Jenkins on Writing a Novel

JERRY JENKINS: HOW I WRITE BESTSELLING NOVELS (Left Behind)

1 p.m. EDT, 23 JULY 2018 WEBINAR

In 4 decades, Jenkins wrote 195 books, 2/3 novels. Sold 70 million copies.

6 goals he tries to achieve:

    Turn fear into motivation

-       Employ classic story structure

-        Grab the reader

-        Use set-ups and pay-offs

-        Keep writing separate from revising

-        Aggressively edit your manuscript

You write because you have dreams and a message, to make a difference. This may make you perfectionist about it, which can lead to fear of rejections, and fear is the number one obstacle for writers. He still faces fear at the start. Competition is stiff. Fear is justified, but we need not let it overwhelm us. Work hard to succeed. The best stuff comes from humility. “Nothing will happen until I start putting words on a page.” Writer’s block is a myth…no other job can clam something similar! Just do it. We must not invent ways to keep from starting. Embrace procrastination; schedule it, as part of the process, letting your subconscious work.

Use a classic story structure: you need a plan. 1. Place the main character in big trouble soon, while making the reader care about him/her. 2. Initial efforts make things get even worse. 3. Predicament seems hopeless. 4. Hero finally succeeds. Your characters grow over time.

Grab the reader from page 1 and don’t let go. Don’t waste time with “throat-clearing.” Get the story going. First lines are crucial.

Set-ups and pay-offs: conflicts and cliff-hangers. Tension and resolution. Foreshadowing. Hopes. Desires. Plans. Little arcs and big ones. Set them up on each page and then pay off. The more the better.

Write first. Revise later. “All writing is re-writing.” Some novelists write multiple drafts, but he does not recommend this. Start every writing day with editing what you wrote the day before. The first draft is a rough draft.

When editing, be aggressive about stripping material out of it. The better self-edited, the better its prospects.

To speed up learning, find a mentor. Use those who have already done what you want to achieve. He started the Jerry Jenkins Writers’ Guild to help others. Beyond that, training is needed. Established a program with extensive training to take writers from start to finish, Your Novel Blueprint.

Jenkins then outlined his commercial program, with attractive bonuses, for the price of $1997. To enroll go to http://JerryJenkins.com/ynb .

A great deal of free good advice can be found on his blog site:
https://jerryjenkins.com/blog/

A less expensive option is to work with me, one-on-one.
See Write Your Book with Me.