Those who register will also receive an individual critique from me on their novel synopsis or the first few pages of their work.

Here’s some of the marketing copy from Writer’s Digest:

What you’ll learn:

• How to plan in advance for hurdles during your 90-day challenge
• How to find or form a writers’ group to better your chance of success
• Assessing your novel’s marketability
• The purpose, function, and usefulness of outlining, along with tips for creating one
• How to shape the arc of your story
• Getting your readers to care from page one
• The biggest mistakes writers make when approaching a novel

Of course, I’ll be talking about a few other things, too.  But you’ll have to tune in to find out.

Looking forward to talking shop on Thursday!

One day, libraries may become a relic of our pasts.  I can still recall a movie we watched during “Library Period” in elementary school.  (Yes, an entire period dedicated to the library!)  The movie was called Tomes and Talismans, a post-apocalyptic series about aliens taking over Earth.  A librarian, Ms. Bookhart, somehow rescues planet Earth, saves all record of human knowledge found in a hidden, underground library, and, at the same time, instructs some children on the proper way to use the Dewey Decimal System. AWESOME!

Here’s a clip:

Really, it doesn’t get much better than that.

During this 90-minute session, I’ll be discussing:

• How to plan in advance for hurdles during your novel-writing challenge
• How to find or form a writers’ group to better your chance of success
• How to assess your novel’s marketability
• The purpose, function, and usefulness of outlines, along with tips for creating one
• How to shape the arc of your story
• How to get your readers to care from page 1
• The biggest mistakes writers make when approaching a novel

And more!

(I love how marketing blurbs always say: And more!)

Click here for a fantastic essay in Talking Writing by the ever-brilliant Kelcey Parker.  In this essay, Parker examines the evolution (and reinvention) of the book in the digital age.

Why do I mention this?

Drum roll, please…

90 Days to Your Novel is now available in a digital edition, of course.

Ta-Da! Presto!

Visit Amazon to buy a Kindle version, or check out Barnes & Noble within the next few days if you’re a Nook user.

*Thanks to Marly Allen for this guest post.  Follow Marly’s blog at Making My Own Work. If you’d like to share your own experiences with the book, e-mail me at 90daynovel@gmail.com.*

I’ve attempted to write several books over the years and always got stuck because I didn’t know where the story line was going. One problem came in when I needed to switch things around, and got confused as to what went where. Making each chapter heading a different color helped, but it was really hard on the eyes, especially since the latest Word version only has pukey colors.

Then I tried writing the basic premise for each chapter in red on my Word document. That way, I could simply write (in blue) whatever struck my fancy at any one time, rather than having to first write chapter one, then two, etc. The problem here was that if I decided chapter one really belonged after chapter four, I’d have to highlight it and cut it, then scroll down and try to remember where four ended. It was madness—absolute madness!

Then I came across Sarah’s “Choosing The Best Outline Method For You” chapter from 90 Days to Your Novel. She said that the advantage of using notecards was that it’s easy to move cards around to find the best order; it visually breaks the novel into mini compartments so it’s easy to see how the story is progressing, and they are portable. That made a whole lot more sense to me. So, I simply transferred the major plot details from my Word document onto individual cards.

One problem I found was that, when the cards were in one neat pile, I couldn’t remember what was supposed to happen two cards in, so I spread them out on the kitchen table. That fixed that problem, but since the table wasn’t very big, I quickly ran out of room, especially since it is where I pay my bills, leave my gloves to dry, read two and three books and magazines at any one time, and, of course, eat my meals.

So I moved everything to my massage table, and you know something? It worked beautifully. As the table is 7×3 feet, there was plenty of space to spread things out, and still have room to write. With the table next to my computer, I can simply go back and forth as the spirit moves. Another advantage is that the surface is padded, which makes it much more comfortable on the arms. And mine has a table warmer!

Having the outline left me free to focus on bringing my characters to life and creating a new world, rather than continually wondering what happened next.  Now the problem is that my characters keep changing their minds, or withholding important facts about themselves until I bug them. Liz keeps tapping me on the head and saying things like, “This doesn’t make sense. If I was supposed to be here, then how come I was doing that?”

Having my characters continually question everything I write does make for a better story line. I do have to wonder, however, if Liz sometimes just does this to tease me.

–Marly Allen

“Bring me a doctor’s note, and I’ll excuse you from the assignment” I replied.

Of course, I’ll never see that doctor’s note, just as that individual will never receive a diagnosis.  Sure, we all experience moments when our minds feel blank. We stare at the computer screen, but nothing comes to us except the thought of what to have for dinner.  You can think of all sorts of mundane things, but nothing inspired, nothing artistic.

Stop thinking of a blank canvas in terms of its emptiness, and start thinking of it in terms of its possibilities.  Since I love lists, following are some of my own tips for conquering writer’s block:

1.       Think of writing as manual labor instead of art. If you’re serious about writing, consider it your job to sit down and physically write.  A certain percentage of everything we write will end up in the recycle bin—but you never know. Nobody can be inspired or inspiring 100% of the time, and the good news is that you don’t need to be.  The first rule to being a writer is to write.

2.       Write something, anything. If you can only think about what’s for dinner, write about that.  Maybe your description of Chicken Cordon Bleu will get you thinking about the French country side, which will lead to the new setting of a story. Even bad ideas can lead to good ones.

3.       Don’t aim for perfection the first time around. Perfection can be the enemy of the writer.  If you aim to write perfect sentences and perfect drafts,  you’ll be disappointed.  Allow your first drafts to be sloppy, knowing you always need to go back and revise.  Margaret Atwood once said, “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”   So true, wise Atwood, so true.

4.       If you’ve run out of ideas, borrow some. For fun, try rewriting Romeo and Juliet from memory in two hundred words or less.  Pen a love letter from Romeo to Juliet.  How would Romeo and Juliet have been different had Romeo been a germophobe and Juliet a pathological liar?  Writing exercises can often jumpstart your creativity.

5.       Embrace your fears. Perhaps you fear that what you write won’t win the next National Book Award.  That’s okay.  Instead, intentionally write something as bad as bad can be.  Write as awful a scene as you can imagine.  Is it melodramatic?  Sappy?  Is the dialogue painful to even write?  Does the narrator say lines like, “My god, Stella.  Your curly blond hair and blue eyes that are shaped like crescents when you smile with your lips painted with red lipstick (Revlon lipstick #345 “Burnt Winter Cherry”) make me feel a love so deep I can’t describe it.”

6.       Don’t take yourself too seriously. Exercises like the one above require you to have a healthy sense of humor.  Taking yourself—and your writing—too seriously 100% of the time can close the doors of possibility.  Lighten up, and you may be surprised at how quickly the ideas flow.

Click here to visit the Barnes and Noble site for more event details.

Stay tuned for more upcoming event announcements.

1.       Go see a movie.  Browse a book store.  Visit a museum.  Take a tour of a historic landmark near you.  Attend a fiction or poetry reading.  See a play at the community theater.  Winter often keeps us indoors more often than usual—but get out.  Artists are often inspired by other artists or the energy of people around them.  Heck, sit in the mall’s food court, if you must.  Makes for great people watching—even if the smell of Mall Food makes you a bit queasy.

2.       Start a writing journal that keeps track of what days and how long you’ve written. This idea is akin to the idea of keeping a food diary that helps one monitor calorie intake or an exercise journal that helps one track fitness goals.  Consider an active writing life to be a vital part of your health.

3.       Try changing things up a bit. After all, not all habits are good ones. If you tend to write in the same place, try writing elsewhere.  If you can’t force yourself to get up in the morning to write, reserve the hour or two after dinner.  If you can’t seem to be able to work at your computer, try the archaic method of hand-writing your work.

4.       Find a writing buddy (or group) and set monthly or bi-monthly meeting times to discuss the progress of your novel.   I’ve said it before—and I’ll likely say it again:  writing groups help you stay on track through the built-in element of accountability.

5.       Procure a brown grocer’s bag and fashion a book cover out of it.  (For instructions, look here, or you may remember from your elementary school days.) Cover an old book—any book will do. Using a bold marker, print your novel’s title, along with your name, on the front and along the spine. Now, place this book on your coffee table for both inspiration and warning.  If you work hard, someday this book can become a reality.  If you don’t, well…that home-made book cover is the closest you might come to seeing your name in print.  Ouch.  The truth hurts.

I’ve enjoyed hearing from some of you out there who are writing your own novels.  If you’d like to share your progress with me, please do!  Post a comment here or send me a note at 90daynovel@gmail.com.

The next year, then—the next day, really—begins with a clean slate, a new opportunity to do those things I wished I’d done.   Right?

Well…not exactly.  I can’t necessarily run a marathon, or organize my life, or become healthier, or stop being overly sensitive, or use my time more productively, or become a better person— all in one day.  Resolutions fail because our goals are too large, too abstract.  We want instant results, and when we fail to become an organized, healthy, productive Mother Theresa on January 1^st, we give up.  Or, at least I do.

January 1^st, instead, is about taking those first small steps toward what might lead to those things you want.  It’s about changing habits.  And habit, as you know by now, not inspiration, will help get your novel written.

I just read this excellent article that provides suggestions for making habits stick:

My favorite points:

• Who can support you? An excellent question—and one you should answer before attempting to spend 90 days face down in your work.  Do you have a support network of other writers?  Do you have friends or family who can at least understand your passion and motivations?  While in the end you must first and foremost be accountable to yourself, it always helps to have the support of those around you, too.
• Habits take about three weeks to stick. What does this mean to you?  Perhaps you should warm up your writing chops before attempting to write your book.  If you haven’t written in a while, say, since Mrs. Periwinkle’s fourth bell senior English class, perhaps you should put your pen to paper just to see what it feels like again.
• Start Easy. Instead of beginning with a novel—and dedicating two to three hours a day to writing—practice journaling for a month.  See if you can dedicate twenty minutes a day to writing.  Write about memorable moments from the day, character sketches, interesting plot conceits, news items, philosophical insights, or childhood memories.  Sometimes novel ideas come from the most unexpected places.

Today is your December 31^st (again) and tomorrow, you guessed it, comes your chance to start changing your writing habits.  Any day can become a metaphorical January 1st; you just have to take those first teetering steps. I’m not suggesting you begin your 90-day novel challenge or even think about the specifics of your book.  Instead, I’m suggesting you stop wishing, stop talking, stop whining, explaining, justifying, or apologizing.  Start writing.

I’m guilty of it myself.  There was that one year I vowed to run a half-marathon by March.  I proudly laced up those running shoes on January 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd, but by the 4^th of January I’d already slipped back into my old habits, lounging on the couch after work, crunching chips and watching crappy TV.  “Eh, I’ll run tomorrow,” I’d think, crumbs falling down my shirt—then suddenly several months had passed.

One of the problems with keeping resolutions is the difficulty of being accountable to only ourselves.  I mean, let’s be honest: who will really know—or care—if I fail to reach my goals?  Nobody, probably.

As the first of January rolls around, many of you are probably thinking about your writing goals for the New Year—Kudos to you! 90 Days to Your Novel is all about setting goals and breaking off the large project of novel writing into smaller, more palatable chunks.

However, I don’t think it’s wise, or useful, to think about your writing in terms of individual resolutions, per se.  After all, studies show that something like 90% of people who make resolutions will not keep them.  (Glad to know I’m not alone!)

If this is really going to be the year you write that novel you’ve always wanted to write, you can take a few simple steps to increase your odds of falling into that elite 10% of people who actually keep their resolutions.  First and foremost, form a writing group!  Writing groups offer enormous amounts of support, commiseration, inspiration, and, most importantly, accountability.

There are many ways to go about forming a writing group.  If you are lucky enough to have other friends interested in novel writing, the task will be simple.  For others, you might have to look a bit further.  If you are a member of a book club, see if you can turn it into a writing club.  Many avid readers may jump at the challenge of becoming the producer of a text instead of the reader of it—and it could be fun to share your writing with other astute readers.  In addition, libraries, local papers, and even Craigslist often list various writing groups located in your area.  If you know some friends who don’t live near you, form a group in Cyber space.  With the use of blogs, Google documents, or plain old e-mails, on-line writing groups can be just as productive as a more traditional kind.

If 2011 is the year you’re going to write your book, start thinking about who could form the writing group that’ll help you be accountable to the goals you set for yourself.  Otherwise, you may find yourself watching crappy TV night after night instead doing what you really want to be doing:  writing.