The First Five Pages (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Characters/People edit see section history

• John: Add a description of this character.
• Mary
• Conrad
• Dave
• Paul
• Henry
• Julian
• Jack
• Jane
• Rick
• Grisham
• Kafka

Quotes edit see section history

• “If a writer doesn't care enough about his work to paint precisely the right picture, why should the reader waste his time reading it”

• “They indicate imprecision or laziness in searching for the right picture”

• “To reach the highest levels of the craft, above all you'll need confidence. Unshakable confidence to leap forecrully into the realm of creation.”

• “Of course, confidence is just the first step. The craft of wrting must be learned. The ar of writing cannot be taught, but the craft of writing can. No one can teach you how to tap inspiration, how to gain vision and sensibility, but you can be taught to write lucidly, to present what you say in the most articulate and forceful way. Vision itself is useless without the technical means to record it.”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• Strengthen your nouns and verbs so that they don’t need adjectives and adverbs.

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• Occasionally substitute a comparison (analogy, simile or metaphor) for an adjective.

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• When rewriting, pretend someone will give you $100 for every word you are able to cut.

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• Devote extensive time to research. The number-one reason the aspiring writer gets rejected is because he has approached an agent or editor inappropriate for his work.

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• • Spacing. Your manuscript should be double spaced, with one-inch margins. New paragraphs should be indented, as should dialogue.

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• There is no such thing as a great writer; there are only great re-writers. As you’ve heard before, 90 percent of writing is rewriting.

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• These include affectations, such as the abundant use of foreign words or phrases, or the inappropriate use of fancy words; crude or vulgar language or images; graphic blood and sex; and most commonly, the cliché. I can’t tell you how many manuscripts either open with clichés or have one on their first page. This is almost always a sure indicator of a commonplace sensibility and will thus lead to instant rejection.

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• Stating facts is not the same as telling. “Telling” directs us to the conclusions we should come to about facts. Facts are just facts.

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• Dialogue should not be used to state things both characters already know, that is, one character should not remind the other character of something. It is an obvious ploy, intended only for the reader.

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• (2) Look for places where you’ve used commonplace or cliché adjectives—a “hot” day, for instance—and cut these; and (3) where you’ve used any unusual nouns or verbs. (If these are strong enough, they need not be modified by an adjective or adverb.) • Replace your existing adjectives and adverbs with more unusual ones.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Hollywood

First Sentence edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Noah Lukeman (Author)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 808.02

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Reference › Writing › Writing Skills
• Books › Reference › Publishing & Books › Authorship
• Books › Reference › Catalogs & Directories › Directories
• Books › Reference › Words & Language › Reference
• Books › Reference › Foreign Languages
• Books › Health, Mind & Body