Creating great characters -- The importance of research -- What's in a name -- Creating series characters -- The mechanics of writing -- Finding story ideas -- Showing vs. telling -- Setting and atmosphere -- Getting the facts right -- Finding the right point of view -- Dialogue -- Grammar -- Genre -- Humor -- Writing sex scenes -- Writing action scenes -- Writing violence -- Structuring the novel -- Plot -- Beginnings, middles, endings, cliffhangers, transitions -- Crafting the series: pros and cons -- Making revisions -- A rewriting checklist -- Critiquing the manuscript -- Getting published -- Self-publishing -- Copyright law -- Advice and encouragement -- Inspiration -- Self-discipline -- A day in the life of a writer -- Personal time -- Meeting deadlines -- Writer's block -- Rejection -- Book promotion -- The Website -- Resources and organizations -- Query letters and sample pages -- Author autobiographies.;How many people would kill to be a bestselling novelist--especially one like Janet Evanovich? Writers want to know how a bestselling author thinks, writes, plans, and dreams her books. Here, Evanovich tells, in a witty Q & A format, how she comes up with characters, and perfect names for them; how she finds out insider details; just how she sets up plots; what the life of a full-time writer is really like; and what she'd tell an aspiring author about the publishing industry. This book details the elements of writing and publishing a novel, and addresses all categories of fiction--from mystery/thriller/action titles to romance; from stand-alone narratives to series. It offers practical advice on such subjects as structuring a plot and handling rejection. And it combines one of today's most successful fiction writers with a published non-fiction writer who teaches creative fiction.--From publisher description.