Shows
The Company Podcast with Brad Pauquette7 questions to invite God into your writing (Episode 159)
On Monday morning we usually worship Jesus for a half an hour or so, and then we take about a half an hour to pray individually and seek God’s voice.
You can do the same thing from your home. As you practice this, I bet it will dramatically change what you accomplish with your writing.
There’s no wrong way to pray. But here are some questions that may be helpful to ask the Lord in your prayer:
If I only accomplish one writing-related thing this week, Jesus, what do you want it to b...2025-07-2312 min
A Curiously Good Podcast (from The Pearl)How Do We Approach Book Adaptations?Is the book always better? Does every change drag the author’s name through the mud?
With book-to-movie adaptations coming up all around us, like the new Dune films and Netflix’s upcoming take on The Magician’s Nephew, it begs the question: how do we approach book-to-film adaptations?
Join special guest Brad Pauquette and host Noah J. Matthews in a casual discussion about how we really should think about book-to-movie adaptations.
Brad is both the director at The Company (an apprenticeship program for Christian writers) and the bestselling author of The Novel Matrix...2025-07-0824 minThe Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteYour Author Website Is a Coffee Date: June 2025 ProCritique Recording (Episode 158)
An author website is like a coffee date. It’s your opportunity to introduce yourself to new readers, but if you don’t grab their attention, they can get up and leave at any time.
Brad Pauquette and Alli Prince critiqued four author websites. Their critique will allow you to see some of the most common mistakes authors make.
You’ll also glean a helpful business-minded perspective professional authors use, which you can use to make your own author website powerful and effective.
In this episode, Brad and Alli critique the following websites:
ht...2025-06-241h 19A Curiously Good Podcast (from The Pearl)What Do Men Want in Stories? (Episode 03)What do men want out of a story? Just bloody fight scenes and cheesy one-liners? Or maybe is it something a bit deeper?
Join special guest Brad Pauquette and host Noah J. Matthews in a casual discussion about what men really want out of a story.
Brad is a publishing expert, author, and director at The Company, an apprenticeship program for Christian writers. His bestselling book The Novel Matrix has over ninety Amazon reviews and has helped dozens of people make their novel writing dreams come true.
Noah is an author and editor at ...2025-06-1740 min
"Church With No Walls" Podcast: Religion, Livestreaming and Social Media in a Post-Pandemic WorldSeason 2, Episode 11- "Investing in Christian Storytelling"Spreading God's word is an important task! How much different does that look like when you are creating Christian novels to share the messages of God? In this episode, host Ryan Dearbone talks to author and founder of "The Company", Brad Pauquette about how he has found a way to communicate religion through his storytelling as well as how he and his wife have created a space for aspiring Christian authors to grow and publish their own material. They also tackle how to avoid the secularization of media such as television, podcasting and writing while still using those avenues...2025-06-0638 min
"Church With No Walls" Podcast: Religion, Livestreaming and Social Media in a Post-Pandemic WorldSeason 2 Episode 11, "Investing in Christian Storytelling"- Brad Pauquette, Author & Founder "The Company"Send us a textSpreading God's word is an important task! How much different does that look like when you are creating Christian novels to share the messages of God? In this episode, host Ryan Dearbone talks to author and founder of "The Company", Brad Pauquette about how he has found a way to communicate religion through his storytelling as well as how he and his wife have created a space for aspiring Christian authors to grow and publish their own material. They also tackle how to avoid the secularization of media such as television, podcasting and...2025-06-0638 minThe Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteWhat’s your mission for your writing? (Episode 157)
It’s the job of a coach to make sure that the whole team shares the same mission.
When you’re the leader of your writing career, your job is exactly the same.
Do you write for fun? To make money? To make friends? There’s no wrong answer. But when you choose a single mission for your writing, you’ll find that all of the pieces become a lot easier.
Brad Pauquette is the director of The Company and the bestselling author of The Novel Matrix. Connect with Brad on his website: https...2025-06-0510 minA Curiously Good Podcast (from The Pearl)What Even Makes for a Good Short Story?If you’re dying to know the sauce that makes the short stories you love sizzle, this episode is for you.
Join special guest Brad Pauquette and host Noah J. Matthews in a casual discussion about what makes for a great short story.
Brad is a publishing expert, author, and director at The Company, an apprenticeship program for Christian writers. His bestselling book The Novel Matrix has over ninety Amazon reviews and has helped dozens of people make their novel writing dreams come true.
Noah is an author and editor at The Pearl mag...2025-06-0331 minThe Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteYou have one job: Obedience (Episode 156)
Writing fiction books is a real ministry.
God uses writers to reach the lost, to reveal His word, and to comfort, teach, and inspire believers into their callings.
One of the things that sets The Company apart from other Christian writing groups is our emphasis on professional development and writing for the book market. We don’t give a lot of “follow your heart” advice, we give you the straight truth because we want to see you be successful, sell a ton of books, reach a ton of people, and be able to pay your bills...2025-05-0912 minThe Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteHow to develop themes through descriptions: April 2025 ProCritique Recording (Episode 155)
Want deeper themes in your work? Your descriptions are the key!
From character to settings, your choice of synonyms, similes, and metaphors is where your theme and emotional value gets its grip.
At this ProCritique, Brad Pauquette and Alli Prince critiqued five short stories and novel chapters submitted by the members of The Company:
“Hope In The Hopeless,” by Bella Raine
“Pecans on Sale,” by Chrissy Hicks
“Expectations,” by Hannah Stiff
“Tirsha Departure,” by Gregory L. O’Donnell
“Pheonix Rebirth Chapter 1,” by Tyler Cox
You can download these stories and read them here: https://writers.compan...2025-04-111h 08The Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteScary Good – Interview with Vella Karman: second-year apprentice at The Company (Episode 154)
Vella Karman has changed a lot during her time as an apprentice at The Company. She bravely moved to Cambridge, Ohio right after finishing high school.
What’s it really like to move away from home at 18 to come to the apprenticeship at The Company?
In this episode, Brad Pauquette talks with Vella Karman about:
Doing scary things even though you’re scared
How God has provided financially for Vella
How not to overprepare for an apprenticeship at The Company
How Vella achieved greater consistency and speed with her writing than she ever imagined
As...2025-04-0235 minThe Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteProse Club: “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl (Episode 153)
Roald Dahl is a master of effective point-of-view (POV). POV isn’t just an artistic choice, it’s a selection of a particular tool set that will best serve the story you want to tell.
A sloppy story will tax your reader’s suspension of disbelief. Understanding and following the rules of POV will actually give you more freedom to tell the story you want to tell.
Download “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl here: https://kmhs.typepad.com/files/commonlit_lamb-to-the-slaughter_student-1.pdf
“Lamb to the Slaughter” uses a third-person semi-omniscient POV. That wasn...2025-03-211h 02The Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteNoah J. Matthews: Second-year apprentice and author of Outlaw Blood (Episode 152)
Two years ago, Noah J. Matthews was just a normal homeschool kid. He was shy, didn’t have very much experience in the “real” world, and struggled to hear God’s voice.
Today, he’s published a book, served as the managing editor of a literary magazine, and seen his work promoted and shared on social media, blogs, and podcasts.
That’s a big change. In this episode of The Company Podcast, Brad and Noah sit down to talk about how it happened, one small Spirit-led step at a time. In this podcast, Brad and Noah discuss...2025-03-0636 minThe Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteThe magic word to make big writing progress (Episode 151)
I think it would be easy to see what our second-year apprentices do—publish books, release weekly content, be guests on podcasts, launch new projects, share the Gospel—and to think, “Gosh, I could never do that.”
“I could never launch a podcast.”
“I could never write a novel from scratch in ten weeks.”
“I could never be vulnerable in my writing and just put it out there like that.”
Well, they couldn’t either. But they were brave enough to say “yes” to the first step and then keep showing up.
Apprentices gro...2025-02-1210 minThe Company Podcast with Brad PauquetteThe Value of a Great Story Opening: January 2025 ProCritique Recording
If you start your story well, you can get away with a lot later on.
Readers need to be grounded by the setting and the narrative voice. But if you do this effectively, it buys you a lot of liberty in your storytelling later on.
Brad Pauquette, bestselling author of The Novel Matrix, and Alli Prince, author of Top New Release Copper Lies, critiqued four short stories and novel chapters from The Company’s community of writers.
Listen here or watch the full video on YouTube:
In this critique, you’ll find...2025-01-301h 01
Faith and Family Trailblazer PodcastPublishing with a Mission With Brad Pauquette
Welcome to the Faith & Family Trailblazers Podcast! In this episode, we’ll share insights and stories where faith and storytelling come together to transform lives.
Brad Pauquette is a writing mentor and publishing expert, and the bestselling author of The Novel Matrix. His no-nonsense, conversational approach to writing and publishing has helped hundreds of new and aspiring writers to achieve their dreams and publish books with big impact.
Brad is the director of The Company, a full-time writing and publishing apprenticeship for Christian novelists. He trains writers fro...2024-12-0524 min
The 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 90: Celebrate
It’s the final day of the 90-Day Novel Challenge. This is such an incredible accomplishment, and you deserve to celebrate!
The way we see it, you have two major achievements:
You wrote a novel and proved you are a top 1% writer!
You developed the skills and discipline you needed to write a novel manuscript in just 90 days!
Whether you finish today, are already finished, or will finish soon, take the time to celebrate! This is a real lifetime achievement, and you earned it.
Shop 90-Day Novel Champion merchandise here: https://writers.company/pr...2024-09-0714 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 89: The Final Burn
If you’ve been procrastinating and waiting for the last minute, it’s here!
Now is the time to kick into it gear, use all of your remaining energy, and knock the end of this manuscript out.
Just like a long-distance runner who picks up the pace and exhausts all of their energy in the final leg of the race, now is the time to use whatever reserves are left, stay up as late as it takes, and finish your book.
ASSIGNMENT: Complete at least half of the remaining work on your manuscript to r...2024-09-0603 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 88: The Biggest Lie We Tell
You’ve told it. We all have.
Today we’re addressing the elephant in the room: what if you’re not going to finish your manuscript? What if you’re not even close?
That doesn’t make you a bad person, but it does provide an opportunity for learning and growth. First we have to weed out that big, pesky lie so that we can get to the bottom of it.
ASSIGNMENT: Complete at least 1/3rd of the remaining work on your novel. Write for at least one hour and add 1,000 new words to your ma...2024-09-0516 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 87: The Revision Plan
If all goes according to plan, you should be revising your manuscript soon!
What are revisions? What exactly should you do? How big of changes do you make at this stage? Those are all great questions, and we have a resource that will help.
Just like The Novel Matrix makes writing a book orderly and predictable, The 4-Step Manuscript Revision Plan will do the same thing for your revision process.
Get the free class on The Company’s website: https://writers.company/resources/4-step-manuscript-revision-course/
ASSIGNMENT: Complete at least 1/4th of the re...2024-09-0409 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 86: Let It Rest
Whether you’re already done or you still need the rest of the week, you’ll soon be finished writing the first draft of your novel!
As you come to “The End” of your manuscript, it’s important to get some distance from your work before you commence any major revisions.
However, that distance can’t come at the expense of the writing muscles you’ve worked so hard to develop over the past 90 days.
ASSIGNMENT: Complete at least 1/5th of the remaining work on the first draft of your novel manuscript. Write for at least o...2024-09-0309 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 85: Something for Every Scene
Six writing days left to the end of the 90-Day Novel Challenge! You can do this.
Even if you feel like you still have a lot left to write, you can still complete this challenge. Don’t give up!
The most important thing is to get something written on every scene of your manuscript. Even if it’s not the quality or the completeness you ultimately want for the scene, you’ll be best served by getting something on every scene so that you can officially reach “The End.”
ASSIGNMENT: Assess and do at least 1...2024-09-0205 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 83: You Can Do This
Even if you’re looking at a sizable chunk of work to get this manuscript finished off by the end of the 90-Day Novel Challenge next week, I still believe you can do this.
And I’m not just being a cheerleader, I have a good reason.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for at least one hour and add 1,000 new words to your manuscript. Take a few minutes to assess what you need to do to get to “The End” by the challenge deadline.
2024-08-3105 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 82: Growing into a God-Sized Vision (with Kyle Peters)
If you’re feeling like you’ve stepped into a daunting, impossible thing, you’re not alone. You may be experiencing “Conscious Incompetence,” and it’s an important part of your journey to step into the magnitude of the vision that God has for you.
On this episode, Kyle Peters shares from his wisdom and experience as both an author and a pastor to talk about the four stages of stepping into a big calling.
ASSIGNMENT: Continue to write. Write for at least one hour and add 1,000 words or more to your manuscript.
FOR FURTHER...2024-08-3014 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 81: Genre-Bending Conflicts
Breakout stories often present the genre in a new way.
That’s one of the major storytelling lessons we can learn from The Godfather. In a genre typically rife with action and driven by a strong External Conflict, The Godfather presents a character story driven by the Internal Conflict.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for at least one hour and add 1,000 words or more to your manuscript. Stretch yourself and push hard to do whatever it takes to get to “The End” by the end of the 90-Day Novel Challenge.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Conflicts are a deep w...2024-08-2908 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 80: Ten Writing Days Left
You have exactly ten writing days left to finish your manuscript.
Now is the time to find a higher gear, capitalize on the deadline you set for yourself with the 90-Day Novel Challenge, and get this manuscript finished.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for at least one hour and add 1,000 words to your manuscript. Complete 10% of the amount of work you estimate remains between where you are now and “The End.”
FOR FURTHER STUDY: If you have a plan for your novel, you should have no problem estimating how much work is left on this project. The...2024-08-2804 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 79: Pomodoro
Here’s a productivity strategy that might give you a boost in the final days of the 90-Day Novel Challenge.
Pomodoro is named after the old tomato timers you might remember from your grandma’s kitchen. The process is simple:
Step 1: Identify the task you’re going to work on.
Step 2: Start a timer for 25 minutes. Only work on the task you assigned. No breaks, no distractions.
Step 3: Take a five-minute break. Check your phone, go to the bathroom, whatever you need to do.
Step 4: Repeat the process.
This...2024-08-2706 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 78: The Revision Question
There is one question that will fundamentally change your manuscript revision process.
Did I write the story I intended to write?
Of course if you just made up the story as you went along, this question is always unanswerable.
However, since you’ve taken the time to develop the story before you began writing, you’re able to answer that question and then move forward intelligently.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Add at least 1,000 words to the book manuscript. Do the work you need to do in order to reach “The End” b...2024-08-2606 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 76: Two Weeks to Get to “The End”
No more afters.
After I finish this project. After I get the promotion. After I retire. After the kids are in school. After things slow down…
What’s your after?
If you’re anything like most writers, you’ve been “aftering” this project for a long time. Now is the time to push through.
Use the 90-Day Novel Challenge deadline to push to the end of your manuscript. You can do it. In this episode, we’ll talk about how.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for at least one hour. Add 1,000 words or more to you...2024-08-2407 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 75: Untie the Knot
The “denouement” is the last piece of your story. This is where you wrap up any loose ends to finish up the book and help the reader exit the story.
Keep it short.
What needs to be resolved?
Can you encapsulate it all in some kind of “awards ceremony”?
Don’t ramble. Remember that your Driving Conflict is what compelled your reader through the story, and you resolved that in the Climax. Only curiosity is keeping the reader connected to the story at this point, and that’s a thin thread to hang from.
Don’t let the stor...2024-08-2305 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 74: Use Your Best Stuff Now
Are you a spender or a saver?
As you collect content in your life, do you try to fit it all in somewhere in your writing? Or are you hesitant to use it because you don’t want to “waste” it?
Remember that your creativity isn’t like a savings account where the interest trickles in slowly over time. On the contrary, the more quickly you expend your creativity, the more quickly you’ll find that your creative well fills.
Don’t hold your best stuff for some future project. If it fits, use it!
...2024-08-2208 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 73: Agency & Internal Conflict – Lessons from Iron Man 2
I’m not a huge fan of Marvel movies. They’re just too simplistic and predictable, I need the solution to be more than just more punching.
But there are a few movies in the catalogue that stand out. Iron Man 2 levels up the storytelling and presents two important lessons that we can learn together.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Add at least 1,000 new words to the book you’re writing.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Using story structures doesn’t mean your story has to be simplistic or predictable. Get your copy of The Novel Ma...2024-08-2107 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 72: Keep Notes as You Write (Guest: Kim Catron)
Today best-selling author Kim Catron shares some of her writing wisdom and experience.
Her recommendation: keep notes on your manuscript as you write.
Kim is the best-selling author of Threshing of Straw, which won The Great Novel Contest and has sold more than 25,000 copies and accumulated more than 5,000 reviews. Find her book on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3At9jTX
Learn more about Kim and connect with her KimCatron.com.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Add at least 1,000 new words to your manuscript.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Stay organized and...2024-08-2006 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 71: The Climax
You must resolve your Driving Conflict in the climax of your story. But you don’t have to resolve all five conflicts you’ve developed. In fact, it’s better to leave some of your story’s conflicts unresolved.
You have three full weeks to finish writing your book manuscript. You can do it! Push to the end, and don’t lose sight of your goal.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Put at least 1,000 new words on the page.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: The Novel Matrix, now a #1 Best Seller on Amazon, explores the five confl...2024-08-1907 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 69: There Are No Rules
Am I allowed to eat cream cheese while I write my book? What if I want to etch the words into stone tablets, is that OK?
Can I use this page from my diary that I wrote when I was eight years old?
As long as you’re taking care of your mind and body, following the law, and operating within the bounds of reasonable ethics, there are no rules. The only rule is: get the job done. Whatever helps you to do that is your business.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Add at...2024-08-1705 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 68: The Power of Micro-Goals
Sometimes tiny goals have more power than big ones.
On those days when the blank page is just overwhelming, don’t think about writing 1,000 words. Instead, what’s the smallest goal you could set for yourself?
Separating large tasks into micro-goals is an excellent way to overcome feelings of overwhelm and generate momentum with your work. This strategy can be effective whether you’re building a spaceship or writing a book manuscript.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. You might break up your goals like this:
Put one word on the page.
Write one se...2024-08-1606 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 67: It’s a Wonderful Life
We can learn a lot from the 1947 classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Today, we’re focusing on how the storytellers use subtle mechanisms to introduce story elements long before they’re needed. Sometimes the storytellers even intentionally de-emphasize what they’re tucking away for later.
As you move into the third act of the book you’re writing, you may find that you need to inject some things earlier into the story. How obvious do those elements need to be? Can you hide them in plain sight?
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Add at least 1,00...2024-08-1506 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 66: Should I feel this way?
“When I’m writing my book, sometimes I feel overcome with these emotions. Sometimes I even end my writing session feeling really dark or heavy. Is that normal?
You might be surprised at how often we receive questions like this from writers.
The short answer: yes, super normal. This episode of the 90-Day Novel Challenge briefly explores some of the science behind those feelings and what you can do about them.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Add 1,000 words to the page. Invite the Holy Spirit into your work.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Writ...2024-08-1406 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 65: The Three Publishing Paths
As we move into your final push to write your book in the 90-Day Novel Challenge, sometimes it’s helpful to start dreaming (just a little bit) about how you might publish your book. Remember that you can’t publish anything you haven’t written, so don’t get carried away. Your top priority is still to finish your book manuscript.
In today’s publishing ecosystem, we see three major opportunity segments: self-publishing, small press, and traditional publishing (also known as “Big-5”). There are good opportunities in all three of these segments, but also bad actors who would love to...2024-08-1306 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 64: Episodic Stories
Risk is like a bank account. Your reader will allow you so much before they break and walk away from the story. Use your risk wisely.
When you’re writing a book, if you’re going to stretch your reader in one area, it’s even more important that your storytelling and story structure are rock solid everywhere else.
As one great example, Kyle Peters’s book, Every Bush Afire, was written using The Novel Matrix. It’s an episodic story, which means it’s a little bit outside of the box and needs to hit the mark...2024-08-1206 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 62: It’s OK to Write for Fun
Writing is one of the few hobbies in which most people immediately combine their passion with the marketplace.
It’s OK to write for fun.
Use The Novel Matrix and the resources of the 90-Day Novel Challenge to the extent that they help you stay focused and to explore the craft, but don’t let anyone pressure you into making your writing into a business if that’s not what you’re here for.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Have fun!
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Believe it or not, this topic is also exp...2024-08-1005 min
More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian MusicSpecial Edition: Brad Pauquette on Friday With FriendsSend us a textIn this episode, I have the privilege of hosting my friend Brad Pauquette to talk about how God's Word influences his personal and professional life and his new book, The Novel Matrix.Brad is my book coach and developmental editor for my novel, A Seat at the Table, which will be released in October. One of the reasons I partnered with him is his dedication to God's Word and how he allows it to shape and guide his life.Don't miss this interview if you've ever considered writing a...2024-08-0927 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 61: Ready for the next level?
Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? What happens after you finish your manuscript, are you ready for that?
The Company’s Arche Year program is a 9-month program to put you in a position to publish. Over the course of the program, you’ll write a complete manuscript and build an author’s platform. When you finish the Arche Year course, you’ll be ready to take the next steps on your publishing journey. Learn more about Arche Year and apply here: https://writers.company/archeyear
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour, an...2024-08-0907 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 60: The Near Miss
As you’re writing your novel manuscript, you may soon encounter the “Near Miss.” As your protagonist ascends the rising action of the third act, this is when you pull the rug out from under him right when he seems like he might accomplish his Impossible Thing.
You’re going to solve this setback in an ironic or surprising way. When you do that, it’s important that you take into account deus ex machina and prevent it.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Add 1,000 words to your book.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: The Near Miss is de...2024-08-0808 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 59: Progress over Perfection (with Alli Prince)
Perfection isn’t the goal. Right now, the most important thing is to get the story down on the page.
Special guest Alli Prince joins Brad for today’s episode to deliver some encouragement and practical advice.
Alli Prince is a graduate of The Company’s full-time writing and publishing apprenticeship. Learn more and subscribe to her newsletter at AlliPrince.com.
Alli is the editor of Lawless: An Anthology of Short Stories Inspired by the Book of Judges. Look for her YA steampunk novel Copper Lies in fall of 2024!
ASSIGNMENT: Write for on...2024-08-0704 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 58: Simple Stories Work
With a value of more than $65 billion today, Star Wars is one of the most successful stories of all time. It’s also a simplistic story. From a story perspective, it’s not breaking any barriers.
We find this again and again. Most of the stories that have had the greatest influence on our culture are simple stories. They hit the marks. Not because they’re lazy, not because they’re dumb, but because the creators are smart.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You need a solid story so that you can talk about...2024-08-0706 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 57: Don’t Research
Tell me if this sounds familiar: you’re moving along through your manuscript when suddenly you need to know something–some factual tidbit maybe–so you hop over to Google find out real quick. Before you know it, your momentum has evaporated and you’re distracted by all of the information the world has to offer.
In this episode, Brad provides a time-saving (some say life-saving) strategy to stay on target and preserve your momentum.
This tip applies to any details that threaten to disrupt your momentum and threaten your writing session, even things you just don...2024-08-0507 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 55: Write a Bad Book
When you sit down to write, are you crippled by self-doubt? Do you feel like you’re not any good and your writing is just trash?
This advice has helped so many people: if you can’t write a good book, write a bad one.
It’s not a mind trick, I mean it. Sit down and try to write a bad book. See what happens.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour, and get 1,000 words on the page. If it’s helpful, try to make them as terrible as possible.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: G...2024-08-0304 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 54: What if my novel is too short?
What do you do if your book manuscript doesn’t hit the word count that you hoped?
There are several solutions, but we’re going to focus on one: subplots.
Subplots are your tool to bring depth, complexity, and length to your manuscript when you need it.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour, and put at least 1,000 new words on the page.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: The Novel Matrix book explores subplots in much greater detail in chapter 13. Get your copy at NovelMatrix.com.
2024-08-0207 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 53: Flow State
Do you know that feeling when you’re “in the zone” with your writing, and the words just flow and time disappears? Psychologists call that phenomena “flow state,” and it’s real. Your brain is actually working more effectively.
What if you could achieve that more consistently? That would be cool and your writing would be better, right?
Good news: you can.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Your target is 1,000 words.
Did you achieve “flow state”? Consider what circumstances and environmental factors make it easiest to get “in the zone.” What can you change about...2024-08-0108 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 52: Assess and Change
You are exactly halfway through the writing portion of the 90-Day Novel Challenge.
Now is a great time to take a step back from the project and evaluate your progress. But that’s only helpful if you actually make changes!
What changes do you need to make in order to complete your novel by the end of the 90-Day Novel Challenge?
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour, and put 1,000 new words on the page.
Take some time to assess your results so far. How much of your manuscript have you completed? Are yo...2024-07-3105 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 51: The Brain
Have you heard about Einstein’s brain? Scientists found that the right and left hemispheres of his brain were connected.
And that’s exactly what your novel project needs.
The brain in the 90-Day Novel Challenge logo and on the cover of The Novel Matrix book inspires us to utilize the full function of our brains: the creative artistic side and the logical ordered side. A project of this caliber needs both hemispheres working together.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Target: 1,000 words.
Consider: are you allowing both sides of your brain to p...2024-07-3007 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 50: The Epiphany Moment
It’s time for the protagonist to become a new person.
As you move through your novel manuscript, you may be getting close to the “Epiphany Moment.” This is the time for your protagonist to change and become the person who can finally solve his problem.
The best examples of this moment break the character in an ironic way so that he can finally be rebuilt new, better, stronger.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Reflect on your results. How can you continue to build your speed and quality?
FOR FURTHER STUDY: The No...2024-07-2905 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 48: Writing Is a Sacrifice
Writing a novel is hard. Really hard. So hard that a huge majority of people who start a project like this one will never finish it.
But you will finish it. You’re doing something that most people won’t do.
Sometimes in order to say “yes” to something, it’s helpful to articulate what you’re saying “no” to. In order to take the pressure off the next six weeks of writing, ask yourself that question, “What am I saying ‘no’ to, in order to keep saying ‘yes’ to this novel project?'”
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one...2024-07-2707 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 47: Who’s Ready for More?
If you’ve been enjoying these daily writing nuggets, we have good news: there’s more. A LOT MORE.
Learn more about The Company’s full-time apprenticeship and other training opportunities here: https://writers.company/training/
If you’re ready to take your writing to the next level and move readily towards becoming a professional author, the 90-Day Novel Challenge is just the beginning!
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Continue to evaluate your writing speed and look for opportunities to improve.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Explore The Company’s website for additional training o...2024-07-2606 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 46: The Tortoise Shell
It’s time to ruthlessly eliminate distractions from your creative work. What little distractions tether you to the real world and prevent you from fully immersing yourself in your writing?
We first learned about the “tortoise enclosure” from John Cleese, but at The Company, we’ve come to call it the Tortoise Shell.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour, with a target of 1,000 words.
Before and after you write, consider: how good is your tortoise shell? How could you improve it?
FOR FURTHER STUDY: More from John Cleese on his creative process: https...2024-07-2504 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 45: The Best Advice
You are halfway through the challenge! Congratulations!
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be halfway done with writing your manuscript yet. There’s a little bit of cushion since we used the first two weeks to learn and plan your project.
Today, Brad has two super important pieces of advice for you. If you can embrace these things, it has the power to change not just your writing, but your whole life!
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Learn more about the process of developing, drafting, and revisi...2024-07-2406 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 44: The Betrayal
It’s time to crush your protagonist again.
Who’s going to do the crushing? Usually your Mega-Antagonist.
If you’re stuck in this downward arc of the second act, a great question to ask is, “How would my Mega-Antagonist crush a threat to his system?”
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Record your time and results.
If you’re not yet achieving 1,000 words per hour, continue to reflect on your writing system and work out the bugs.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Find more information about The Betrayal in chapters 4 and 10 of The Novel M...2024-07-2306 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 43: The Philosophical Conflict
You must trap your protagonist between two incompatible worldviews. Which one will he choose?
The Novel Matrix’s “philosophical conflict” forces you to make this conflict specific.
Every character on the page has a paradigm—things he or she believes about the world—it can’t all get a spotlight. We have to choose two perspectives that will carry water for the story.
By intentionally choosing one philosophical showdown, you’ll achieve values, themes, and lessons in your work without being preachy.
ASSIGNMENT: Keep your eye out for your philosophical conflict. Are your charac...2024-07-2206 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 41: Are you a 1-percent writer?
Whether you have a finished novel manuscript 50 days from now all hinges on one critical question: will you place your butt in the seat and put words on the page today?
Writers with finished manuscripts aren’t better writers or better people—they simply engaged the discipline to show up day after day until they typed those two important words: “The End.”
So what will it be today? Are you a 1-percenter?
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Record your time and results.
If you’re not yet achieving 1,000 words per hour, reflect on...2024-07-2004 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 40: The Icarus Moment
If you’re on the faster or shorter side, you may be approaching the Icarus Moment.
This critical point in your plot structure will keep your reader engaged, and propel your protagonist toward real change.
It’s important that the Icarus Moment couples a rousing victory with a crushing defeat. What great thing will your protagonist do? How will you crush him again?
If you’re not to the Icarus Moment yet, don’t sweat it. You still have plenty of time.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Record your time and results.2024-07-1906 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 39: Always Create New Material
This simple tip will revolutionize your productivity.
Don’t allow yourself to read what you’ve written at the beginning of each writing session. It’s a recipe for wasted time…or worse.
Commit to sitting down and applying new words to the page, every single day. There is only one direction: forward.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Don’t re-read what you wrote yesterday, just move forward.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: For more strategies for completing the work of writing a novel, check out The Novel Matrix by Brad Pauquette. Learn more at NovelM2024-07-1804 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 38: The Valley of the Shadow of Death
This is where good stories die. Don’t be a casualty.
It’s really natural. Your initial excitement for the project has worn off, but the end still seems like it’s a long way away.
Don’t give up! Push through the middle, and you’ll see the light at the end.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Record your time and results.
Is there a daily reward you could treat yourself to in order to push through this hard part?
FOR FURTHER STUDY: For more exploration of the Valley of th...2024-07-1705 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 37: Is 1,000 words per hour a lot?
A thousand might seem like a big number, but 1,000 words per hour is not as much as it sounds.
Try talking at 1,000 words per hour. That’s one word every 3.6 seconds! You’ll be miserable.
If you’re struggling to reach 1,000 words per hour, it’s rarely a writing speed issue. Instead, there is a bug in your process somewhere.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Record your time and results.
If you’re not yet achieving 1,000 words per hour, reflect on your hour and look for the problems.
FOR FURTHER ST...2024-07-1611 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 36: Skip the Summary
How do you write a story in which the events happen over a long period of time?
The advice is the same whether the events happen over a day or a hundred years: skip to the next important part of the story.
Don’t use the reader’s time to summarize the gaps between important events. Instead, focus on great showing of each important event, and let the reader fill in the gaps between.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one full hour. Continue to record your time and wordcount so that you can challenge yourself to i...2024-07-1504 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 34: Earn Your Work with Rest
Is rest a punishment or a reward? It’s neither.
When we live our lives with God, rest is our base of operations.
We don’t earn our rest with good work. Instead, we earn good work with rest.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour. Keep a good record of your writing time and the wordcount you achieved.
Tomorrow, rest. Take a break from this project. Let your mind and body rejuvenate, and earn six great days of work next week.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Check out Sit, Walk, Stand by Watc...2024-07-1305 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 33: The Montage
As you move through the manuscript, you’ll hit the Montage after the Rock Bottom moment. We call it a montage, because oftentimes in movies there is a montage in this part of the story in which the protagonist trains, builds something, or tries something new.
It’s important that all of the major elements of your Novel Matrix plan are in play prior to the Icarus Moment, which occurs at the end of the Montage. Every character, conflict, and important element of the universe must have been introduced before the middle of the second act. The Mont...2024-07-1205 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 32: Write 1,000 Words per Hour
This tip to get your writing speed up to 1,000 words per hour is scandalously simple. It’s so simple it’s offensive.
When you try this, it’s likely that you’re going to surprise yourself. Chances are that you’re already much closer to the target speed than you even realize.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
Keep an exact record of the amount of time that you write. Write down the time, to the minute, that you begin your writing session and the time you end it. Record your word count. Now you have a...2024-07-1105 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeBONUS: The Novel Matrix
The Novel Matrix book officially hit store shelves today! What makes this writing system so unique?
The Novel Matrix isn’t just another repackaging of the same dusty academic ideas about story structure, it’s a fresh perspective based on observation of the publishing marketplace.
The Novel Matrix has been used by award-winning and best-selling authors to write books that move the needle and influence the world. Get your copy on Amazon today: https://amzn.to/4bC5jNN
The Novel Matrix is already a #1 New Release.
Check out all of the reso...2024-07-1017 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 31: Invest in Yourself
Writing is a business. You’re already investing in this business to the tune of 90 hours over three months. If there are small expenses that will improve the outcome on that time, why not make them?
It might feel frivolous, but it’s not. Writers don’t need a lot, we just need software, books, and sometimes coffee. If a small investment helps you reach that goal, do it.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
Consider if there are any simple ways you can invest in yourself to increase your productivity, efficiency, and attitude.
F...2024-07-1006 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 30: The Rock Bottom Moment
The “Rock Bottom” moment in your story is a huge opportunity to reinforce themes and values.
As you move through the manuscript, you’ll soon reach Rock Bottom. This is your chance to show the reader what’s truly most important to your protagonist.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
If you’ve been working up to an hour, now is the time to kick it the rest of the way. Write for a full hour today, and every day moving forward in the challenge.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Continue to develop your skills with ...2024-07-0905 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 29: What If I Hate My Story? (Featuring Special Guest: Thirzah)
Discouragement can rear its ugly head in lots of different ways as you write your novel. It may seem like there’s an endless string of reasons why you’d be better off just to give up.
What if you start feeling like you don’t even like the story you’re writing anymore? Thirzah can relate. She’s experienced this a few times, but because she was stubborn enough to push through anyway, she’s now a published author.
Learn more about Thirzah and follow her at ThirzahWrites.com.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.2024-07-0806 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 27: What If I’m Not a Good Writer?
Writers are built, not born.
It takes time and practice to become a good writer. Anyone who is a master at anything had to push through those feelings at one time.
Whether those feelings are true or whether they’re just insecurity doesn’t matter, the solution is the same. Choose to push through and keep improving.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to be beautiful…it doesn’t even have to be good. Just write for one hour today.
FOR FURTHER...2024-07-0606 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 26: Support Structures
Writing a novel is a big undertaking. Just like your protagonist needs a cast of supporting characters, you might need a little support too.
Here are four resources that are going to change your game:
The Company’s Q&A Board: https://writers.company/questions/
The official 90-Day Novel Challenge Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/90daynovel
90-Day Novel Challenge Cohort – email info@writers.company to join
The Novel Matrix book by Brad Pauquette: https://amzn.to/4eTx7jU. Get all of the information you need to do this...2024-07-0507 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 25: Where Is Your Antagonist?
Remember what we said about conflict. A “conflict” is two things in tension, such that both may not be satisfied.
Challenges and obstacles aren’t enough, we need to see real conflict on that page. Challenges may interest your readers, but conflicts compel them.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
If you’re still working up to writing for one hour, that’s OK. Do your best to get to the full one-hour time block soon.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Read more about conflict and develop more depth with The Novel Matrix book. Find your copy...2024-07-0406 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 24: Think Outside the Box
This tip will dramatically increase your writing speed.
You have tons of time in your day during which your brain is underemployed. If you’re like most Americans, you’re filling every idle moment of your day with noise. Let’s put that time to work for your writing project.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
If you’re still working up to writing for one hour, that’s OK. Make sure you’re consistently challenging yourself to increase your writing time, so that you’ll get to one-hour writing blocks soon.
Write for the t...2024-07-0306 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 23: Sustainable Writing
Do I have to write every day? What if miss a day? Can I make it up?
Building healthy, sustainable routines is always more important than your specific productivity. Writing is a long-term mission, and healthy routines will get more out of your weeks, months, years, and lifetime than what you accomplish today.
Today, let’s talk about some strategies to get the work done and keep your head in the right space.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
If you’re still working up to writing for one hour, that’s OK. Mak...2024-07-0207 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 22: The Old College Try
As you move through your scene list, you may soon arrive at “The Old College Try.”
This key moment of your manuscript occurs in the middle of the second act. Your protagonist will make a half-hearted and unsuccessful attempt to stop the hemorrhaging in his life and reverse the damage.
How does your protagonist respond to bad things (and sometimes even make the problem worse)?
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
If you’re still working up to writing for one hour, that’s OK. Make sure you’re consistently challenging yourself to increase...2024-07-0108 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 20: Two Important Questions
Did you have a good week with your writing?
How are you supposed to even answer a question like that? Instead of a nebulous, unanswerable question, today’s episode presents two specific questions you can ask to assess your week’s performance.
It’s important to stay positive as you move through this project. Some weeks will be better than others. It’s up to you keep yourt momentum and hit the ground running each week.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
If you’re still working up to writing for one hour, that’...2024-06-2906 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 19: Better Writing Software
A poor workman may blame his tools, but there’s no denying that the right tools can make you better and faster at your work.
Programs like Microsoft Word and Google Docs are nice, but they really weren’t designed for writing books. As your book document becomes longer and longer, you may run into problems.
Scrivener, however, was developed specifically for book writers. Its functionality just makes sense for a long-form work like a novel. Check it out out now while your manuscript is still small and easy to move to a new program.
2024-06-2808 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 18: What If I Don’t Wanna Write?
Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint.
The Novel Matrix system helps a lot. It provides a useful strategy to capitalize on your natural inspiration, but also gives you a framework to move forward when you’re not sure what to do next.
Most of the time, that’s enough. But what about those days when you’re just completely out of gas? On today’s episode, we’ll discuss another strategy that you can use to push through those feelings and maintain your momentum.
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.
If you’re...2024-06-2706 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 17: Save That Cat
It’s time to show your reader that the protagonist is fundamentally likeable and worth rooting for. It’s time to “Save the Cat.”
As you work through your novel manuscript over the 90-Day Novel Challenge, we’ll spotlight some of the key plot moments when you’re likely to be working on them.
Do you have questions about your novel project? Check out The Company’s Q&A board, where you can ask anything and get expert answers as well as answers from the community of writers: writers.company/questions
ASSIGNMENT: Write for one hour.2024-06-2608 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 16: Build Your Writing Muscle
In these early day of writing, it’s more important to build a healthy, sustainable writing routine than it is to achieve a particular word count.
Just like exercise, if you jump in too fast and do too much, you’ll burn out and kill your potential before you even really have a chance to begin.
If you’re new to narrative writing, take 2-3 weeks to start small and build up to an hour of writing.
Want to meet some other writers doing the 90-Day Novel Challenge? Join us on the 90-Day Novel C...2024-06-2508 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 15: Write the Scenes in Any Order
It’s time to start writing!
Let’s explore another big advantage of using a system like the Novel Matrix: you now have the power to write the scenes of your book in any order.
This will allow you to put your creative energy to its best and highest use, while still giving you direction in the moments you’re not inspired.
If you feel inspired to write a particular section of your book, capitalize on that inspiration and generate some momentum.
On the days that you’re not inspired, sit down and...2024-06-2400 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 13: Crush Your Protagonist
Are you being terrible enough to your main character?
If your protagonist is going to change and turn into a person that does impossible stuff, things are going to have to get really bad first.
As Kurt Vonnegut famously said, “Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.”
Today we have two tips for humbling your main character.
Want to chat with other writers? Join us on the 90-Day Novel...2024-06-2200 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 12: The Impossible Thing (and memoirs too)
Is your impossible thing actually an impossible thing?
And what about memoirs? Do they have to do all of this Novel Matrix stuff too?
As we finalize your Novel Matrix plans and get ready to write in just a couple of days, this information may help you to bring the final pieces together.
Download complete Novel Matrix worksheets at NovelMatrix.com/worksheets
If you’d like daily updates and reminders from the 90-Day Novel Challenge, sign up here: writers.company/90daynovel
ASSIGNMENT: It’s time to kick into gear and mak...2024-06-2100 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 11: Characters Are People Too
Writers are always trying to get around this one.
You can get creative, but your characters must be “people.” If your story is missing a character function, audiences will notice.
They might not know what they’re noticing. But they’ll feel it.
Download complete Novel Matrix worksheets at NovelMatrix.com/worksheets
If you’d like daily updates and reminders from the 90-Day Novel Challenge, sign up here: writers.company/90daynovel
ASSIGNMENT: Evaluate your characters. Make sure you’re filling your cast list with “people.”
If you’re Novel Matrix plan...2024-06-2000 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 10: Make a Scene List
So you have a Novel Matrix plan, now what?
Your next step in the 90-Day Novel Challenge is to take your Novel Matrix plan and use it to develop a scene list. Using the Novel Matrix Scene Plan, develop individual scenes that support all five conflicts and seven characters, and develop the universe of the story.
Download a blank Scene Plan at NovelMatrix.com/ScenePlan
If you haven’t finished your Novel Matrix plan yet, that’s OK. You still have time to work on it. You may even find that beginning to thin...2024-06-1900 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 9: The Driving Conflict
How do you give your reader that satisfactory it is finished feeling at the end of the story, without making it hokey?
The answer lies in your Driving Conflict.
The “Driving Conflict” is the most prominent conflict in your story, and it’s the conflict that most closely correlates to the “Impossible Thing” your protagonist will accomplish.
Download complete Novel Matrix worksheets at NovelMatrix.com/worksheets
ASSIGNMENT: Continue to develop your novel plan. Fill in all of the boxes and move things around until they’re just right.
Identify your Driving Confli...2024-06-1800 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 8: Develop a Novel Idea
It’s time to move into the planning and development stages of your novel. This is where the fun begins!
Download complete Novel Matrix worksheets at NovelMatrix.com/worksheets
Writing a novel is a marathon. Do the work now, and it will pay off for you big time down the road.
ASSIGNMENT: Choose one of the three ideas you’ve been brainstorming and begin to develop it into a complete Novel Matrix plan. No need to overplan, but fill in the major boxes. Continue to work the plan until all of the major eleme...2024-06-1700 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 6: The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Novel Matrix is all around us. You see it when you turn on the TV, when you read a book, and when you go to church.
Additional story examples will help to unveil the power of the Novel Matrix, and no examination of story would be complete without taking a hard look at the greatest story ever told.
ASSIGNMENT: Finish brainstorming your three ideas. Tomorrow is a rest day, and next week begins the planning and development stage. Be ready to choose one idea and move forward with your planning.
FOR FURTHER S...2024-06-1500 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 5: One Universe
We all know that a story needs a “setting,” but the universe of your story is one of the most overlooked power tools in the novelist’s toolbox.
As a novelist, defining the universe is both a responsibility and an opportunity. Simply by changing a single rule of the universe, you can fundamentally alter the impact of your story.
ASSIGNMENT: Continue to brainstorm your three ideas. Begin to brainstorm the universe of your story.
Where and when is this story happening? Why is that important? What are the rules that govern what’s normal a...2024-06-1400 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 4: Seven Characters
Did you know you’ve been watching and reading the same seven character archetypes over and over again?
Sometimes these characters can be combined, but it’s critical that your story includes all seven of these character functions. If it doesn’t, your readers will notice, even if they can’t explain what they’re noticing!
ASSIGNMENT: Brainstorm supporting characters for your three ideas that you’ve been developing.
What kind of help will the protagonist need? Who will oppose the protagonist’s goals?
FOR FURTHER STUDY: There’s more to this topic! All...2024-06-1300 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 3: Five Conflicts
How many conflicts should your novel have? The answer is actually pretty simple: five.
Too few conflicts and the story will feel stretched and contrived. Too many conflicts and the story will be difficult to follow and fail to have a satisfying ending. Five is the happy medium.
Not just any five conflicts. These five conflicts have to represent the complexity of real life.
ASSIGNMENT: Continue to develop your three ideas. Brainstorm how your ideas relate to these five conflicts. Have you considered your “Big World” for these stories?
FOR FURTHER STUD...2024-06-1200 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 2: Three-Act Structure
First observed by Aristotle more than 2,000 years ago in Ancient Greece, the Three-Act Structure is one of the most powerful and pervasive tools for crafting a novel.
Today, we’ll take a look at the typical plot elements found in most long-form stories like novels and movies. This structure will empower you to connect meaningfully with your readers to tell stories they understand and relate to.
Note: The graphics are especially helpful for this lesson. Please consider checking out the video on YouTube or utilize the corresponding lesson on The Company website.
ASSIGNMENT: Co...2024-06-1100 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 1: Structure vs. Formula
Welcome to Day 1 of the 90-Day Novel Challenge.
To build a foundation for a successful project, today we’re talking about the importance of structure in your work.
There’s a big difference between structure and formula.
As artists, we like to pretend that we don’t need any structure to our work at all. We just want to be creative and follow the inspiration, right? But that’s not how successful authors behave.
The Novel Matrix method is designed to provide a skeleton for your work, not a coffin. The principl...2024-06-1000 minThe 90-Day Novel ChallengeDay 0: Orientation
Welcome to the 90-Day Novel Challenge.
Are you ready to write a novel in less than three months?
Watch a video version of this podcast on YouTube here, or use the 90-Day Novel Challenge course on The Company’s website.
Here’s how the challenge will proceed:
Week 1: Learn about tools, systems, and structuresWeek 2: Plan a complete novelWeek 3-13: Write your novel draft
For additional resource, please visit Writers.Company, where you can find the Novel Matrix classes, as well as additional materials for the 90-Day...2024-06-0800 min