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03/03/23 Trust the Process

Misjudging Our Own Writing

J. Greg Phelan  novel, resistance

Writing novels there’s a lot to learn. You need to read widely, study craft, figure out how to gather your ideas into a structure for a book. Learn how to generate a first draft. How to revise. How ...

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12/08/22 Trust the Process

Can Anyone Write a Novel?

J. Greg Phelan  MFA, novel writing

Can anyone write a novel? “If they put their mind to it,” Haruki Murakami claims, in his wonderful new collection of essays, Novelist as Vocation. Unlike other arts that require intense training, ...

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11/10/22 Trust the Process

Writing Openings To Keep Your Readers Reading

J. Greg Phelan  novel writing, opening lines, revising

It happens every time you pick up a new book. You turn to page one with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Will it draw you in? Or push you away? After reading the book's opening lines, you know. Th...

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10/13/22 Trust the Process

Stay in the Book

J. Greg Phelan  book ideas, inspiration, novel writing

Where do your best ideas for writing your book come from? You think real hard, and sweat pours down your face, and they just appear?  I’ve found my best ideas come when I’m not working on my book...

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09/08/22 Trust the Process

Nine Brains Are Better Than One

J. Greg Phelan  fighting self-criticism, octopus, origin stories

This is the origin story of our mascot, and book inc, too. Our founding members launched our writing collective in the earliest days of the lockdown, motivated by the idea that writing a successful n...

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08/11/22 Trust the Process

Training to Write Your Book

J. Greg Phelan  novel writing, training to write, writing stamina

In his memoir, "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running," Haruki Murakami presents a strong case for why you need to train to be a writer. Not by honing your craft—though that’s essential, too...

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07/14/22 Trust the Process

Three Good Things About My Writing

J. Greg Phelan  daily writing practice, fighting self-criticism, gratitude

Lately, I’ve been going through my old journals from back when I started taking myself seriously as a writer. The entries are often painful to read. I was so down on myself for not getting enough do...

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06/09/22 Trust the Process

Shaping Your Story with Beats

J. Greg Phelan  Save the Cat beats, shaping your story, story structure

In our Incubators, we use story beats, a popular screenwriter’s tool, to help us draft our novels and memoirs. Beats are points of inflection that drive your hero’s journey, both inside and out—...

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05/05/22 Trust the Process

The Unconscious Will Provide – How To Develop Story Ideas

J. Greg Phelan  daily writing routine, writing process

Last night on Zoom, we did a writing exercise exploring Act I of our novels, spending five minutes writing down our beats—the turning points that mark the arc of our stories. Our objective was to...

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03/03/22 Trust the Process

Why book inc?

J. Greg Phelan  origin stories, writing community, writing process

I’d been writing novels for years. I’ve gone to writing workshops, earned an MFA, and even had the incredible experience of doing a novel fellowship with a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Still, I...

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