Your First Novel profile picture

Your First Novel

How to Write and Publish It

About Me

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 Harrison, Jim Fusilli, Kathleen George, and others!
On sale September 8th!

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

There have been plenty of books on writing a novel, and plenty on how to get published. Our book is the first to cover both topics comprehensively.Please add us to your friends if you're an aspiring novelist looking for a guide through the entire process!

Music:

"Lady Writer" (Dire Straits) "Paperback Writer" (The Beatles)

Movies:

Wonder Boys; It's A Wonferful Life; Jaws; L.A. Confidential; The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Television:

Lost

Books:

On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott; The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford; Mystic River by Dennis Lehane; Every Day by Elizabeth Richards; The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen; Great Expectations by Dickens; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; The Princess Bride by William Goldman; The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart; Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Heroes:

Mighty Mouse; Lou Gehrig

My Blog

Your First Novel Is for All Novelists, from Would-Be to Seasoned

At least that's what Carolyn Howard-Johnson, an instructor at the UCLA Writers' Program, says on AllBooks Review, and who are we to argue? Her full review is below.When I teach my writing students, I...
Posted by Your First Novel on Wed, 09 May 2007 07:03:00 PST

YFN Review

Here's a nice review of YOUR FIRST NOVEL from writersservices.com:I used to think it was a minor miracle that the world was not hip-deep in books on how to write. There were so many of them around...
Posted by Your First Novel on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 09:11:00 PST

Your First Novel Q&A

Q&A with the authors of YOUR FIRST NOVEL   LAURA WHITCOMB, Novelist How long did A Certain Slant of Light take you to write? One year -- ten months with a two month break in the middle....
Posted by Your First Novel on Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:24:00 PST