Your First Novel

In Your First Novel, novelist Laura Whitcomb and seasoned literary agent Ann Rittenberg team up to provide you with the skills you need to write your dream novel and the savvy business know-how to get it published. In this all-in-one resource, you'll discover essential novel-writing techniques, such as:

How to best structure your research so that you can save time later

How to card your story before you start writing

What to consider when developing your cast of characters

How to adapt classic story structures to fit your own ideas

... and insider information on what it takes to get published, including:

What agents do at those three-hour power lunches—and how it affects you

What makes an agent instantly reject a manuscript

How to correctly translate submission guidelines

What happens if you get multiple offers—or no offers at all

Plus, learn about the publishing process from the firsthand accounts of such noted authors as Dennis Lehane, Kathryn...