Nail Your Novel Series

Roz Morris

Book 1: Why Writers Abandon Books & How You Can Draft, Fix & Finish With Confidence
Publication date: January 2016
Genre: Writing Reference
ISBN: 978-1-909905-95-5

Are you writing a novel? Do you want to make sure you finish? Will you get lost and fizzle out? Will you spend more time reading about how to write than actually getting the words down?

Most manuals on novel-writing will make you read hundreds of pages about character arcs, inciting incidents, heroes' journeys. It's great to know that – but while you're reading about it you're not writing your book.

And what these books don't tell you is how to use this learning and get the job done.

Nail Your Novel is a writing buddy – and mentor – in a book.

In 10 easy steps it will tell you:

• how to shape your big idea and make a novel out of it
• how to do your research and how to use it
• how to organise your time
• how to plot and build characters
• when you're going to hit problems and what to do about them
• how to write on the days you don't feel inspired
• how to reread what you've written and polish it.

Along the way, Thumbnail Notes give tutorials about storytelling and storycraft - strictly when you need them. The author has written nearly a dozen novels that have made it into print – and this is how she did it.

You don't even need to read the whole book before you get started. You read a section, then do as it says. And, once you're finally satisfied, Nail Your Novel will tell you how to sell it to publishers and agents.

A FULL index means you can find what you want, when you want it.

You've dreamed of writing a novel. Don't procrastinate with another theory book. Don't launch in, get stuck and throw your hard work in a drawer. Nail your novel.

Book 2: Writing Characters Who’ll Keep Readers Captivated​
Publication date: January 2016
Genre: Writing Reference
ISBN: 978-1-909905-96-2

How do you create characters who keep readers hooked? How do you write the opposite sex? Teenagers? Believable relationships? Historical characters? Enigmatic characters? Plausible antagonists and chilling villains? How do you understand a character whose life is totally unlike your own? How do you write characters for dystopias? How do you make dialogue sing? When can you let the reader intuit what the characters are feeling and when should you spell it out?

Roz Morris is a bestselling ghostwriter and book doctor, and a literary author in her own right. Her titles have sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. She has mined 20 years' worth of writing, editing and critiquing experience to create this book. It contains all the pitfalls and sticky points for writers, laid out as a set of discussions that are easy to dip into. And it wouldn't be a Nail Your Novel book without a good dose of games, exercises and questionnaires to help you populate a novel from scratch.

Whether you write a straightforward story-based genre or literary fiction, this book will show you how to create people who enthrall readers – and make you want to tell stories.

Book 3: Writing Plots With Drama, Depth & Heart
Publication date: May 2016
Genre: Writing Reference
ISBN: 978-1-909905-98-6

What keeps a reader curious? It's the story. You might have a dazzling prose voice and plausible characters, but if they don't do anything, the reader is likely to lose interest. So where do you find story ideas? How do you make them into a captivating read? What's your personal vision? Do you know what genre you are best suited to write? 

What is literary fiction and how do you write that? How will you give your book depth without seeming preachy or bringing the plot to a standstill? What are the hidden structural patterns that ply the reader's emotions, regardless of your genre or style? How can you use them with originality? How should you begin and end? What should go in the middle? Where should you play your best twists – and what should they be? How can you write each scene so it holds the reader's curiosity? If you want to write a story that breaks with convention but still keeps readers riveted, how do you do it? Whatever type of novel you want to write, this book will show you, in down-to-earth tutorials, games and brainstorming exercises. Use it before you write and when revising, to diagnose your story's strengths and weaknesses.

If you've had feedback from critique partners and editors, use it to decode what's really wrong – instead of what they think might be. Most of all, use it to find out where you already have spellbinding plot material. Discover where your best ideas are hiding and how to tell stories with drama, depth and heart.

A Companion Workbook: Draft, Fix & Finish With Confidence​
Publication date:  February 2019
Genre: Writing Reference
ISBN: 978-1-909905-89-4

You're writing a novel...

Unlock your full potential and finish like a pro

When Roz Morris first published Nail Your Novel in 2009, it was popular with writers of all stripes.

This workbook enlarges that 10-step process for drafting, fixing and finishing, guiding you to:

• tame your inner critic
• devise compelling characters and surprising plots
• find resonance
• hit your essential genre/non-genre notes
• find your best method for drafting and polishing
• craft a standout title
• write a slick synopsis and sales pitch
• organise and complete your research tasks, and much more.

Use on its own or alongside the original book for extra depth.