Writing Lessons from the Front

A complete writer's workshop in a book.... The first 10 Writing Lessons from the Front are compiled into this volume. Lessons cover plot structure, characterization, point of view, evoking emotion, self-editing, creating and maintaining tension, writing historical fiction, plans and processes to get your book finished, self-publishing, writing the children's picture book, and a complete writer's checklist that will take you from prewriting to publication, including details on how to publish on Kindle Direct Publishing.

Volumes one through six of the Writing Lessons from the Front series have dealt with the technical and craft aspects of writing. In this supplemental volume, veteran writer Angela Hunt shares what's she's learned as a Christian writer - about the process, the plans, the critics, the risks, and the ethics of being a writer of faith. 

In writing class, our teachers made sure we understood how to write a five-paragraph theme: introduction, thesis sentence, points one, two, and three, followed by the conclusion. But rarely did any teacher tell us how to write fiction. They simply urged us to write a story. But how is that done? Angela Hunt has been writing and teaching for 30 years, and she has boiled plotting down to the basics in this audiobook. 

Scarlett O'Hara. Katniss Everdeen. Wilbur the Pig. Why do we love and remember these characters long after we've forgotten the details of their stories? Angela Hunt, author of more than 150 published books, shares the secrets of successful characterization that will enable you to create memorable, extraordinary characters in your novel, short story, or screenplay.

Unlocking the mystery behind point of view: Why is point of view important to a novelist, and how can we make sure we're using it correctly? Which serves the story better - first person, third person, omniscient, or the quirky second? Using her 30 years of writing experience, Angela Hunt presents a brief lesson on point of view that should answer all your questions in practical, simple terms. 

Suppose you took your car to the mechanic. When you returned, he smiled and said, "I not only replaced your dead battery, but added 250 unnecessary parts!" Just as unnecessary parts can cause a car engine to run badly, they can also clunk around in a piece of writing. Veteran writer Angela Hunt shares tips and strategies to revise and polish your manuscript, from big picture concepts to tiny matters of correct punctuation. Your writing will never be the same after listening to this little book.

Readers pick up nonfiction books to learn something. They pick up novels to feel something: love, fear, joy, grief, elation, frustration, happiness, desperation, anger, despair, determination...or all of the above. We write novels to give readers a vicarious emotional experience. They want to weep when our characters weep and rejoice when they rejoice. 

So you want to write a book...where do you start? Veteran writer Angela Hunt discusses everything that needs to be done away from your manuscript: conceptualizing, identifying the genre, research, scheduling, drafting, critiquing, and publishing. So whether you want to write nonfiction or fiction, you should find something to help you get your book written. Enjoy this writing lesson for a fraction of the cost of attending one of Angela's writing classes - your writing will never be the same.

Does your book bog down in the middle? Do you have pages on which nothing really happens? Do people skip or skim large portions of text? Then you're probably lacking tension. From years of teaching writing, novelist Angela Hunt knows that maintaining tension is one of the most difficult challenges a fiction writer faces. Learn some of the techniques you can use to maintain tension and hook readers so completely that they can't put your book down. 

Writing historical fiction involves more than taking a story and substituting carriages for cars. The historical novelist must do her best to understand the mind-set of the people she writes about, even while she explores the timeless and universal desires common to human beings of every time and place. This book describes historical fiction, tells the writer how to research, construct an authentic historic story world, and make the reader feel as though he or she is in the midst of the action.

Ever wish you had a list of things to check off as you write your novel or short story? Interesting protagonist? Check. High stakes at risk? Check. Fascinating setting? Check. Veteran author Angela Hunt, an admitted lover of lists, has compiled lists for every phase of your writing, from pre-writing to final drafting and submission or publication - including complete instructions about how to upload a book to CreateSpace and Kindle. Use and adapt these lists to fit your writing style, and know that your finished work is the best it can be.

Writing a short book for children ought to be easy, right? Not if you don't know what you're doing. The picture book is an art form with a definite blueprint, and you deviate from it at your peril. Like all of the writing lessons from the Front books, this book is brief. There are other books with philosophies and backgrounds and lots of full color illustrations on glossy pages, and this isn’t one of them.