Contents
Foreword, by Lee Child
Introduction
1
Plan
Charlie and the Mermaid
A Writing frame of Mind
In order to write Books
You have to Read Books
What kind of writer are You?
The Charlie Variations
Crime
Thriller
Fantasy
Young Adult
Point of View
First Person
Second Person
Third Person
Conformity of point of view
Alternating Viewpoints
Through the eyes of others
A question of Tense
In the Present
In the Past
Decisions
Keeping a Book Journal
Outlining
Locations
Characters
Research
Quotations
And now it’s time to start
2
Write
Writing Tools
Hardware
Software
Formatting
Backup and Security
Structure
The first Act: In the Beginning …
The great opening scene myth
The problem
Characterisation
Pick a name, any name
We don’t need another hero
Dialogue
Contractions
Exposition in Dialogue
The interior conversation
He said, She said
To say or not to say
I like adverbs – there, I said it, boldly
Speaking in Tongues
Creating a World
Connections
Descriptions
Write about what you don’t know
Getting too close to your subject
No news is good news
Voice and Style
Word Choice
Pace
Book Division
Scene Length
Sex, Violence and Swearing
**** Me! what’s the deal with swearing?
Violence
Sex – do you need it?
He, She or It
A short typing Lesson
Sophistication Ahead: Proceed with Care
Writing a Series
This guy does what exactly?
Avoiding Sherlock
Dealing with time
Every book’s a new book to someone
Pre-Flight Checklist
Objects of minor significance
Objects of major significance
First-act synopsis
The second Act: Forks in the Road
Why Charlie didn’t go to London
Bring on those unplaced scenes
When you’re stuck
The pervasive myth of writer’s block
Keeping a project alive
You don’t need to write every day
Beware of big second-act ideas
Underwrite, not Overwrite
Avoiding peer pressure
Treat those word counts cautiously
Small changes, big difference
Overcoming the second-act demons
Second-act synopsis
The third Act – That’s all Folks
Take a break
Writing like the wind
Adjusting the rhythm
In search of a conclusion
More series considerations
Answers that convince
False endings and Epilogues
How long should your finished book be?
Third-act synopsis
3
Deliver
First Revise
Second Revise
Final Revise
Titles, Titles, Titles
Making it Easier For Readers
What happens Next
Appendix
Word Processing
Specialist Writing Applications
Information Management
Author Biography