Monday's Writing Tip: Visit Novel-Writing-Help.com

Harvey Chapman

"If you believe that novel writing is beyond you, or that it's something only the clever few can succeed in, think again." Harvey Chapman

I stumbled upon an awesome site last week that I'd like to share today!  If you're not familiar with Harvey Chapman's Novel-Writing-Help.com, you need to visit!  Chapman offers all kinds of helpful advice for newcomers as well as more experienced writers who are interested in writing a novel.

Chapman has written short stories and novels, but admits that his writing career has always been sidetracked by the actual theory of how to write them.  This is like tinkering with an engine, rather than driving the car, he says.  Because of this lifelong passion for understanding the art and craft of novel writing, Harvey began teaching creative writing. 

He's received his education partly from school, as well as from years of self teaching that continues today.  In addition to his own writing, he's analyzed thousands of published novels, and read countless creative writing guides, including those out of print. 

On the site, you'll find his Essential Guide to Novel Writing availble for purchase, plus lots of free information that will put you well on your way to becoming published! 

I found his site when I was trying to determine the genre of a novel I'm working on.  Couldn't be a romance because someone died, and even though there are a lot of women in the story, it's not really women's fiction. I'd never known the exact definition of mainstream fiction, so when I Googled the term, Novel-Writing-Help.com came up as a hit.  If you need more clarification on mainstream fiction, check the link.

Hope you make time to visit with Harvey today! What are some of your favorite writing sites?  Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie.  Thanks for visiting, and have a Happy Valentine's Day!