
Write Your Novel from the Middle
A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between
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Narrated by:
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James Scott Bell
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By:
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James Scott Bell
About this listen
A powerful secret and a fresh approach to writing bestselling fiction!
What's the best way to write a "next level" novel? Some writers start at the beginning and let the story unfold without a plan. They are called "pantsers", because they write by the "seat of the pants".
Other writers plan and outline and know the ending before they start. These are the "plotters".
The two sides never seem to agree with each other on the best approach.
But what if it's not the beginning or the end that is the key to a successful book? What if, amazing as it may seem, the place to begin writing your novel is in the very middle of the story?
According to #1 bestselling writing teacher James Scott Bell, that's exactly where you'll find your story's heart and heat. Bell's "Mirror Moment" is the secret, and its power is available to any writer, at any stage of the writing process.
Bringing together years of craft study and personal discovery, Bell presents a truly unique approach to writing a novel, one that will stand the test of time and serve you all your writing life.
©2014 James Scott Bell (P)2019 James Scott BellListeners also enjoyed...
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"I need three things before I tackle a new novel: Diet Coke, a laptop, and my dog-eared copies of James Scott Bell's books on writing craft!" (Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times and International Bestselling author)
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Structuring Your Novel
- Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story
- By: K. M. Weiland
- Narrated by: Sonja Field
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Why do some stories work and others don't? The answer is structure. In this IPPY and NIEA Award-winning guide from the author of the bestselling Outlining Your Novel, you will discover the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will help you to not only perfectly time your story's major events, but will also provide you with an unerring standard to use in evaluating your novel's pacing and progression.
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An Outstanding Resource for Writers
- By Richard Phillips (Bestselling Author of The Rho Agenda) on 02-01-15
By: K. M. Weiland
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The Story Grid
- What Good Editors Know
- By: Shawn Coyne
- Narrated by: Dan Portnoy
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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The Story Grid is a tool developed by editor Shawn Coyne to analyze stories and provide helpful editorial comments. It's like a CT Scan that takes a photo of the global story and tells the editor or writer what is working, what is not, and what must be done to make what works better and fix what's not. The Story Grid breaks down the component parts of stories to identify the problems. And finding the problems in a story is almost as difficult as the writing of the story itself (maybe even more difficult).
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good story, but audiobook needs an editor
- By Jeroen de Jong on 12-17-19
By: Shawn Coyne
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Writing for Emotional Impact
- Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End
- By: Karl Iglesias
- Narrated by: Karl Iglesias
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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There are three kinds of feelings when reading a story: boredom, interest, and wow! To become a successful writer, you must create the wow feeling on as many pages as possible, and this requires writing that engages the reader emotionally. In his best-selling book, screenwriter Karl Iglesias explored the working habits of A-list Hollywood scribes. Now, he breaks new ground by focusing on the psychology of the reader.
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Best audiobook by far for writing screenplays
- By FilmmakerSuperNova on 07-04-20
By: Karl Iglesias
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Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels
- How to Write Kissing Books, Book 1
- By: Gwen Hayes
- Narrated by: Natalie Duke
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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What makes a romance novel a romance? Writing a well-structured romance isn't the same as writing any other genre - something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don't address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats. Told in conversational (and often irreverent) prose, Romancing the Beat is like sitting down to coffee with romance editor and author Gwen Hayes while she explains story structure - the way she does with her clients, some of whom are regular inhabitants of the best-seller lists.
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short but full of great information
- By Voracious Reader on 06-24-17
By: Gwen Hayes
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27 Fiction Writing Blunders - And How Not To Make Them!
- By: James Scott Bell
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 2 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Sell more books and build your career by kicking these blunders to the curb! Ever wonder why some books shoot to the top of the bestseller lists? And others that you think should, don't? It's usually a matter of mistakes that could have been avoided!#1 bestselling writing coach James Scott Bell has analyzed thousands of manuscripts over the years, by both new and experienced writers, and noticed certain errors that keep showing up to take readers out of the fictive dream. Now he's tackled the biggest offenders and shows you how to fix them. In 27 Fiction Writing Blunders you'll learn:* The ...
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Nice Read
- By Dr. Antonio Maurice Daniels on 02-08-25
By: James Scott Bell
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Writing Your Story's Theme
- The Writer's Guide to Plotting Stories That Matter (Helping Writers Become Authors)
- By: K. M. Weiland
- Narrated by: Sonja Field
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Theme—the mysterious cousin of plot and character. Too often viewed as abstract rather than actionable, theme is frequently misunderstood and left to chance. Some writers even insist theme should not be purposefully implemented. This is unfortunate, because in many ways theme is story. Theme is the heart, the meaning, the point. Nothing that important should be overlooked. Powerful themes are never incidental. They emerge from the conjunction of strong plots and resonant character arcs.
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Worth a second read or listen
- By Chris S. Manion on 02-17-22
By: K. M. Weiland
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The Secrets of Character
- Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love
- By: Matt Bird
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The hardest yet most essential element of writing great fiction is character—specifically, creating a central hero who is relatable, compelling, and worth the audience's precious time. In this entertaining and practical guide, popular blogger, writing coach and screenwriter Matt Bird breaks down what makes characters embraceable and unforgettable, and presents insider tips and tricks for writers of all levels and genres.
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I can't take writing advice from someone like this
- By Nam Hien Nguyen on 03-21-24
By: Matt Bird
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Story Genius
- How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)
- By: Lisa Cron
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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It's every novelist's greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page-one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot).
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As a fantasy writer, this book was not for me.
- By Wendy on 01-10-21
By: Lisa Cron
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The Secrets to Creating Character Arcs
- A Fiction Writer's Guide to Masterful Character Creation (Growing Authors Out of Writers)
- By: John S. Warner
- Narrated by: Angus Freathy
- Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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When you think of unforgettable characters from books you’ve read, who comes to mind? James Bond, Harry Potter, Scarlett O’Hara, Elizabeth Bennett, Atticus Finch, Sherlock Holmes? These are just some of the most iconic characters in fiction. They are so memorable that even decades or centuries later, they still captivate our imagination. But what exactly is it about them that keeps generations so invested in them? Writers apply certain rules and tricks with their characters to make their stories shine. With this guide, you’ll find out exactly what they are.
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Great foundations
- By JB9K on 07-18-24
By: John S. Warner
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The Secrets of Story
- Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers
- By: Matt Bird
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The Secrets of Story is a revolutionary and comprehensive writing guide for the 21st century, focused on clever ways to get an audience to fully identify with an all-too-human hero. Authors will learn to how to cut through pop culture noise and win over a jaded modern audience by rediscovering the heart of writing: shaping stories that ring true to our shared understanding of human nature.
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Good Story Impossible? 'Au Contraire'!
- By Gillian on 05-26-17
By: Matt Bird
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Wired for Story
- The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence
- By: Lisa Cron
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets—and it’s a game-changer for anyone who has ever set pen to paper.
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Inspiring but boring
- By J. Hansen on 11-19-23
By: Lisa Cron
What listeners say about Write Your Novel from the Middle
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- Westley Giles
- 07-01-23
A solid book…recorded in a closet, on a tape deck?
I’m being very critical about this one.
The book is a solid B in its dispensation of information. However, the production quality of the book goes off of a cliff. I can hear every time the narrator/author pauses, edits, or attempts to omit background noise. He really should have re-recorded this book to achieve a higher quality.
Other than that, the book was fine.
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- Alexis
- 07-08-19
Wonderful new book on writing. GREAT in audio!!!
I own most of James Scott Bell’s books on writing, many in both print and ebook formats. I’d gladly buy every single one of them again to have them in audio format. Mr. Bell has done a fine job of narrating this new book, and I think it is really brilliant content, as well.
Bravo James Scott Bell! Let’s have a few more, okay?
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- wheatbread
- 01-29-22
JSB summarily delivers again
This is my second title from James Scott Bell, the other and more in depth one is from the Great Courses, and while this one covers some of the same information it does a great job of summarizing without a lot of fluff.
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- Josephblu
- 01-07-22
Very Helpful
I’ve purchased Mr. Bell’s books in the past. They have always helped to fine tune my writing. I wasn’t sure this particular book would be worth the time, money or effort. A few months went by and I decided that since his lessons had helped me so much in the past I’d try this. I’m applying it to a few ideas I’ve been pushing aside bc the story didn’t seem emotionally moving or plain entertaining enough. Starting from the middle, using the “golden triangle” and a number of other ideas he passed along in this book turned a few pedestrian plots and characters into good storylines that have pace, change and amazingly a point. Thank you, as always.
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- Carlos Rangel
- 01-28-23
Worth the read for aspiring writers
This book makes a lot of sense and it t even delivers more great insights than what the title offers.
Definitely worth reading.
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- Gina Marie Chase
- 12-11-24
Short and to the point
This is a great in depth explanation of the others method of starting in the middle of your story. Even if you start writing from the beginning, it is great advice for thinking through your middle in the pre writing phase. It would also be useful to sharpen the story in editing if you write more freely in your first draft. I incorporate a few plotting styles (The Plot Whisperer and Save the Cat.) I will be adding this to the mix.
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- JDDavis
- 02-06-20
JSB Always has great advice
I've been reading and listening to James Scott Bell for a long time and always find his advice and ideas of great use. I have both the ebook and audio so I can listen as I drive and delve deeper at home by reading and highlighting.
The only negative of the whole audio book is one chapter drops in volume and is a little harder to hear while driving.
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- Anonymous User
- 12-31-19
top
super poradnik, cenne wskazówki, polecsm wszystkim małym i dużym. piszcie i bądźcie szczęśliwi. peace, love, rastafari
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- S. Hicks-Bartlett
- 01-24-22
Clever approach to craft.
A most clever approach to craft. Chapters 5-8 are worth multiple reading and studying.
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- C
- 06-24-23
I enjoyed it and found it useful
Thank you James! I’ve been looking for a way to get started and this book did just that.
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