Claim OwnershipEssential Guide to Writing a Novel
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© 2026 Essential Guide to Writing a Novel
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Hosted by James Thayer, the podcast is a practical, step-by-step manual on how to craft a novel. It presents a set of tools for large issues such as story development and scene construction (Kirkus Reviews said Thayer's novels are "superbly crafted') and it also examines techniques that will make your sentence-by-sentence writing shine. The New York Times Book Review has said Thayer's "writing is smooth and clear. it wastes no words, and it has a rhythm only confident stylists achieve.
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Sometimes in our story we'll have a scene filled with people where everyone is moving all at once, such as a battle scene or mob scene or festival scene or street scene. Here are techniques on crafting the scene so there's no confusion so readers can focus on the hero. Also, what is the rule of exceptions? And, can something bad happening to us make us better writers? Support the show Buy the master class.
Readers love dialogue, the chance to eavesdrop on the characters. Here is a good way to make that dialogue really worth listening to. Also, here are techniques that can tie our scenes together, which Jack Bickham calls transitions and sequels. In a story, what is a transition and what is a sequel? Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each epis...
How can we make our character memorable for the reader? How can we make the character leap off the page and stay in the reader's memory? Here's how Sherwood Anderson did it. And here are also character descriptions from another master, William Faulkner, showing us how to create big and bold characters. Support the show Buy the master class.
Readers want a character who can grow and change over the course of the story. Here is a discussion of the character arc: how we can use the arc to develop our character and the plot, giving the reader the big reward at the end of the story of a character who has met the moment with change. Plus, here is how we can show (rather than tell) about a character's thoughts such as confusion and dread. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot,...
One of the best ways to have readers like our story is to have readers like--maybe even love--our main character. But we usually don't want our protagonist to be a Pollyanna, always sweet and understanding. Rather we want to create a fully-formed character--maybe with some weird or off-putting angles, maybe some flaws and shortcomings--to make the character interesting and believable. Here's a technique to make sure readers will root for our main character even i...
We want to write but we don't have our story fully figured out. What can we do? Here are thoughts on inventing plot, things we can do to shake loose the plot from our brains. Also, the techniques of a master of character description: Margaret Mitchell. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and about 30 minute...
Fiction's job is to entertain. A main way to entertain is to be bold with our plot. Here are thoughts on how to avoid the dull in our plot and how to create a story that keeps readers turning the pages. Also, how to invent strong metaphors and similes. And avoiding overly-precious, self-conscious writing. Support the show Buy the master class.
In fiction in all genres only trouble is interesting. How do we writers use trouble in our story? Here are thoughts on how we can plot using conflict, crisis, and resolution, a technique important for all genres. Also, should we use beta readers? And the add-a-quirk technique. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused ...
When do we know enough writing techniques to start our novel? And when is the story ready to be written? I'll try to answer both questions. Also, how do great writers describe a character's appearance in ways that reveal the character's past and personality? Here's how masterful writers do it. Support the show Buy the master class.
Red herrings--false clues--are used in most all stories in all genres. Here are the right and wrong ways to insert red herrings into our stories. Also, here's how we can show--reveal--much about a character by describing a setting. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes. The full class—all...
Kurt Vonnegut said we should "Start as close to the end as possible." What did he mean? How can we do so? Here are thoughts on this famous piece of advice from a legendary novelist. Also, avoiding the word "not" to give our sentences more energy. And Orson Scott Card on creativity. Support the show Buy the master class.
Is your writing time becoming a grind? If so, here are some things that may reduce the grind and maybe even make writing fun. Also, here are thoughts on how we might write a sentence that is a timeless truth told in lovely language, an immortal sentence that will live forever. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and ab...
We writers should consider giving readers what they want. Well, what do they want? Here is a discussion of the five things readers want in a novel. Also: the dual timeline plot structure. And F. Scott Fitzgerald's seven tips on writing. Support the show Buy the master class.
Thoughts are interior, in our minds. But there are ways to show--to give evidence--that reveal to the reader what our character is thinking. Also, here is an important ingredient that many writers forget when describing a character. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes. The full class—all 20 episode...
The three most important words in our fiction are, "Story, story, story." But we can also shoot for lovely, musical language that makes each sentence and paragraph a pleasure to read. Here are thoughts on how to add music to our sentences. Support the show Buy the master class.
In his famous ten rules of writing, Elmore Leonard says that we shouldn't write things readers tend to skip. What are those things? How can we avoid writing them? Also, should our story have theme and, if so, how can we present it? Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused and about 30 minutes. The full class—all...
What do Ernest Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, and Elmore Leonard have in common? Powerful stories, yes. But also lean and forceful sentences. Here's how they do it. Also: in our plotting,what's an acceptable coincidence and what's a weak, story-ruining coincidence? Support the show Buy the master class.
After months and month if writing, we'll near the end of our story. Our novel is almost finished. Here are things we should consider as we wrap up our story. Also, for many of us editing our own story isn't as fun as writing. Here are thoughts on how we can make sure we edit enough, and how we know when to quit editing. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and mu...
Why should almost all of our story be scenes rather than summaries? Here's how we can avoid summaries and instead write moment-by-moment real-time scenes in our fiction. Also: here are perhaps the most beautiful sentences ever written in fiction. Support the show Buy the master class.
The reader is like a camera as the scene unfolds. Where should that camera be? How far away from the characters and the action? Here are thoughts on authorial distance, about the benefits of placing the camera--the reader--near or far. Plus, how Charlotte Bronte worked. Here is a 20-episode master class on fiction writing—a start-to-finish course covering plot, characters, dialogue, scenes, sentence-level craft, and much more. Each episode is focused a...
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I'm currently working on a novel (about Biohacking, seduction, and philosophy), and, being my first foray into fiction, I don't want it to suck! So, I searched high and low for the best podcast about novel writing: this one, hosted by James Thayer, author of over ten books, is it! I've learned so much from him, like deleting every instance of "a bit" from my manuscript. What I love about the podcast is that he doesn't spend half the listener's time pitching VPNs, Better Help, or his Patreon. He just barely mentions his own books, which I do plan on picking up and reading. Talk about a go-giver! If you think you have a novel in you, listen to this podcast.
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