Lessons from a first novel

Russell F. Hirsch

Descriptive Language that Sparkles

Kill your darlings! Get to the point! Plot over prose! How many times have you heard advice about simplifying your writing for middle...

Russell F. Hirsch

SIWC - Simply Inspiring Writers' Conference

We all know the feeling of finding our tribe. Whether we were kids discovering new friends on the playground, teens navigating a new...

Russell F. Hirsch

Lessons from a First Novel: Supercharging the 2nd Act

The Second Act is the middle section of a novel and usually the biggest chunk of a book. It spans from when a character is first thrust...

Russell F. Hirsch

Lessons from a First Novel: Worldbuilding from the Inside-Out

Perhaps nothing simultaneously excites and intimidates a fantasy author as much as worldbuilding—crafting the geography, history,...

Russell F. Hirsch

Lessons from a First Novel: Plotters, Pantsers, and Outlines—oh my!

Today, I continue “Lessons from a First Novel” by reflecting on the outlining process. In writer slang there are Plotters and Pantsers....

Russell F. Hirsch

Lessons from a First Novel: Patterns and Parameters

Last winter, I finished a polished draft of my first novel manuscript. Of course, “finished” and “polished” are words that automatically...