Writing a Novel: Finding Characters Who Seem Real

I write mostly fiction. Yes, I sometimes branch into non-fiction (under a pseudonym), but most of my work is fiction. And fiction involves characters, sometimes a great many characters. If you want to draw the readers into your story, these characters will have to be as real as your neighbor, as real as your best friend, as real as you are yourself. If you can't do this, your readers will abandon you well before they finish your novel.

So how to do create realistic characters that will jump off the page and have tea with you? You watch the world around you.

Creating Characters Out of the People You Know

Great fictional characters stay with the reader long after the book has closed. Think of the best books you've ever read. Who were the characters? Can you remember the details of the main characters? I'm betting you can. There are great books of every genre that are just full of wonderful characters. And these characters stay with you.

But here's the secret: Most of these characters are, at least in part, real people the author knew. The crotchety old man? Possibly a neighbor or grandfather. The sweet and innocent woman? Maybe a daughter, niece, or another young woman. The powerful and invincible man? Perhaps modeled a father figure.

So look around your own world and find inspiration. I don't just mean friends and family. Go to your local coffee shop or park and take a notebook with you. Observe the wide variety of people who frequent these places. Write down bits of conversation and physical descriptions that you can use later. Do this quickly and quietly though or you risk irritating everyone in the area. Once you get home, you can exaggerate or tone down your notes until they match the story you're writing.

Be careful not to model characters directly after people you know. Your sister probably doesn't want to be in your novel, so if you're basing characters on family (as I am wont to do) you'll have to change details. I tend to mix traits until the characters aren't recognizable as immediate family. If people can recognize themselves, you're opening a can of worms. Some authors have even been sued for this very reason.

Creating the Emotions for Your Characters

The characters in your book have to have physical traits, yes, but they also have to have substance. Characters have feelings, and these feelings determine how they react in any given situation. So you have to come up with a way to convey these feelings to your readers.

Do this through characterization. Action, conversation, and body language are all powerful tools for revealing how a character feels about something. Instead of writing, "he was angry," think of a way to convey this without referring to anger at all. Perhaps the following passage would be more effective:

He clenched his fists at his sides. His body began to vibrate with barely suppressed rage. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths and tried to think soothing thoughts.

This passage tells us the character is angry, but it also does more than that. It gives us some insight into his character. Read the passage and see what you can infer about the character. He has certain physical responses to anger, notably the clenched fists and the trembling. But we can see that he doesn't just let his anger fly. He tries to control it. Not everyone would, but this character does.

You must use prose to create the substance of your characters. It is only through the power of the written word that we can begin to know and understand your characters. Spend some times observing the world, make sure you use your knowledge of the written word to help the reader understand your characters, and your halfway toward creating characters who will leave an impression.

Writing a Novel: Action and Pacing

Novels need action. The type of action varies, but they certainly need some kind of action or your readers will fall asleep reading your book. Action is the core of your plot. Without action, there's no story. But just as important to the action is the pacing of your novel. These two elements make up the very basis of your general plot.

A Novel Needs Action

Your novel must have action at various points, but defining action can be a little problematic. Is action a car chase? Yes. Is action a standoff between your protagonist and your antagonist? Yes. Is action the thoughts running through the protagonist's head? Yes.

Action can be a lot of things, usually depending on genre and context. So let's define the action in a novel as anything that is important to the overall plot of the story. This could mean that the "action" in your novel includes your main character sitting at a bar thinking to himself. He might not be involved in a gunfight, but that doesn't mean something important isn't going on in his mind.

So, now that we've defined action, perhaps you can see how novels are built up of these little bits of plot. You don't need a gunfight or car chase on every page. But something needs to happens to further the plot.

Constantly throwing action at your audience, however, creates its own set of problems. You need to break the tension once in a while, but without letting the action stop completely. This is where pacing becomes important.

The Pacing of Your Novel

The pacing of your novel can be defined as the rate at which the action happens. This rate will be primarily determined by the type of book you're writing. A laid-back romance will have a slower pacing than an action-adventure novel, for example. But how do you convey this pace?

Start by classifying your scenes into two groups: tense and relaxed. If you're having trouble categorizing some of the scenes, create a third category: semi-tense. Once you've done this, space them out a bit. You probably don't want eight tense scenes back to back (unless you're writing a thriller or a horror). I write a lot of fantasy-adventure novels, but I'm careful not to pack too much tension into one section (except for the end). I vary the intensity of the scenes to keep the story moving.

Now that you've ordered your scenes, look at each tense scene and sharpen it up. You can add action, of course, or you could use the power of the written word. Short paragraphs. Sharp words. Tiny sentences. These help increase the tension in your story. Heighten the tension until its wound tight.

Then release it. Use longer sentences and larger words while increasing the size of the paragraphs. You'll be surprised at how this technique can increase or decrease the tension of a given scene. The words you use and their structure on the page should reflect the pace you're trying to convey.

Your novel should be like a roller coaster ride. Take the tension up and down as your story requires, giving your readers a break from the tension when required. Think about the feel you want to convey and work hard to make sure your take your readers on the journey with you.

Writing a Novel: Book Themes and Why They Matter

Every book has a theme, sometimes more than one. As an author, I'm often asked what the themes of my various books are. This is sometimes a hard question to answer, and not just because I don't necessarily write a book with a theme in mind. What's really hard about answering the question is this: themes are open to interpretation. Knowing this, how important is theme and should you decide on a theme before you begin writing?

What is Theme?

When it comes to novels, the theme is the overriding point of the story. Stories are, at their core, about life, and each novel makes a statement. That statement is your theme. Sometimes this theme is also the lesson of the story, especially if you're writing children's fiction. But whatever genre you're writing, your story does have a message.

What might the message be? Well, look at your story and see if there's an overriding message. My second novel (Dragon's Tempest) had a lot of things in it. Dragons. A prince and his friends. Cute girl. A creepy nasty not-human guy. And a lot of stuff happens. Battles are fought. People fall in love. A few people die. But none of these things are the theme. Instead, the theme is that sons need to individuate themselves. They need to find out who they are not just as their parents' son, but as grown men. This is the theme.

Never confuse theme with the conflicts in your novel. Conflicts are the obstacles your protagonist encounters. In the case of Dragon's Tempest, there are a lot of conflicts. The principle one is the good guys battling the bad guys. This is in a lot of novels (and virtually all fantasy novels). But Dragon's Tempest isn't really about good vs. evil. That's the entertainment portion of the novel (though "good triumphs over evil" can be a theme). The theme, the thing we learn about human nature from the novel, is about the father-son relationship. Theme and conflict are not the same thing.

Should You Write a Novel With a Theme in Mind?

The answer to this question is maybe. It depends on your point. I haven't written any of my fantasy novels with a theme in mind. And if I had, I probably wouldn't have ended up with a fantasy novel at all. Think about it. If you were going to write a novel with a theme about the nature of the father-son relationship, would you write a fantasy? Probably not.

And yet the entire story of Dragon's Tempest flows from the difficulties between father and son. The rest of the story simply wouldn't have happened without that catalyst. So the overriding theme of the novel is important, but I had no idea what the theme was while I was writing the thing. I simply wrote the story that was crying out to be told.

If, on the other hand, you have a theme in mind, you might want to write from your theme. I'm doing this with a new series of books I'm working. It's a trilogy with one overwhelming theme: the ability to recover and learn from mistakes. That is the theme. That was the theme before I had a clear idea of who the main characters were. I fully intend to convey a certain message and every work of the three books is being crafted with that message in mind.

So you can choose whether or not you'll write with a theme in mind or whether you'll just write the story. A theme will eventually emerge and permeate the whole novel. But it's important to remember that different people will see different things in your novel. One person may say your theme is the enduring quality of the human spirit while another is convinced the theme must be the inevitability of change. A book can have more than one theme, and it can have different themes for different people. This is one of the best qualities of literature.

Novel Outlines: The Chapter-By-Chapter Outline

Outlines are important to most writers. They form a road map and become a guide for the author. You can use an outline to stay on track while still exploring the depths of creativity. And, most often, this outline takes the form of a story arc outline. But what if you know exactly how many chapters you were going to have? I knew I'd have forty chapters, plus a prologue and an epilogue, when writing Dragon's Tempest and Thief's Heartache. I'd already established that the first book in The Imperial Series that the books would all have forty chapters. So a chapter-by-chapter outline would be the best decision for any book in this series.

To create a chapter-by-chapter outline, you'll have to have a general idea of what your story will be. Then you'll have to get specific. List your chapters and leave plenty of space to add details. Once you've decided how many chapters you're going to have, start filling in the details.

List each chapter's plot point, making sure you have an inciting incident within the first few chapters. Ensure you have enough chapters to successfully weave your way through the rising action and into your crisis, climax, and resolution. Remember that your crisis, climax, and resolution can either happen in a single chapter or over several. The choice is yours and should fit the particular book.

Now look back at each chapter and tweak them. Treat each chapter like a mini-novel. They should have a beginning and end and something (rising action) need to happen in between. Don't let any chapters exist simply because you told yourself you'd have forty chapters (or twenty, or whatever number you came up with). Don't be afraid to merge chapters or even cut whole sections during the outlining process.

A chapter-by-chapter outline is only a guide. It's not set in stone. Make sure you allow your outline to stay fluid. Never lock yourself in simply for the sake of your outline.

Novel Outlines: The Story Arc Outline

I've been getting a lot of e-mails lately, and one of the most common questions I've received revolves around creating an outline. I know I talk about outlines and their value, but I don't actually tell you how exactly you should create that outline. Every writer is different, so every outline will be unique, but there are two basic types of outlines -- the story arc outline and the chapter-by-chapter outline. If you're not sure about chapters, start with the story arc and see where it takes you.

To create a story arc outline, you'll need to be clear on a few basics of your plot. These include the inciting incident, the crisis, the climax, and the resolution. If you have these four things, you can create a basic outline and start writing that novel. The outline should have the following structure:

• Inciting Incident
• Rising Action
• Crisis
• Climax
• Resolution

Within each of these is room for great variety and you don't necessarily have to fill in the outline in the order I've indicated. In fact, many writers start with the resolution and work backwards, or even jump around until they've fleshed out the plot of the story. But for expediency's sake, I'll address each point in order.

The Inciting Incident

Every plot needs to start somewhere. I'm not referring to the first chapter (though your inciting incident may occur at the very beginning of your story). I'm referring to the moment in your story that sets everything in motion. That one thing that leads to the rest of the novel. When I wrote Arianna's Tale this incident happens in Chapter Three. With Dragon's Tempest it was in Chapter One. Thief's Heartache placed this incident in Chapter Two. So the incident does have to be near the beginning of your novel, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the first thing that happens. Decide what this incident is in your particular story and write it down.

Rising Action

Now you're on the road heading toward your crisis. But things can't just plod along. You need action of some kind that leads up to your final climax. You don't need to know every little detail right now, but you should have some idea of what might happen. Maybe you know that a certain character is going to die or that your protagonist is going to encounter a certain obstacle. Now is the time to write those things down. Number each incident and try to put them in order, but be prepared to reorder them as you nail things down. Don't worry about how many numbers you have. You can refine your action incidents later.

The Crisis

Most novels have a central problem. Maybe it's a relationship (if you're writing a romance). Maybe it's a big bad wizard out to destroy the world (if you're writing a fantasy). Maybe it's the serial killer slaughtering women in New York (if you're writing a thriller/crime novel). But there is something there. If there isn't, you should probably rethink your novel. Know what the crisis is early on and write it down. You can always change up later, but at least you'll have something to start with.

The Climax

Your novel has to come to an end at some point. The crisis has to eventually get resolved in some way. The relationship has to either stabilize or end. The big bad wizard has to either succeed or fail. The serial killer is either caught, killed, or perhaps even kills the protagonist. But it has to end. So plan out how everything is going to end and you're almost finished creating an outline for your novel.

The Resolution

In most cases, the climax doesn't actually resolve the story. Look back at your inciting incident and evaluate it carefully. Did the climax actually wrap up the story? Probably not. Now is the time to finish wrapping up the story. Dragon's Tempest, my second novel, pits a nineteen-year-old boy against a nasty and deformed creature. Boy wins. Yay! But since the inciting incident (what out the boy in the position of having to fight the creature) was actually the problems the boy was having with his own father, I had to wrap up that little nugget. I had to put the boy in a room with his father before I could call the story finished. You'll have to do a similar thing, so go over your plot and make sure you're not leaving anything out.

If you've filled in all these areas, you have a basic outline to work from. Start writing that novel.You'll be able to fill in the blanks as you go, but if you don't get started, you'll never finish. So take the excuses out of writing and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

Writing a Novel: Finding the Drama

I've read some really boring books lately. And they weren't boring because I didn't like the subject matter. They were boring because the entire novel just plodded along. Nothing happened. At all. There was no tension. No drama. And every book needs a little drama.

What is Drama?

Before you can add drama into your novel, you have to understand what drama actually is. Drama involves at least one of the following elements: tension, emotion, excitement, or an unexpected series of events. These can take many forms, but essentially, drama is conflict. Emotional conflict, physical conflict, whatever. But your novel needs something dramatic. Without drama, you're not writing a novel, you're writing a narrative. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you're hoping for a novel, you need to find the drama.

This drama could be a large scale war, but this is certainly not your only option. Perhaps your character is driven by some internal conflict. This too can be drama if done right. The point is to get your readers engaged and caring about the characters, and you can do this by using the drama of your story to its fullest. But be careful not to go overboard.

Adding Drama to Your Novel

Drama is great. It creates conflict and adds sizzle to your novel. But you have to find the right balance. Too much drama and your novel suddenly reads like one of those old B-movies. Too little and it's just plain boring. How do you find this balance? Well, everyone is different, but I like to take a look at my work with a critical eye.

A first draft is just that -- your first attempt at the work. It won't be perfect, but it's a place to start examining the drama in your novel. Read through what you have and try to be a reader, not a writer. Where does the drama slow down or even stop? When does the tension fade away? Find these areas an inject drama into them. Yes, I know, there are quieter parts to any novel. But I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about the parts that really start to bore you. If you're bored with your own story ... let's just say it's not a good sign.

There are a couple of ways to introduce tension and drama into your story. The first is traditional and seen in almost every novel. Simply throw more obstacles into your protagonist's path. This creates frustration, which leads to tension, which is one form of drama. If each obstacle is more difficult to overcome than the last, you have rising tension. Just don't let your readers down with your climax.

The second way to create drama takes a little more skill. It involves shifting your point of view. Don't confuse this with head-hopping. Head hopping involves jumping from one perspective to another without cause and it drives readers nutty. Shifting the point of view can be done in short stints with great effect. The easiest and least invasive way to do this is using what's sometimes called an 'Interlude'. Sometimes this is used as the title of a chapter that's written from someone else's point of view.

A great way to use this tool is to slip into the mind of the antagonist. What is the bad guy thinking? What is he plotting? What does he have planned for the protagonist? Revealing these thoughts to the reader when the protagonist is still unaware can really introduce a level of tension to your novel. But do this sparingly or you'll spoil the entire story.

Pruning Back the Tension

You're writing a novel, not a soap-opera. What's the difference? Well, in a soap-opera, everything goes wrong. Think of a sudden plunge downward without ever coming back up. The obstacles never end and the good guys never get ahead. Even small victories are not really victories as they only lead to another conflict. And all conflicts are never ending.

Novels aren't like that. Think of a roller coaster with plenty of ups and downs. There has to be some kind of balance to the whole thing. Eventually, the good guys have to get ahead, at least once in a while. If you find yourself with endless conflict that's getting a bit ridiculous, trim it back. Let the good guys experience a little victory here and there. Not big victories, but enough to keep them inspired. They need to stay motivated. Think about it for a minute. If you were in your novel and you experienced nothing but setbacks, you'd probably give up. So would your protagonist.

You should also break up the tension with other scenes. I like to use tender moments between characters. This helps build character and relieves some of the ongoing tension. A love scene or a death scene introduce a different kind of tension (if your story isn't primarily about either of these things), giving the reader a little break and bringing some realism into your story.

Picture that roller coaster again in your mind and try to mimic it with the drama in your novel. But there is one thing you should never do -- don't ever bring the bad guy back to life. It's ridiculous and you're only creating artificial tension. Bad guy dies and -- ack, he's not dead yet! It's been done and it's never done well. He's either dead (or at least defeated) or he's not. The only time this comes even close to working is when the bad guy fakes his own death, but even this is dicey. Better just stick with the realm drama if you want your readers to come back for more.

Drama is an important component in any novel so it pays to focus your attention here for a period of time. Go through your story and make sure the drama is balanced and realistic. In this manner you'll be able to craft a story that pleases readers and brings them back for more.

Writing a Novel: The Format of Your Novel

Books have formats. All books. They don't necessary have the same format, but they all have a format. If they didn't, they'd be no more than a mishmash of words that make absolutely no sense. Novels have a specific basic format, but within that basic format is room for an astounding number of variations.

Still, it's important to adhere to certain rules when writing a novel. This is partly because your readers will expect a basic structure, but it's also about refinement. Stories have been told for as long as humans have been around. In that time, the art of storytelling has been honed and refined. It's now down to a science. So when creating the structure for your novel, stick with the basics, but don't be afraid to get creative.

Your Novel Must Have a Beginning

I know this sounds like a ridiculously obvious statement, but I really felt it had to be said. In all the flurry over starting your book with a hook, with action, or even in medias res (in the middle of things, for those unfamiliar with the term), authors tend to forget that the beginning of a novel has more than one purpose. Yes, the beginning should hook your readers, make them want to keep reading, but it must do other things as well.

The beginning of your novel must introduce your characters, and must do this effectively. Beginning a novel in medias res is no excuse for skipping this all-important part of writing a novel. You have to introduce at least one of the primary characters in your novel and you have to establish where the novel is taking place. You also have to get the plot moving.

These three things -- characters, setting, and plot -- should be bound together right from the beginning. You have to identify your characters, setting, and conflict almost immediately. It's okay if the conflict in Chapter 1 isn't necessarily the big conflict of the novel. It's even normal. But these things still need to be there if you want to get your novel off the ground.

Don't Ignore the Middle

I can't tell you how many books I've read in the last ten years have weak middles. It's almost as if authors are writing the beginnings, the endings, and then just throwing words at a page to come up with the easiest way to get from A to B. But the middle of a story deserves just as much attention as any other part of your novel.

Nothing between the beginning of your story and the end is random. Everything that happens should flow from the choices and actions of your characters. So it has to make sense. Consider an event that happens on one side of a mountain range. But your main character starts the story on the other side. Part of the middle of your story will be about your character crossing the mountains. But why? No one just wakes up one days and decides to cross a dangerous mountain range. Your protagonist must have a reason for crossing those mountains, and it must be a believable reason.

I've read books lately that ignore the plausibility factor. Characters do things purely because it will further the plot, but they have no real motivation for their actions. This is a result of ignore the middle part of the story.

The middle of the story should also be made up of conflict and confrontation. Not the final conflict, but the little things that lead up to the final conflict. Think of it as putting your protagonist in a vice (emotional of physical). You slowly tighten the vice, and the majority of this tightening happens in the middle of the story.

Pay attention to this tightening. In fact, spend most of your time refining this tightening. Each little confrontation should bring the protagonist closer to the climax of the story. This tightening should continue until you're ready to tackle the final climax.

The End of a Novel is Important

One of the greatest crimes a novelist can commit is to let the reader down, and this inevitably happens at the end of the novel. You've hooked the reader, you've kept their interest, you've ensured the middle of your novel shines. And then you ... lose it. You wrap up your story in the fastest way possible, just wanting to get it over with. This leads to sloppy writing and *gasp* scene stealing.

What is scene stealing? It's the thing that sometimes happens when you're in a rush to finish a story. A minor character (sometimes the villain) become convenient, and you use him or her to wrap up the story. They effectively steal the scene from your protagonist. This usually happens because it's sometimes easier to use another character to do what the protagonist is supposed to do. I've seen it a lot with newer writers.

But don't let this happen in your book. If it seems to be happening despite your best efforts, you've probably chosen the wrong protagonist. If you can correct it with relative ease, you were probably just being lazy in the first place. Either way, you don't want any scene stealing at the end of your novel.

Scenes are Miniature Novels

Each scene (or chapter, depending on how you've organized your novel) should also have a beginning, middle, and end. This doesn't mean you have to reintroduce you characters with every scene, but you should look at each scene as a story in itself. Does it make sense? Does it do its job? If not, can you fix it? What does it contribute to the overall story? Should that scene exist at all? Evaluate each scene as an individual, and as a greater whole. And don't be afraid to hit the 'delete' key.

You need a beginning, middle, and end. Don't confuse your readers, don't leave them hanging, and above all, don't let them down. Polish each part of your novel until it shines. Then go back and polish each individual chapter until it glistens.

Writing a Novel: Writing a Bestseller

Most writers want to write a bestselling novel, usually because it often comes with fame and money. But really only a few people will ever achieve this status, so let's keep our feet firmly planted in reality. I'm not saying you'll never write that bestseller. In fact, I think you stand as good a chance as anyone else. But you'll have to work at it.

So how do you go about writing that bestseller? First and foremost I would tell you not to copy another writer. Just because Twilight has been a great success doesn't mean you should go out and write a story about a human, a werewolf, and a vampire. A bestseller isn't necessarily about vampires, but it's not necessarily the next Alex Cross book either. Most bestsellers, however, do have something in common -- they're written with imagination, emotion, passion, and just a little bit of faith.

Faith and Its Importance in Novel Writing

If you don't believe in yourself and your product, you're just going to produce more fluff, and the literary world doesn't need any more fluff. You have to believe in your story at all stages of production. This includes before you sit down to write it, while you're writing your novel, during revisions and editing, and after you've sent it off to a publisher and agent.

You even have to maintain this faith when you receive rejections, which will certainly happen. Very few books, even those books that make it on to the bestseller lists, are accepted by the first publisher/agent you send them to. Be prepared for rejections, listen to advice, and keep believing in your story. JK Rowling received more than on rejection for Harry Potter, but she kept going. And her books eventually skyrocketed to the bestseller lists.

Imagination and Writing

Of course you need imagination. It takes imagination to write a novel that isn't a copy of whatever it is you last read. But I'm not necessarily talking about this kind of imagination. I'm talking about visualizing yourself as creating a bestselling work. See yourself as crafting something worthy of being read by the masses. Know that you can do it, that you are doing it.

This may seem silly, but it really is true that you control most of what happens to you in your own life. We know that cancer patients with a positive attitude tend to heal faster (I firmly believe this positive attitude is why I survived my own battle with cancer). Why can't this also work when you're writing? Imagine yourself as vastly successful and you're more likely to be vastly successful.

Don't Forget the Emotion When Writing a Novel

Have you ever read a book that seems as if it's no more than words on a page? Not compelling and clearly written without any emotion at all? I know I have, and that's not the way to get on the bestseller lists. You need to feel the emotion in your story and convey that emotion to your readers.

This isn't always easy, but it's made easy by your own connection to your characters and their story. If it makes you cry, or laugh, or shout, you're on the right track. If you're not emotionally affected by your story, your readers won't be either. Find the emotions inside you. Reach down into your psyche and really experience your book. Then take another look and make it even better.

Bestsellers, whether written for children or adult, evoke an emotional response from the reader. Look for opportunities to use emotion to drive your story and you might be crafting a bestseller.

Bring on the Passion in Your Writing

Passion may be connected to emotion, but it's not exactly the same. Passion is that spark, that little thing that kicks a scene up a notch. It's the heat that flies between a couple as they argue. It's the panic that floods through a victim as he or she drowns.

It's hard to mimic a passion you know nothing about. You can research things, of course, but there's something that just can't be captured by simple research. This is where the old axiom "write what you know" comes from. It's impossible to experience everything you might write about, but at least make the effort. No, you can't know what it's like to drown, but if you've never even set foot in the water, the passion will simply not be there.

So what can you do to put the passion in your novel? Get out there and experience life. Actually watch the sun rise before you try to describe what it's like. Stand outside on a windy day. Let the rain pound down on you. Walk down a city street. Fall in love. Observe and interact with the world around you. Then inject these things into your story. It will liven things up and help readers take notice of your work.

The only way to get on the bestsellers list is to write a work that grabs readers. You have to make them buy the book in the first place, then they have to tell their friends about it. You can do this in any genre. Just look at the bestseller lists from the past two decades. You'll see everything from fantasy to erotica and everything in between appear at one point or another. So don't focus on genre so much as on the craft of writing and you'll be well on your way to writing a book that might just attract a following.

Fiction Writing Techniques: Writing a Novel

Novels are a pain in the butt. There. I said it. I'm a novelist by profession and I'm saying it. They're long, they're complicated, they take too much time to write, too much time to publish, and by the time you've finished writing it, you've turned into a eccentric hermit. In fact, more than one writer has gone mad while writing a novel.

So how do you navigate the twists and turns of creating a novel without becoming completely insane? Well, there are a few trusted techniques that many, if not most, novelists use to simplify the process and keep from going utterly mad. These techniques tend to be specific to novels. They don't translate well to screenplays or short stories, though they can be adapted for such things if necessary.

Outlining Your Novel

Here we are. The dreaded outline. Yes, I know it's a drag. I know sitting down and plotting out a novel point by point can be a little boring. Or it might be exciting, but then the entire process of writing the novel itself might just drag on because you already know the story. But outlines are almost always necessary.

Yes, I know that some novelists don't use outlines. I don't always use them. I've let stories just fall out of my head and they sometimes turn out well. But sometimes they don't. And even when the story is falling out of my head I jot down the basic idea just in case it stops falling out of my head. Wouldn't want to lose a perfectly good idea. So write it down.

In most cases, the idea won't be fully formed, which means you're not ready to write the novel itself. Walk through your main plot, take it point to point. Then do the same with any subplots that are floating around. Maybe you'll even be able to do a chapter outline, though this is not strictly necessary (but helpful).

It helps to post a general outline where you can see it at all time. It's a great motivator. One warning with outlines: don't marry them. Stories change over time. Don't be afraid to change your outline, or even abandon it and write an entirely new one. Outlines are a guide. Unless you carved it on a stone tablet, assume that you can change it whenever you wish.

Get to Know Your Characters

You're going to be with these characters for a long time. They'll be part of your life for a year, maybe more, maybe less. Because you're going to live and breathe these guys for an extended period of time, you need to know them. How they act, what they sound like, what they eat for breakfast. Families, friends, personality quirks, prejudices.

All these things will shape your characters, control how they will react to the plot you've constructed. So sit down and figure out your main characters. Then figure out your supporting characters. Everyone has a history, even that guy who's only in a single scene. A novel is the place for depth, so don't skimp on the characters. You have the word count. Use it.

Live Your Story

Do you find yourself reciting dialogue? Acting out scenes? Talking to thin air? Imagining the gritty details of what might happen next? If not, give it a try. Are you writing a novel set in the Middle East? Maybe some incense can help you set the mood. Medieval novel? Read some period books and get some appropriate music. Do whatever you have to in order to start living your story.

I spend a lot of time thinking about my story, my character, and my settings. They are as real to me as the world I live in. They are always in my mind, whether I'm cooking dinner for my children or watching a movie late at night. Because I'm always thinking about my stories, I come up with new ideas that might not have surfaced if I didn't spend so much time on my novels outside of simply writing them.

It's important to understand that writing a novel is more than just putting words on a page. Writing a good novel should consume you, should invade every part of your life. This doesn't mean locking yourself in a room for 6 months and ignoring your children. But it does mean that you look at the world through a different lens -- a lens created by your story. Try letting your story consume everything you do and see what happens.

Master Your Point of View

Before you start writing, think long and hard about your story. It's a long story. It's going to go on for a long time. Consider what point of view fits. Not just fits your story, though that is certainly part of it. What point of view suits you? Personally, I hate first person. Hate, hate hate. I hate writing it, I hate reading it, I hate first person point of view. I can sometimes do it for a short story, but a novel? No way. I will absolutely not be able to keep that up. It will drive me insane (and I'm already too close to the edge).

You have to go with what works, both for you and your story. If you like third person, if you're good at third person, use third person. Just beware of head hopping. Mustn't make the readers dizzy. Dipping into other points of view is fine, and often necessary, but don't do it so much or so often that your readers can't keep up. And always, always, let your readers know whose head they happen to be in.

Go through scenes that don't seem to be working and see if they could benefit from a different point of view. Maybe Jerry's point of view in that scene is irrelevant and Harold would offer more to the story. Experiment and see where it takes you. This could change the entire tone of the scene, or even of the entire book.

Remember that all these little techniques are just that -- techniques. You still have to fill in the blanks. You still have to write the story and develop the characters. Writing novels is a time consuming process. You won't finish in a weekend. But if you're ready to put in the time and willing to work hard, you can complete that first novel.

Fiction Writing Techniques: Enchancing Your Writing

Some people are naturally good at writing. They seem to come from the cradle with a knack for putting words together. This makes writing a talent. But writing can also be learned. It can be studied and improved until it approaches near perfection. This makes writing a skill that can be acquired with practice. And any skill can be improved. This is true of even the most talented of writers.

If you want to write fiction that draws in your readers and refuses to let them leave, you'll have to practice a few techniques. These techniques are almost exclusively used by fiction writers, though creative non-fiction writers will sometimes employ them as well.

The Devil is in the Details

Okay, that was a little cliche. But it's still true. To write good fiction, you have to really get into the details. Don't tell me "The girl walked down the trail." That's very boring. You've already lost my interest and I've picked up something by Charles Dickens just to relieve my own boredom.

Try something that will actually capture my attention and spark my imagination. Show me what color her hair is. What kind of trail? Is she just walking, or is she wandering, skipping, or whatever? Fill in some of the gaps, engage my senses, and keep me reading.

But beware of cliches. If the girl has blond hair, don't say, "Her hair was like the sun." Everyone says that. Try to get just a little creative. If you really can't come up with anything, try looking through books with blond heroines. Something will be there. Perhaps you could try, "hair as bright as spun topaz," or perhaps, "pale as late summer's wheat." Whatever. Just say something that isn't used a hundred times a day. You're probably not going to find something totally original, but you can at least avoid the sun analogy.

You should also describe scents, sounds, and all those other little things that make up a scene. Don't go on and on for pages, but show me where I am. This will let me engage with your story. I still might not love it, but I'll be intrigued enough to keep reading.

The Value of Writing Prompts in Your Story

Everyone gets stuck. It's the nature of being a writer. Sometimes you'll just run in to that little thing author's call writer's block. Even writers who don't believe in writer's block will sometimes run up against a wall.

If this happens to you, try a technique that will help you get past the block and help your story at the same time. I do this because ... well, quite frankly, I don't have time to do little writing exercises or pursue unrelated writing prompts. I have deadlines, my editor likes to actually do her job, and my publisher likes to release things on time. So I have to get things done.

I use writing prompts that will not only get my brain cells moving again, but that will let me continue with my story. This usually involves jumping to another part of the story and pick out a scene that's already sort of running through my head. Then I'll pick something from that scene to describe thoroughly. Perhaps a person in the scene (such as a new character that's being introduced) or even the setting itself. I engage the five senses and soon find myself reconnecting with my own work. It keeps me moving and keeps me on schedule, much to my editor's relief. Plus, I have written some valuable descriptions. Not all of them make it into finished novels, but I have them for reference.

Use That Figurative Language

Describing things literally is great, but sometimes a little figurative language is just the thing to spice up your writing. Speaking figuratively, at least in fiction writing, is usually used to compare two things that seem dissimilar on the surface but really have much in common. It's a shortcut and a way to get a point across to your audience.

As an example, you might write, "Janice is a bird." But you don't mean that the person named Janice suddenly turned into a bird (unless you're writing high fantasy, in which case Janice may have actually become a bird). What you probably mean is that she behaves like a bird. Most birds move cautiously but gracefully, and most of them fly, so you might be saying that Janice almost floats as she moves but it cautious and aware of her surroundings.

This is a simplistic example, of course, but you get the idea. Figurative language can enhance and improve your writing, but you'll have to practice it. Done wrong, figures of speech can backfire and confuse the reader. So do it with care.

All of these techniques can help to improve your fiction writing. Whether you write poetry, short stories, or are working on your first novel, there is always a ways to enhance your use of the written word.

Fiction Writing Techniques: Methods for Fiction Writers

There are hundreds of different writing techniques, and different techniques help different authors. There are techniques specific to authors of non-fiction, memoirs, poetry, children's books, and screenplays. But novelists and fiction writers are as unique as any of the others and have techniques specific to them. But how do you really narrow it down and decide which fiction writing method will best fit you?

The best answer is simply to experiment. This will help you discover how best to put pen to paper. I obviously can't cover all fiction writing techniques, but I can give you an overview, a place to start. Alter and adapt these techniques to suit you own style. Then get started and create that novel that's sitting inside you.

General Fiction Writing Techniques

Novels aren't the only type of fiction, though they are my favorite. You might be writing short stories or even flash fiction, and many techniques transpose from one type of fiction to another. Some techniques will fit best with a specific genre, others can be used for any fiction genre at all.

If you're writing science fiction, fantasy, or historical fiction, you might want to try time-stretching. This technique is simply writing as if you're years away from the action. Perhaps your story is happening hundreds of years in the future or the past. Look at most fiction and you'll see that you're fairly close to the action. Being more removed can change it up a bit and make your story stand out. Think about it for a little while, put yourself in the right mindset, and this technique becomes more than a little interesting. But a word of caution: don't just jump into this technique. Use it sparingly at first, perhaps just in flashbacks or in a prologue or epilogue. Once you've got a handle on it, expand its use. It can be tricky to master time-stretching, so practice until you've got it.

Need something a little more generic? How about descriptive writing? And I don't mean the kind of descriptive writing you learned in high school. I mean descriptive writing that draws the audience into your world. The sensory descriptions that make your words pop off the page and surround the reader. Engage the five senses, but don't bore the reader. Don't go on and on about the lustrous sheen of the marble. Say it once, say it well, and move on. But if you treat every scene as a new opportunity to surround the reader with the environment you've created, you'll soon have a beautifully crafted work of fiction on your hands.

And what if you're having trouble getting started? This happens to everyone. You're all ready to go, all ready to write your story, and ... nothing. Been there. Try writing exercises and prompts to get your juices flowing. Once they're flowing, keep them flowing, and don't get distracted.

Novel Writing Techniques

Writing a novel is much like writing most fiction. Except for the length. The sheer size of a novel has stalled more than one aspiring novelist before the thing ever got finished. Finishing that novel is less about specific writing techniques as it is about just getting to the finish line without falling over in exhaustion.

Try keeping a writing journal. Oh, I can hear the groans now. Yes, I know it sounds like I'm suddenly your high school English teacher. But journals really do work. Keep track of your progress. Write down your word count. Track your plot. As you see your progress boiled down to a few sentences, you could find yourself more motivated to keep going. It's a long way, but you will eventually get there.

By that same token, set goals. Tell yourself that you're going to write X number of words every day. I write 5000, but I'm a writer by profession. Maybe you'll want to start with 500 words a day, 5 days a week. Or 200 words. Whatever. But make sure you keep these promises you make to yourself. If you let yourself ignore your goals for one day, it becomes easier to ignore them the next.

Genre has nothing to do with these little tips. All writing can be improved by a willingness to keep going. Keep the end in sight and your novel will slowly take shape.

Supplemental Writing Activities

Some of the things that help me improve my writing actually involve very little real writing, at least as far as the story is concerned. I write fantasy fiction, so not all of these will be applicable to you. But fantasy is by its very nature an act of creation, from the world my characters exist in to the creatures they interact with.

I start with creating the world itself. High fantasy, by definition, takes place in a different realm, not in the world we live in. Therefore, I have to create everything from scratch. I sketch out maps (even though I'm the worlds worst artist), then transform those sketches into words. I describe mountain ranges, cities, rivers ... whatever happens to be on the map. And I keep these descriptions in a folder. This lets me take a shortcut later. I can pull out the descriptions and slip them into my books.

Characters get the same treatment, but since I can't draw, I look for pictures that look like the people in my books. My sketches look more like stick people, so writing everything out and searching for pictures works best for me. If you're a better artist, you might be able to actually draw your own characters.

These relatively minor techniques help me, both when I'm first starting a new novel and as I progress through the story. But you should use whatever techniques work for you. Don't let anyone tell you what techniques you should use. And don't fret over trends or what anyone else is doing. These things come and go. Just do what works for you.

Fiction Writing Rubrics: Scoring Your Own Novel

Every novel needs critical feedback. And I do mean every novel. I don't care if you're writing your first novel or have published 10 already. You have to think critically about your novel, assessing its strengths and weaknesses, so that you can constantly improve your writing.

Creative writing students will recognize rubrics from class. These are what your instructors use as a guide to marking fiction. Since fiction is notoriously difficult to mark, a rubric can at least standardize the process and take some of the emotion out of evaluating fiction. Rubrics are used every day in a classroom setting.

But fiction created for class is not the only fiction and needs a fair evaluation. Novels must be both evaluated and scored before you even think of submitting it to anyone. Whether you seek out a traditional publisher or decide to self-publish, a manuscript that hasn't been evaluated is not ready for the public eye. Not even the eyes of an editor, and certainly not the eyes of a publisher.

But how do you go about scoring your novel? Well, you use a rubric very much like a classroom instructor would. But novels are longer and more involved than the short stories most instructors have you write, so they require a slightly different rubric. Use the questions and guidelines below to help you score your novel. Or, even better, have someone you trust score it for you. But not just anyone. Your cousin who's never read anything except comic books? Probably not a good choice. If you've written a fantasy novel but your mother has only ever read romance, she's probably not the right person either. You need someone who can offer constructive feedback and has knowledge of the genre. If you can't find someone who fits this description, score the book yourself.

Novel-Writing Rubric

Score each question according to the following guidelines by giving it a number from 1 to 5.

1. Not present
2. Present but not addressed
3. Addressed but needs additional detail or clarity
4. Well done, but needs a little polishing
5. Excellent and vividly written

Description

• Does the novel show instead of tell by engaging the five senses?
• Are descriptions powerful and vivid but delivered in short bursts?
• Have you avoided cliches except where appropriate to the story and the character?

Setting

• Is the setting appropriate to the characters and the genre of the novel?
• Is the time frame both clear and appropriate to your novel?
• Does the chronology of the novel make sense to the reader?

Main Characters

• Is your protagonist clearly established early on?
• Is your antagonist a worthy adversary?
• Do all your main characters behave consistently and have believable motives?
• Are physical descriptions conveyed clearly without overburdening the reader with description?
• Do your characters express their personalities through actions and words (avoiding large blocks of exposition)?
• Is your point of view consistent and does it fit with the novel?
• Do your main characters make up most of the scenes in the book?

Minor Characters

• Do your minor characters have consistent personalities?
• Are minor characters developed enough to be believable?
• Do your minor characters stay in the background except when they're actually a part of the action (they shouldn't take over a scene)?

Plot

• Does the plot flow smoothly and consistently from beginning to end?
• Do any subplots detract from the main plot of the novel?
• Is the conflict appropriate and believable?
• Does the conflict engage readers?
• Does the beginning of the book grab readers and encourage them to keep reading?
• Does the rising action of your plot lead naturally to the final crisis?
• Is the final crisis believable?
• Are all plots and subplots wrapped up by the end of the novel?
• Is there an underlying theme of your novel?

Structure

• Does your novel have a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end?
• Do the plot, characters, and setting interact to make the entire story more believable?

Use these questions to see how well you've constructed your novel. Once you've done this, you can go back and see where you need to make adjustments. Anything with less than a 4 needs work. 4s should be polished to become 5s if possible, but I think every author will tell you that having a 4 here and there is something we all just learn to live with. You might want to consider evaluating each chapter on its own so that you can really isolate the little problems that crop up.

Remember to be honest when evaluating your own book. It's not easy to be critical, but the entire process will only make your novel stronger.

Excerpt from Thief's Heartache, Book 3 of the Imperial Series, by LA Quill

Just released in the fall of 2012, Thief's Heartache is a full-length novel and the third book of the popular "Imperial Series." This book follows Marella, oldest daughter of Crown Prince Damuk, as she grows to womanhood. Little does she know that her fate will shortly be ripped from her grasp. This one was written for all the fans who wanted more of the muradeen, so yes, the snippy sea serpent makes a comeback. Thief's Heartache is available as a trade paperback or as an ebook (in most formats, including Kindle, Kobo, and Nook).

Read on for an excerpt from the book:

The inn was eerily quiet and nearly deserted. There was an old innkeeper behind a counter who nodded to Benji as they entered. The innkeeper served ale to a man who was obviously well into his cups. Two men sat before a blazing fire, looking half-asleep and lost in the shadows. A table in the corner held another man, facedown, who was likely passed out from too much drink. Other than that, the inn was empty.

Boann rushed in with Benji, obviously excited. But Marella was cautious and not a little frightened. Something didn’t feel right. She didn’t trust these men, especially Roc and Benji. They kept casting furtive glances toward the fireplace, glances she wouldn’t have seen if she hadn’t been looking for them. Something was happening, but she couldn’t figure out what that something might be. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

As Benji started pulling Boann toward the stairs that led to the chambers on the second level, Marella thought she knew what Benji had in mind. She thought of warning Boann, but quickly realized that Boann was welcoming his advances. If Benji intended to bed her and she had no objection, what could Marella do? Absolutely nothing, that was what she could do.

But she had to try. “Boann, we should stay down here. In full view,” she said pointedly.

“You think I’m going to deflower your cousin, is that it?” Benji asked. She didn’t reply but her expression said it all. He only laughed. “If you’re so worried about her, come up with us.”

“You think we need a chaperon?” Boann asked, cuddling up against his chest. She turned in his arms and squirmed against him, delighting in his quick intake of breath.

His arms tightened about her as he chuckled low in her ear. “I think it’s wise if we have some … supervision. I don’t want to get carried away with such a delightful package.”

The pair moved up the stairs again and Marella was forced to make a choice. Stay below or accompany her cousin. If she stayed below, not only was Boann left alone with Benji, but Marella would be here, in the common room of the inn, with a bunch of men she really didn’t know. That didn’t strike her as the safest choice. As Boann and Benji reached the top of the stairs, Marella hurried after them.

The pair disappeared into a chamber off to the left and Marella followed, slipping in through the door. As Boann teased and danced around the room, Marella went to stand in the corner and took stock of her surroundings. What she saw confused her and she tried to reconcile what she saw with what she’d been told.

The shutters for the single window in the chamber were closed and barred, but it was a warm enough night to leave the windows open. There was no reason to keep a window on the second level closed on such a warm night. There was a trunk over by the hearth, a large trunk that looked as if it was used to transport fine gowns, but no gowns or even fabric were in evidence. When she looked closer, Marella could see several small holes in the trunk. Why would anyone drill holes in a trunk? The holes made it useless for protecting its contents from water or pests.

She moved closer to the trunk, hoping her mind would provide her with the answer. But instead she found another question. There was a small bottle on the table beside the trunk. It was no larger than her hand, more of a flask than a bottle. Marella picked it up and pulled the stopper out, taking a small sniff. She reeled and put the flask down before she dropped it. Whatever was in the flask made her head spin. She was forced to place her hands flat on the table and lean down, trying to regain her equilibrium. She was so disoriented that she didn’t hear the chamber door open and close behind her.

“Looks like someone got curious,” came an unknown masculine voice from behind her. It wasn’t Benji. Marella turned just as Boann let out a frightened squeal that was quickly cut off by Benji’s strong arms.

There were four new men in the room, and Marella recognized them as the strangers from the common room. While she was still deciding what to do, one of them approached her. She turned and tried to run, but escape wasn’t possible. He soon held her in his arms, squeezing to let her know that he could hurt her with every little effort.

“Scream and I’ll do worse than squeeze,” he snapped next to her ear.

Beside the bed, Boann was trying to kick her way free of Benji, but she had no more success than Marella. One of the other men approached Benji and ripped Boann from his arms, throwing her on the bed and straddling her to keep her in place. Boann might have screamed but the man slapped her, threatening worse if she didn’t keep quiet. Boann whimpered but didn’t scream.

“Aaron, Dallas!” one of the other men snapped, still standing by the door. “No bruises!”

Marella’s eyes went to the door and she thought for a moment that the liquid in the flask was making her see double. Two men, identical, stood near the door, unmoving and uncompromising. After studying them, she realized they weren’t really identical. One had lighter hair and the other had more lines around his eyes, making him appear older. But they were the same height, had the same facial structure, and even the same body type. Twins, Marella decided.

The barked order of the one with lighter hair at least had her captor easing his hold, allowing Marella to breath. On the bed, the man restraining Boann moved back a bit.

Feeling eyes moving over her body, Marella looked back toward the door. The man who hadn’t yet spoken, the twin who appeared older, was gazing at her, then to Boann and back again. “Which one is the princess?”

“Both, actually,” Benji replied. “But Boann is the one on the bed.”

“And the other?” The man’s eyes were burning into her leather-clad body and Marella wished she could cover herself with a thick blanket.

“Her cousin, Princess Marella.” Benji moved closer to the twins. “Daughter of Crown Prince Damuk of the Abital Empire.”

The man moved toward her and Marella tried to shrink back into the one who held her. But there was nowhere to go. He came up to her and ran his hand down her cheek. He spoke to Benji while still looking at her. “You weren’t asked to take any other. Just Boann.”

Benji cleared his throat. “I know. I thought you might like two for the price of one. Ransom both girls.”

Raising his eyebrow, the man didn’t respond to this. He was silent for so long that his twin finally moved forward. “Good idea, Benji. Here,” he took out two bags of gold and handed them to the young courtier. “Split this with your cohorts.” It was a lot more money than Benji had demanded, but William wanted to keep the courtier’s loyalty. They might need him later. With a wave of his hand he dismissed Benji and moved toward the table. Picking up the flask, he removed a cloth from his pocket.

“What do you want to do with the second girl?” he asked his brother as he moved toward Boann. She struggled, but he managed to hold the cloth over her mouth and nose. She slumped back against the pillows almost instantly, unconscious.

“What did you do to her?” Marella cried, fearing her cousin was dead.

William raised an eyebrow at the feisty young princess. “She’s only asleep, Your Highness. She will recover in a few candlemarks.” The girl let out a relieved sigh that had William chuckling. Still, he looked toward his brother for direction.

Clinton was considering. The girl was pretty enough, but her cousin would occupy all his energy. He didn’t have time for a second girl. It didn’t matter whose daughter she was. Still … she was pretty. He exchanged a glance with his brother. “Do you want her?” Clinton gave a purely mental shrug. He could always use two girls.

He might have said no but for the look in Clinton’s eyes. William knew his brother was fully capable of claiming both girls even if he seemed unwilling to take the second girl at the moment. The granddaughter of the Emperor … she was too juicy a plum to deny. For the girl’s sake, he nodded. At least, he told himself it was for the girl’s sake.

Clinton inclined his head and William clamped the cloth over Marella’s mouth and nose, watching as she faded into unconsciousness. When she slumped in Aaron’s arms, he removed the cloth and tucked it and the flask inside his doublet. Then he studied the trunk next to the cold fireplace. It was large, but he wasn’t sure it was large enough for two girls.

“Load Boann in first,” Clinton suggested, reading his brother’s thoughts. “If we have to leave one, it’s not going to be mine.”

William nodded and moved toward Boann. He shoved at Dallas until the man moved and lifted the girl gently, placing her in the trunk and cradling her head with a soft blanket. He didn’t want to hurt either girl. When Boann was as comfortable as he could make her, he went for Marella, still clutched in Aaron’s arms. She was even lighter than her cousin, and her hair was slightly longer. He settled her in the trunk, trying to keep too much of her weight from resting on her cousin, and made her comfortable. Both girls fit, but barely. He closed the lid, forcing down his desire to let both girls go. That wasn’t his decision to make.

“Aaron, Dallas, get the trunk,” Clinton ordered. As the two men bumped the trunk toward the door, both Clinton and William flinched. “Gently!” Clinton snapped. He watched critically as the men steadied the trunk.

“Those girls are going to be battered and bruised tomorrow,” William commented.

Clinton followed the trunk from the chamber, his brother close on his heels. He shrugged at William’s concern. “We have ointments and such to treat any minor abrasions. They’ll be —”

“Turn around and go the other way!” William admonished, seeing that the men were about the take the girls down the stairs headfirst. “I don’t want those girls dropped on their heads.” He smiled at Clinton sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Shrugging, because he honestly couldn’t remember what he’d been saying when William interrupted, Clinton just started down the stairs. “Is the wagon prepared?”

“And the horses are rested,” William responded. “We’re as ready as we’re ever going to be.” They were in the common room now which was empty. The innkeeper was being paid to stay in the back and Benji and his men had vanished to begin spending their fortune.

Clinton nodded at his brother’s comment, but he couldn’t help being nervous. When William had guided them into the city, he’d simply followed his brother’s lead, knowing that if they were caught, it didn’t really matter. They hadn’t done anything and there was no evidence that they were going to do anything. Now, they had not one, but two princesses in their possession, unconscious and tucked in a trunk. If they were caught now, they would all be executed. Clinton had no illusions, despite his boasts. His magick was powerful, but he could sense the Imperial mages. They were stronger than he, and he hadn’t had a woman to recharge his energies since leaving the island. His own personal power would not be enough against at least a dozen trained Imperial mages. Not even close.

So he watched carefully as Aaron and Dallas loaded the wagon. Besides the trunk with the girls, there were four trunks filled with fancy fabrics. The girls were placed on the bottom, with a fabric trunk on either side. Two more fabric trunks were placed on top. All five trunks were identical from the outside. If someone wanted to find the girls, they’d have to search each trunk.

When the trunks were loaded, Clinton took his seat, ready to drive the wagon from the city. He was dressed as a successful merchant, while William and the other men were dressed as bodyguards. It wasn’t unusual for a merchant to hire guards and travel under the cover of darkness when transporting valuable goods. He only hoped the guards at the city gates wouldn’t search the cargo. The palace guards certainly would have, which is why Clinton hadn’t attempted to take the girl from inside the palace complex.

The group rattled down the cobblestone streets, making far too much noise for this time of night, but no one paid them any mind. Merchant wagons were a fairly common sight in Scytha and the streets were almost empty anyway. But still, Clinton was uneasy. One false move and they’d have to fight their way out of the capital, pursued by guards all the way to the river and possibly beyond.

As they approached the northernmost city gate, Clinton slowed the wagon. The gates were closed after nightfall, so Clinton would have to talk his way through. On second thought, I’d better let William deal with it. Clinton knew very well that William was better with words. As a city guard emerged from the gatehouse, Clinton waved an imperious hand at his brother. William rolled his eyes but moved forward.

After a brief conversation, the guard disappeared into the gatehouse. A moment later, the gate slid open with a great creak. The small group rolled through the gates and Clinton almost urged the horses to a faster pace. But he knew that the guards might get suspicious, so he held the beasts to a fast walk.

Once they were out of sight of the walls and any guards who patrolled the outskirts of Scytha, William took the lead. They left the road and maneuvered the wagon into a grove of trees. Four more horses waited in this grove. They’d wanted the additional horses for several reasons, including anonymity. If the guards had studied their horses closely and an alarm was raised, they didn’t want to be recognizable.

It was for this same reason that each of the men changed clothes. Instead of guards and a merchant, they became four lords, well dressed and impeccably groomed. Clinton was the first to finish altering his appearance. He strode over to the trunks and pushed the top two off the wagon. They landed with a thud on the soft earth.

Throwing open the lid to the trunk that held the two girls, he stared down at them. “Which one is Boann?”

William jumped up into the wagon and leaned down, lifting Marella out gently. “Marella was on top,” he replied as he stepped down and laid Marella out on the grass. He watched as Clinton pulled Boann out and threw her over his shoulder. “Do we have enough clothing for two girls?”

“We should,” Dallas replied. “I didn’t know exactly what size the princess was, so I threw in several gowns. Four gowns.”

Clinton had already pulled a gown out from one of the trunks still on the wagon. He stripped the masculine clothing from Boann’s still body without preamble, but stopped before dressing her. His eyes roamed over her naked form and he smiled. “Well, I’m luckier than I thought. And here I was under the impression that princesses were lazy creatures, prone to carrying too much weight. This one is … lovely.” Dallas and Aaron admired her exposed body, whispering amongst themselves.

“You should dress her before she catches a chill,” William admonished. He was already pulling the clothing from Marella, but he didn’t want anyone ogling her. Taking care to keep her covered, he dressed her swiftly, not even taking a moment to admire her before ensuring her modesty was preserved.

His obvious concern for the girl made Clinton laugh. “You’re too tenderhearted, brother. She’s only a woman.”

“I have a better opinion of women than you do.” It was true. William had spent more time with their mother before she died. Their mother had been a lovely and refined lady, a lady who’d loved both her sons and mourned the fact that she rarely saw the elder twin. She had been deserving of love and respect, and had taught William that all women were entitled to a certain level of respect. He still felt that, even after years of serving his brother.

Clinton only shrugged and started to dress Boann. Once this task was completed, the men turned the old horses free and ounted the new steeds, the girls riding in front of William and Clinton. Without a backward glance, they rode north toward the river.