Alex Kourvo’s Second Book

Big News! My second how-to book for writers, No Hero Wants to Save the World: How to Raise the Stakes in Your Fiction will be published two weeks from today.

Last year, I published The Big-Picture Revision Checklist, which included a chapter on story stakes for those who were revising their novels. However, No Hero Wants to Save the World goes deeper, for a comprehensive look at story stakes on every level. This book will help you when planning, outlining, writing, and revising your novel, to make sure your stakes are as high as they can be, and that readers won’t be able to put your novel down!

Story stakes come in three kinds: inner stakes, outer stakes, and personal stakes. The key to raising the stakes is first knowing the difference between the three kinds, and then knowing when to apply each one. And most important of all, knowing that heroes and heroines don’t want the stakes raised. They are resisting danger at every turn, and unless there is something personal in the story pushing them to act, they will not cooperate with the excellent plot you’ve laid out for them.

No Hero Wants to Save the World is the guide you need to raise the stakes in an effective way. You’ll find what’s most important to your characters, how to get them personally involved, and how to crank up the tension on every page. You’ll discover the ideal time to reveal the true stakes of your story and how to add in plot twists that work. 

No Hero Wants to Save the World will be published on January 22^nd. Pre-orders are available at all retailers for both ebooks and paperbacks, so you can reserve your copy right away.

Happy reading!
Alex K.

Bonus Blog: Don’t Take My Word for It

The Big-Picture Revision Checklist comes out October 1^st, and you can pre-order your ebook or your paperback today. But you may be wondering, why should you pre-order a book that you haven’t even glanced through yet? The author says it’s good, but authors always say that about their own books. Maybe we should get a second opinion or three.

Here’s what Sacha Black had to say.

You know how to draft a book, you know how to proof for commas, but what happens in the middle? The Big-Picture Revision Checklist is a fantastic tool to help you assess and do a developmental edit of your novel. If you’ve ever struggled to do the big-picture edit, you need this book. Packed with examples and comprehensive explanations, this is the perfect guide to help you through edits. Whether you’re a new writer or a seasoned pro, you’ll find tips, tricks and helpful reminders to keep you on track while editing. 

Fellow editors like Chris Allen-Riley quite like the book as well.

This book will not only walk you through the revision process step by step, it will also entertain and encourage you. Alex Kourvo and her process are nothing short of life-changing. Reading The Big-Picture Revision Checklist is like sitting down with your BFF and sorting out exactly what your book needs to take it to the next level (and beyond).

And here is Lawrence Block.

Alex Kourvo is one of a kind. A gifted writer and editor.

One more note: I won’t be writing a book review on October 1^st because Lawrence Block is going to take over the Writing Slices blog for the day and write a full review of The Big-Picture Revision Checklist. Stay tuned to watch Alex’s head explode in rainbows and sparkles!

Until then, happy writing, and happy re-writing!

Alex K.

Alex Kourvo Wrote a How-to Book

I have a new book coming soon! It’s called THE BIG-PICTURE REVISION CHECKLIST and it’s going to be published in paperback and ebook October 1st. The ebook is available for pre-order on every major retailer.

I’ve reviewed over 200 how-to books on the Writing Slices blog, but I couldn’t find a book like this on my shelves. I’ve read many wonderful books about writing a first draft, and many about improving a book through copyediting, but I haven’t seen a book about that special middle draft, where an author is rethinking the big picture.

So I wrote one.

The Big-Picture Revision Checklist is the guide you need to revise your novel. It will help you make likable protagonists who are flawed in exactly the right ways, and antagonists that readers love to hate. You’ll crank up your story stakes and pinpoint the five crucial scenes every novel needs. With in-depth chapters and examples from contemporary fiction, this clear-eyed manual gives you all the tools you need to bring your book to the finish line.

The book is short and to the point, so you can get to revising your novel right away.

Pre-orders are available wherever books are sold, worldwide. When the book is published, you can order the paperback online or at your local bookstore.

Get THE BIG-PICTURE REVISION CHECKLIST for a step-by-step guide to a polished and professional novel you’ll be proud of.

Seven Tips for Writing in Difficult Times

Hello Friends,

If you’re having trouble writing these days, you’re not alone. Every writer I know is having trouble producing new work—me included. But I’ve put together some strategies that have been helping me, and I think they will help you too. Here are seven ways to keep writing in difficult times.

1. Write in Smaller Chunks

In ordinary times, we make big writing goals, and then we break them down into manageable steps. In difficult times, you can do the same thing, but make the steps even smaller. Nope, that’s not small enough. Make it smaller yet. Some of my friends are committing to writing 100 words a day. Others are writing fifteen minutes a day. That’s all they can do, and that’s all they need to do.

2. Write to Prompts

If working on a novel or memoir seems too hard, try writing prompts. They are great writing practice, they will get you thinking differently, and there are no stakes. With a prompt, you can write well or write badly, as long as you’re writing.

3. Try Editing

Sometimes, you can’t write new material, but you can edit old stuff. There can be great comfort in polishing your work. In times of stress, it’s calming to make order out of chaos.

4. Don’t Forget to Read

If all else fails, and you can’t write a single thing, try reading. Turn off the news, stop scrolling social media, and just read. You could pick up a book about the craft of writing, or just read in your genre. Being familiar with books in your genre is an important part of a writer’s toolbox, so reading time is part of writing time.

5. Take on This Identity

Do you call yourself a writer? Why not? If you truly take on that identity, and you know deep in your bones that you’re a writer, then the act of writing will become second nature. You take care of your children, right? Why? Because you’re a parent. You don’t think about it too much, or stress about it, you just do it. You walk your dog because you’re a dog owner. Maybe you cook because you’re a chef or you drive a bus because you’re a bus driver. In the same way, you write because you’re a writer. So take on that identity and allow yourself to write in a more matter-of-fact way.

6. Find a Buddy

Even if we can’t meet face to face, we can still can still reach out for support. I like to have virtual write-ins with a friend. We’ll agree on a start time and then text each other to say, “Okay, go!” After an hour, we’ll text again, to congratulate each other for a good hour of writing. All you need is a little bit of time and one writing buddy.

7. Remember This is Temporary

Do you remember the last time your writing was going really well? When you were in the zone, and the words flowed effortlessly? That was a temporary state. It was fun while it lasted, but it eventually ended and you got stuck. But the good news is, being stuck is temporary too! It won’t last forever. A writer is always bouncing back and forth between stuck and unstuck. That’s just the nature of the creative life. A lot of us are feeling stuck right now. None of us will be stuck forever.

I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and well-stocked, and that we’ll all be back to visiting our favorite bookstores and libraries again soon. I’ll post again on the 1^st with my next scheduled book review.

 

Alex K.