TO WHICH REFERENCES

ARE MADE Tis is tricky to talk about but easy to see Suppose you set a

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1220

44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1320

64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1420

DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 12: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1220

44 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

wicked but not entirely demonic

1047298awed or vulnerable either physically mentally or emotionally

capable of humor or irony

powerful enough to crush the heroic character

physically fascinating even if repulsive

defeated at the end of the story

bull Action and con1047298ict involving the heroic characterrsquos quest With hellip

suspense or substantial tension at every turn

all dialogue laced with con1047298ict

a varied pace

action either rising to a confrontation or falling from one

utter absence of boring static scenes

vivid imagery rather than lifeless description

singularity of the central story line

subplots that support the central story line

narration carried by characters and not the author

absence of philosophizing preaching and musing

bull A perceived ending Complete with hellip

a 1047297nal titanic climactic struggle between characters at the

end of the story

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1320

64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1420

DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 13: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1320

64 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

Avoiding Bad DialogueWHAT DOES BAD DIALOGUE SOUND LIKE

Here are some general rules of thumb to avoiding bad dialogue

Characters shouldnrsquot ldquospeechifyrdquo Be wary when a character talks

past three lines Break up long speeches with action images or con1047298ict-

laden responses from another character

Donrsquot let characters talk as we do in real life Avoid chit-chat such as

ldquoHow are yourdquo

ldquoIrsquom fine how are yourdquo

ldquoFine I guessrdquo

ldquoYou guessrdquo

ldquoYeahrdquo

ldquoYou gonna get to the pointrdquo

Tatrsquos what I want to knowAvoid clutter Let the dialogue 1047298ow Read the following example

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

She seemed unable to make eye contact with him That con-

firmed it for him He thought hersquod be on safe ground telling her why

hersquod been so cool toward her lately

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

He adjusted the knot and made sure the point of the tie touched

the middle of his belt buckle

Now look how well the same material reads when you cut the clutter

ldquoSpit it outrdquo she said fiddling with his necktie

He yanked the tie from her hands ldquoI donrsquot trust yourdquo

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1420

DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 14: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1420

DIALOGUE 71

ldquoIrsquom not kiddingrdquo

Or

ldquoIrsquom seriousrdquo

USING THE IMPERATIVE Tis adds emphasis to the most neutral state-ments as well as increasing the potential for con1047298ict

Notice the difference between

ldquoI donrsquot think you should tell her the truthrdquo

And

ldquoDonrsquot tell her the truth Lie Lie your tail offrdquo

TYPOGRAPHICAL EMPHASIS Do NO rely on this ldquoAMAEURISHrdquo

technique

BODY LANGUAGE Overt actions and passive behaviors indicate con1047298ict

ldquoI donrsquot exactly hate yourdquo she said blinking with only one eye

CHARACTER RECOGNITION Neither the author nor the narrator gives

away the hostility But one character sees con1047298ict in an otherwise innocent

situation By saying so he tips off everybody elseldquoYou say yoursquove forgiven me but I can see the muscle cramps in

your templesrdquo

VoiceAll my characters sound alike How can I make them distinctive

Use this hellip

DISTINCTIVE VOICE TOOL

o help you remember this tool of voice Irsquove identi1047297ed 1047297ve qualities all

beginning with the same letter as voice

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 15: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1520

88 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

So thatrsquos the conventional story model I it works or you use it I you

want to lif your vision to a less conventional model visit the riumph vs

ragedy model on the next page

FocusHow can I stay ocused on my story

Herersquos a tool to help you rom the very start

THE NUGGET

In orty words or so write down what your story is about Herersquos an example

rom one o my own tales written under the pen name o John Harriman

Delta Force

A Military Thriller

A soldier watches the 911 terrorist strikes on the Twin Towers froman airliner The mission Train a hit squad to exact revenge without

becoming American terrorists in the eyes of the world The risk

Losing his own soul

Tatrsquos thirty-nine words not counting title and category I wrote it at the

very start o writing the novel I shared it with my editor to let him know

my ocus I kept it on hand to remind mysel whenever the story elt as i

it were oundering

HOW TO KEEP FOCUS USING THE NUGGET

ype or hand-print your idea onto three-by-1047297ve cards

Carry one in the pocket o your blouse or shirt

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 16: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1620

BEGINNINGS amp ENDINGS 117

cide whether to buy your book Te Opener must impress a reader to give

in to an impulse to take your book home rom the bookstore

But itrsquos the climax that closes the deal or all three partiesmdashthatrsquos

partly why I call it the Closer Te editor who bought my 1047297rst book said

that afer he decided he liked the opening 1047297 fy pages he skipped right

to the ending to see i I could deliver in the climax Only then did he

make an offer on the book

o make your book a bestseller it matters more to readersmdashlots and

lots o readersmdashwhat they say afer they put your book down than when

they pick it up

A CHECKLIST FOR THE CLIMACTIC CLOSER SCENE

Ask yoursel these questions about your Closer

IS THIS SCENE A TITANIC FINAL STRUGGLE Blow away your

readers Simple as that No scene that precedes the climax should

be more exciting Tis is the payoff

DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER CONFRONT THE WORTHY AD-

VERSARY Absolutely mandatory No exceptions

IS THE CONFLICT RESOLVED IN THE HEROIC CHARACTERrsquoS

FAVOR Not mandatory but usually the most popular choice

WHAT DOES THE HEROIC CHARACTER LEARN Te most dra-

matic events o our lives teach our charactersmdashand usmdashsomething

o lasting value Our scars cost us something perhaps innocence or

purity but we also wear them as badges o learning A reader who

walks away rom the novel with a so-what attitude will kill you in

the word-o-mouth department

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 17: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1720

Getting Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 18: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1820

176 THE WRITERrsquoS LITTLE HELPER

The 21 Key TraitsWHAT DO READERS WANT

Readers want to read works that offer utility (writing to the point aboutthings they can use in their lives) Tey seek information substance fo-

cus logic a sense of connection a compelling style a sense of wit sim-

plicity clarity a fast pace imagery creativity excitement comfort hap-

piness and truth (if not truth then fact or at least balance and fairness)

Tey seek writing that provokes them Tey want active memorable writ-

ing Tey want to say ldquoWowrdquo at writing that leaves them with a sense of

wonder Tey honor writing that elevates them with its transcendence(heroism justice beauty honor honesty and the like)

THE 21 KEY TRAITS OF BEST-SELLING FICTION

Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

A sense of connection (the power of personal involvement)

A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 19: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 1920

About the AuthorJames V Smith Jr has published more than a dozen

novels including the six-book series ldquoForce Reconrdquo

His latest novels the ldquoDelta Forcerdquo series appear un-der the pen name John Harriman Smith is a former

combat soldier helicopter pilot newspaper writer and

editor national award-winning columnist and maga-

zine editor He is also the author of You Can Write a

Novel (1047297rst and second editions) published by Writ-

errsquos Digest Books

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 195

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book

Page 20: Writers Little Helper, Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

822019 Writers Little Helper Everything You Need to Know to Write Better and Get Published

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullwriters-little-helper-everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-better-and-get 2020

Therersquos nothing small about the dynamic fiction-writing advice

inside The Writerrsquos Little Helper Itrsquos packed with big ideas time-

saving tips and revision-made-easy chartsndasheverything you

need to

bull Create great characters

bull Maintain a compelling pace

bull Craft believable dialogue

bull Expand your creativity

bull Revise your work to perfection

bull Attract the attention of agents and editors

bull And much much more

The unique format of the book allows you to read from start tofinish or focus on those areas where your fiction needs work

Author James V Smith Jr offers additional guidance with short

checklists QampAs and other writing tools

With valuable and surprising tips on every page The Writerrsquos

Little Helper is sure to become your biggest fiction-writing aid

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 6 W 6 e Y C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U 0 N D Y 2 H A = =

35313 654460 6 U P C

E A N

W6570

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 8 r v 6 E E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M 0 M D k 4 A A = =

781599 6340989

51499

ISBN-10 1-59963-409-0

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-409-8

US $1499(CAN $3350)

WRITING REFERENCE

big fi ction advic fom a lit tl book