Adam Blumer

10 Common Misconceptions of the Wannabe Novelist, #3

By Adam Blumer March 9, 2012 Freelance Editing, Novel Writing, Novels, Writing 4 Comments

See Part 1 and Part 2.  #3: My novel must be pretty awesome—my significant other and friends certainly think so. This is faulty thinking; with few exceptions (consider the amazing story behind The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans) significant others and friends could never replace industry professionals. Ask any established novelists, and they’ll tell you. Because spouses, family members, and friends have the relationship at stake and don’t want to hurt our feelings, we can’t expect them to provide an impartial evaluation that will deliver the goods we need as authors. That doesn’t mean, however, that we should cut them off from our projects if they want to be involved. For example, my wife, Kim, a voracious reader, is always the first reader of my books. She always gives me great feedback beyond “This is wonderful because my husband wrote it,” but her review has its limits. Even someone…

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10 Common Misconceptions of the Wannabe Novelist, #2

By Adam Blumer February 24, 2012 Fatal Illusions, How to, Novel Writing, Writing 16 Comments

See Part 1. #2: I know how to tell a good story. I don’t need these novel-writing rules. I’m always amazed when I hear that someone invested hundreds, if not thousands, of hours into writing a novel before studying how novels are written for today’s market. Yet it happens. Just ask agents and publishers. But why? Is it because of arrogance or ignorance? Or maybe a little of both? In my last post I addressed the absurd notion that whatever comes from the heart must be untouchable. I think sometimes newbie authors can become too enamored with their own words. They reveal how thin-skinned they are by how quickly they bristle at the slightest negative remark about their work. But constructive criticism is how all of us grow. It’s a true maxim that sometimes we can’t do something right until we learn what we’re doing wrong. In fact, it’s often…

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