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: 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. 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 […]

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 […]

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: […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]