Write Now Coach! Blog by Rochelle Melander

Are you a plotter or pantser? Plotters plan out the scenes in their novels, pantsers fly by the seat of their pants. The saying comes from aviation. One can fly a plane two ways: using one’s instruments or using one’s instincts. Every year during NaNo, participants claim one or the... Read More

29 Oct 2013

National Novel Writing Month, Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

How to Build Your Own #NaNoWriMo Challenge by Rochelle Melander

Every November thousands of otherwise normal people give up their spare time and write a 50,000-word novel in a month. The challenge is called National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo for short. Some participants are published writers who do this every day on their own but appreciate the camaraderie. Others are... Read More

25 Oct 2013

Writers Read

Writers Read: 5 Best Indie Fantasy Books by S.M. Boyce

I grew up on fantasy novels like L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Just a few weeks ago, I cozied up with Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (amazing!). This post reminds me that it might be time for me to... Read More

22 Oct 2013

National Novel Writing Month, Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

How to Have Fun AND Create Amazing Characters by Rochelle Melander

Dear Writers, It’s time to plan for National Novel Writing Month, and I can help! Tomorrow at the Write Now! Mastermind class, I’ll be talking to Angela Ackerman about building great characters. If you’re not signed up yet, you can do so here. If you need even more help, check... Read More

18 Oct 2013

National Novel Writing Month

Building Authentic Heroes by Angela Ackerman

Are you ready to NaNo? If not, I can help! Next week, I’ll be welcoming Angela Ackerman to the Write Now! Mastermind class to talk about Character Creation: Forging an Unforgettable Hero. We’ll meet next Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at 12:00 PM CDT (Think Chicago) to talk about building great characters. If you’re not... Read More

17 Oct 2013

National Novel Writing Month

How to Create Conflict and Plot Out of Character by K.M. Weiland

If you’re a NaNoWriMo participant or wannabe, you know that we’re counting down the days to the 2013 challenge with lots of blog posts to help you prepare. Next Tuesday, I’ll be offering a chance to win a copy of my book, Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (And... Read More

15 Oct 2013

National Novel Writing Month, Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

Keeping Track by Rochelle Melander

How does a novelist remember all those details about character and plot? I’ve been working with a teenaged client who’s writing an epic tale. He predicts the story will take seven books to tell. And, of course, with that much story, he’s also got a complicated plot, multiple characters, and... Read More

10 Oct 2013

Writers@Work

Writers@Work: The Art and Science of Translation by Katherine Douglass

When I first spoke with Katherine several years ago, she was living in France. Though she described her house as old and drafty, I envied her romantic life—living and working in the French countryside. She was working on a book, translating a journal and other French-language documents as part of... Read More