Writing a novel does not have to involve mysterious processes that take a lifetime to understand. After writing and ghostwriting millions of words of marketable fiction, I began working as a copy editor and writing coach. I soon realized I was seeing the same basic errors over and over again in my clients’ manuscripts– errors that were easy enough to fix with a few simple guidelines. Whether you write as a hobby or for publication, you can apply this plainspoken advice to any story. Try one tip and see what happens. You might be surprised at what they can do together!
Meet Janeen O’Kerry
Like many who end up being writers, I’ve worked at many different jobs: riding instructor, horse trainer, computer programmer, and medical transcriptionist. I began my writing career in the early 1980s with articles for several national and regional horse magazines. My friend Hazel wanted to break into writing novels, so together we wrote three: A *Star Trek* novel; a rather spicy romance; and, finally a sweet romance called *April’s Christmas.* April was the one who got us started when Avalon published that book in 1994. After that I sold my own first novel, the historical romance *Lady of Fire,* to Dorchester Publishing in 1995. Today I am a full-time novelist, Kindle ghostwriter, and copy editor, and can often be found doing workshops and panels at writers’ events and conventions.
Craft the Draft is a simple and straightforward guide for aspiring writers, with examples from well-known books to help readers understand and put their newfound knowledge into context. Everything from what a zero draft is to how to format dialogue and avoid common writing mistakes will be covered. Readers will also learn how to create a zero draft using the resources provided in an easy-to-follow exercise.
Meet Dawn Jones
I’m a nonfiction author who focuses on writing and writing craft. 100 Writing Prompts, my first nonfiction book on the subject, was released on October 18, 2021.
