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Links to Bishop's works
Writing Tip by Leonard Bishop
A good story is like a motorcycle. All the parts move together and move forward. (7-8-99)
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Category Archives: Writer’s Hint
Writing a Novel? Leonard Tells All…
By Leonard Bishop (Ed. This was part of a series Mr. Bishop wrote in 1985, “…for people who are interested in writing a novel but who have felt too inadequate to begin.” The advice rings true today! His other pieces … Continue reading
Posted in humor, Inspiration, teaching, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, American writers, beginning writers, Dare to Be A Great Writer, foreshadowing in writing, inventiveness, Leonard Bishop, point of view in writing, starting a novel, surviving as a writer, taking risks in writing, writing advice, Writing dialogue, writing inspiration, writing sex scenes, writing technique
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Thankful for Words of Wisdom, Part 2
By Catherine Hedge I used to shake my head at some of Leonard Bishop’s teachings. He’d harrangue us with writing advice. His voice would bellow with authority…insistent, commanding, and frightening! Frightening because he said it with such force, I figured … Continue reading
Thankful for Words of Wisdom
(There are several writing groups around the country who began with Leonard Bishop. Each of us writers and dreamers are thankful to him every time we sit down to our desks, or curl in front of a fire to “percolate” … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, nostalgia, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, writing group, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, best American novelists, Dare to Be A Great Writer, inventiveness, Leonard Bishop, self-expression, surviving as a writer, taking risks in writing, thankfulness, Thanksgiving, writing inspiration, writing talent, writing technique
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A Pair of Persistent Threats
by Leonard Bishop There are two persistent threats that intimidate all inexperienced writers who want to write novels. And unless they avoid those threats, they will never write their novels. When I was instructing at the University of California, in … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, publishing, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, American writers, Dare to Be A Great Writer, inventiveness, Leonard Bishop, surviving as a writer, taking risks in writing, writing advice, writing inspiration, writing talent
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Write a Novel? Invent Life
by Leonard Bishop Let’s get to the plot-line. A plot-line is the razzle-dazzle and suspense of the story. Here are some exaggerated examples to use as a guide. If you are writing a first-person novel (telling the story of what … Continue reading
Posted in humor, Inspiration, teaching, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, Dare to Be A Great Writer, Leonard Bishop, surviving as a writer, taking risks in writing, what is a plot? How do I write a novel?, writing a novel, writing advice, writing inspiration, writing plot, writing technique
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Learning to Write Sex Scenes
by Leonard Bishop Be careful how many sex scenes you use in the novel, and the type of sex scenes you allow the characters to experience. Limiting contemporary writers to two or three lusty graphic sex scenes is not censorship … Continue reading
Posted in humor, Inspiration, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, best American novelists, Dare to Be A Great Writer, how to write sex scenes, inventiveness, Leonard Bishop, taking risks in writing, writing inspiration, writing sex scenes, writing technique
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Learning to Write Dialogue
by Leonard Bishop One of the most important devices a writer uses is dialogue. Writing a novel without a plentiful amount of dialogue is like trying to create a gourmet omelet with yokeless eggs. To the reader, dialogue is just … Continue reading
Posted in humor, Inspiration, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, American writers, characterization, Dare to Be A Great Writer, dramatic scenes, effective scenes, How do I write good dialogue, Leonard Bishop, Narration, writer's hints, writing advice, Writing dialogue, writing dramatic scenes, writing effective dialogue, writing inspiration, writing technique
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Open Fast and Stay Critical
by Leonard Bishop If the writer doesn’t write for his own Time, she is not ahead of her time, she is way behind. In this era the opening of the novel is the most important chapter that is written. Characters … Continue reading
Posted in publishing, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, American writers, best American novelists, Creating openings in novels, Dare to Be A Great Writer, effective scenes, inventiveness, leads in novels, Leonard Bishop, starting a good novel, taking risks in writing, writing a novel, writing dramatic scenes
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Deadlines….
by Leonard Bishop All unpublished writers, at some time, commit themselves to a foolish decision that ruins their publishing potential. They bring themselves to the threshold of “the deadline.” They decide, “I’ll give myself two years to write a novel. … Continue reading
Posted in publishing, Writer's Hint, Writing, writing a novel, Writing Techniques
Tagged American Novelist, American writers, Dare to Be A Great Writer, Leonard Bishop, meeting a deadline, surviving as a writer, taking risks in writing, writer's hints, writing a novel, writing advice, writing deadlines, writing inspiration, writing talent
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