Table of contents : Cover Title Page Contents Foreword Introduction Focus on the Writing Life: GETTING STARTED GET OFF YOUR BUTT & WRITE by the Editors of Writer's Digest YOUR NOVEL BLUEPRINT by Karen S. Wiesner Part 1. CHARACTERS: THE STAKEHOLDERS IN YOUR STORY Chapter 1. DRAW CHARACTERS FROM THE STRONGEST SOURCES by Nancy Kress Chapter 2. EMOTION-DRIVEN CHARACTERS by David Corbett Chapter 3. DEPICTING CONVINCING RELATIONSHIPS by Elizabeth Sims Chapter 4. CREATE THE (IM)PERFECT HEROIC COUPLE by Leigh Michaels Chapter 5. CHOOSING YOUR CHARACTER by Michael J. Vaughn. Chapter 6. THREE TECHNIQUES FOR CRAFTING YOUR VILLAIN by Hallie EphronChapter 7. CREATE VICIOUS VILLAINS by Charles Atkins Focus on the Writing Life: FEEDING YOUR CREATIVITY CREATIVE LOLLYGAGGING: WORK HARDER AT WORKING LESS by Michael J. Vaughn Part 2. PLOT & CONFLICT: YOUR STORY'S ACTION & SUSPENSE Chapter 8. STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE by Steven James Chapter 9. MAP YOUR NOVEL WITH A REVERSE OUTLINE by N.M. Kelby Chapter 10. WRITE WELL-CRAFTED SCENES TO SUPPORT YOUR STORY by James Scott Bell Chapter 11. USE BRAIDING TO LAYER YOUR STORY LINE by Heather Sellers. Chapter 12. CRAFT AN OPENING SCENE THAT LURES READERS INTO Chapter TWO by Les EdgertonChapter 13. WRITE A FIVE-STAR Chapter ONE by Elizabeth Sims Chapter 14. STRENGTHEN YOUR SCENES by James Scott Bell Chapter 15. RESCUE YOUR STORY FROM PLOT PITFALLS by Laura Whitcomb Focus on the Writing Life: BEATING WRITER'S BLOCK START ME UP by Elizabeth Sims Part 3. POINT OF VIEW: THE VOICE OF YOUR STORY Chapter 16. UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCES IN POV by James V. Smith, Jr. Chapter 17. USING PERCEPTION TO ENHANCE YOUR POV by Alicia Rasley. Chapter 18. POV CHARACTERS WHO OVERSTEP THEIR BOUNDS by Kristen Johnson IngramChapter 19. MASTERING MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW by Simon Wood Focus on the Writing Life: USING YOUR MUSE MAKE YOUR OWN MUSE by N.M. Kelby FUELING YOUR MUSE WITH COMPOST by Heather Sellers Part 4. SETTING & BACKSTORY: THE CONTEXT FOR YOUR STORY Chapter 20. CREATING YOUR STORY'S TIME & PLACE by Donald Maass Chapter 21. REFINE YOUR SETTING SKILL SET by Brian Kiteley Chapter 22. WHY BACKSTORY IS ESSENTIAL by Larry Brooks Chapter 23. SIX WAYS TO LAYER IN BACKSTORY by Hallie Ephron. Chapter 24. WEAVE IN BACKSTORY TO REVEAL CHARACTER by Rachel BallonChapter 25. HOW TO BUILD SUSPENSE WITH BACKSTORY by Leigh Michaels Focus on the Writing Life: BALANCING WRITING WITH THE REST OF LIFE MARRY YOUR LIFE TO YOUR WRITING by Sheila Bender THE WRITE-AT-HOME MOM by Christina Katz Part 5. DIALOGUE: WHAT YOUR CHARACTERS SAY TO EACH OTHER Chapter 26. AMP UP DIALOGUE WITH EMOTIONAL BEATS by Todd A. Stone Chapter 27. WEAVE ACTION, NARRATIVE, & DIALOGUE by Gloria Kempton Chapter 28. AVOID WRITING SAME-OLD, SAME-OLD CONVERSATIONS by Michael Levin.