Writing a novel and getting it published: That's your goal. And nothing will keep you from making it happen. Such a goal, of course, presents a number of challenges. Make sure you have the tools you need to overcome them and succeed. In THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT, NY Times Best-Selling author Bob Mayer shares a veteran writer's hard-won advice with a style that's straight from the hip. He lays out the nuts and bolts of novel writing, along with guidelines for starting, finishing and revising your work. You'll learn how to: Develop story-worthy ideas Translate those ideas into a compelling plot -- one that keeps readers mesmerized Pace your story for maximum excitement Create realistic, complicated characters Submit attention-getting manuscripts Self-contained chapters make it easy to focus on the just the elements you need. Take in the advice, sharpen your skills, and hit the ground running. Mayer provides all the reliable information and instruction you need to make your dreams of publication come true. What are you waiting for? THE NOVEL WRITER'S TOOLKIT ensures that you're properly equipped for success! “A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.” #1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs "An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike. Don't miss out." #1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks "Something for every writer, from neophyte to old hand. My hat is off to Bob." Best-Selling Mystery Writer Elizabeth George

1. CHARACTER:
The People Of Your Story

2. Character Is Pre-Eminent
•Emotion is more important than logic.
•Mission or the Men?
•Goals are what characters are striving for.
•Motivation is why they are striving for their
goals.

3. “Therefore I say: Know the enemy
and know yourself; in a hundred
battles, you will never be
defeated.”
Sun Tzu

4. Motivation
•Every character thinks the story is about
them.
•Everyone has a core motivation.
•Victor Frankl called this the ‘One Thing.’
•The motivation can be anything.
• The motivation must be believable to the
reader.

5. Layers Of Motivation
•What do you want?
•What do you really want?
•What do you need?
•These correspond to the turning points.

6. •It is a feeling of alarm or disquiet caused by
the expectation of danger, pain, or the like.
•Heroism is taking action in the face of fear.
•Fear is an emotion.
•It often stems from uncertainty.
•It is often the primary motivator for people
as we require base needs to be fulfilled first.
What Is Fear?

7. Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs
Self-
Actualization
Esteem
Belongingness and Love
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs

8. CHARACTER: Exercise One
•Where on Maslow’s hierarchy is your
protagonist at the beginning of the book?
At the end?
•Where on Maslow’s hierarchy is your
antagonist at the beginning of the book? At
the end?

9. “All men dream; but not
equally. Those who dream
by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds
wake in the day to find that
it was vanity: but the
dreamers of the day are
dangerous men, for they
may act out their dream
with open eyes, to make it
possible.”
The Seven Pillars of
Wisdom
Lawrence of Arabia
Be a dreamer of the day and reality:
from Who Dares Wins.

10. Blind Spot
•Needs produce blind spots.
•Everyone has blind spots.
•As an author, make sure you know yours.
•Strongest defenses are built around the
blind spot. Therefore . . .
•Often the blind spot is the part of character
thought to be the strongest.
•Denial defends blinds spot and justifies
needs.
•Blind spots are the making of tragedy.

11. Pathological Need
•In a moment of crisis, what is the driving
force?
•It is a need, not a want.
•Every need has a corresponding flaw.

12. Trait Need Flaw
• Loyal
• Adventurous
• Altruistic
• Tolerant
• Decisive
• Realistic
• Competitive
• Idealistic
• To be trusted
• To have change
• To be loved
• To have no
conflict
• To be in charge
• To be balanced
• To achieve goals
• To be the best
• Gullible
• Unreliable
• Submissive
• No conviction
• Impetuous
• Outer control
• Overlook cost
• Naive

13. CHARACTER: Exercise Two
•What is your protagonist’s blind spot?
•What is your antagonist’s blind spot?

14. Develop Characters
• Where do you characters come from?
• Invented or real life?
• How does the reader meet them?
• How do you get to know people?
• First scene.
• What is the key point in their life?
• Domino theory.
• Motivation.
• Do you know everything about your character?
• You have to.
• Reader doesn’t have to.
• Less is better.

15. Types Of Characters
•Protagonist: The person who owns the
story.
•Antagonist: Person in opposition.
•Supporting characters (named).
•Spear Carriers (not named).

16. Protagonist
•Drives the main story line.
•Always have one.
•Reluctant protagonists.
•Empathetic protagonists.
•Negative protagonists.
•What if your protagonist fails?
•Protagonist would usually fail in climactic
scene as they are as the book opens.
•If they fail, reveals what’s at stake in your story.

17. Antagonist
•Always have one.
•Should be human.
•Has a believable motivation.
•If removed, the plot collapses.
•Usually drives the plot initially by introducing
the problem.
•Do the antagonist’s plan.
•Stronger antagonist= stronger protagonist.

18. Characters In Conflict
•Conflict is rooted in different motivations,
even if they want the same thing.
•Three levels to motivation: inner, personal,
universal.
•Fear is often a primary motivator.
•Often your protagonist must overcome fear,
even if it isn’t their primary motivator.

19. Show, Don’t Tell
•Actions speak louder than words.
•Do your characters react ‘naturally’?
•Give the spark of redemption.
•How do your characters react in a crisis?

20. Character Description
•Keep it brief and distinctive.
•You’re not writing a personal ad.
•Use placeholders if it helps.
•Cliche: Having character look in a mirror.
•Can use other points of view to describe
other characters.

21. Character Names
•Choose a name that fits the character,
evokes personality, but doesn’t make the
reader giggle.
•Choose a name that can be read without
causing the reader to pause.
•In prose, use only one name for each
character.
•Try to avoid names that begin with the
same letter.

22. Character And Community
•Your character is part of a larger cast.
•Most people want a sense of community.
•Community give you great latitude in tone,
pacing, POV.
•Community often forms around one
character.

23. Kinds Of Community
• Ensemble casts.
• Disposable characters.
• Characters can fill roles.
• Romance.
• Must meet early.
• As protagonist and antagonist?
• Buddy stories.
• Usually just meet.
• The protagonist is the one who drives the story.

24. Character Templates
•Instead of inventing from scratch.
•Or using real people.
•Also use these to understand characters
and real people.
•Use what experts have already done for
you:
•Profiling
•Archetypes
•Myers-Briggs

25. Profiling
•FBI Behavioral Science Unit: John Douglas:
MINDHUNTER-- tracking serial killers.
•But you can profile anyone.
•99% of what we do is habit.
•Habit= behavior patterns.
•Examine the results and work back.

26. CHARACTER: Exercise Three
•What is your protagonist’s profile for a
normal day?
•What is your antagonist’s profile for a
normal day?
•What is your profile for your normal day?

27. Archetypes-- Gender
Differences

28. Myers-Briggs
•Developed in 1943.
•Not a test, but an indicator, so there are no
‘right’ or ‘wrong’ labels.
•Four areas, two possible orientations to
each, equals 16 character ‘types’.
•However, the actual test is a sliding scale.

29. AREA 1
BLOCK A BLOCK B
• Act first, think later?
• Feel deprived if cutoff from
interacting with the outside
world?
• Tend to be motivated by the
outside world?
• Get energized by groups?
• Think first, then act?
• Require ‘private’ time to get
energized?
• Tend to be internally
motivated?
• Groups drain your energy?

30. AREA 2
BLOCK A BLOCK B
• Mentally live in the now?
• Use common sense for
practical solutions?
• Your memory focuses on
details and fact?
• Don’t like guessing?
• Mentally live in the future?
• Use imagination for innovative
solutions?
• Your memory focuses on
patterns and context?
• Comfortable with guessing?

31. AREA 3
BLOCK A BLOCK B
• Search for facts when making
a decision?
• Notice work to be
accomplished?
• Tend to provide an objective
analysis?
• Believe conflict is a normal
part of relationships with
people?
• Focus on feelings when
making a decision?
• Focus on people’s
needs?
• Seek consensus and
popular opinions?
• Dislike conflict and
avoid it if at all
possibe?

32. AREA 4
BLOCK A BLOCK B
• Plan details before taking
action?
• Focus on tasks and complete
them in order?
• Keep ahead of deadlines to
avoid stress and work
optimally?
• Set targets, dates and routines
to manage your life?
• Are comfortable moving into
action without a plan?
• Like to multitask and can mix
work with play?
• Work best closer to deadlines?
• Avoid commitments that might
interfere with your freedom and
flexibility?

33. Results
• 1A= Extrovert (E)
• 2A= Sensing (S)
• 3A= Thinking (T)
• 4A= Judging (J)
• 1B= Introvert (I)
• 2B= iNtuition (N)
• 3B= Feeling (F)
• 4B= Perceiving (P)

34. Myers-Brigs Types
• INTP= Architect
• ENTP= Inventor
• INTJ= Scientist
• ENTJ= Field Marshall
• INFP= Questor
• ENFP= Journalist
• INFJ= Author
• ENJF= Pedagogue
• ESJF= Seller
• ISFJ= Conservator
• ESFP= Entertainer
• ISFP= Artist
• ESTJ= Administrator
• ISTJ= Trustee
• ESTP= Promoter
• ISTP= Artisan

35. Extroversion vs. Introversion
• This is how we view the world.
• Extroverts are social. Introverts are territorial.
• Extroverts prefer breadth and a wide variety of
personal communications. Introverts prefer depth
and one on one.
• Extroverts tend to be externally motivated.
Introverts tend to be internally motivated.
• 75% Extroverts 25% Introverts.

36. Intuition vs. Sensation
• Innovative vs. Practical.
• This is how we think.
• This is the greatest source of misunderstanding
between people.
• 25% Intuitive 75% Sensation

37. Thinking vs. Feeling
• The thinking part of our brain analyzes and
decides in a detached manner.
• The feeling part of our brain analyzes and decides
in an attached manner.
• Impersonal vs. personal.
• This is how we make decision and act.
• Logic vs. emotion.
• 50% Thinking 50% Feeling but . . .
• More men are Thinking and more women are
Feeling.

38. Judging vs. Perceiving.
• Closure vs. Open-ended.
• This is how we approach our endeavors.
• Results or process?
• 50% Judging 50% Perceiving.

39. Myers-Briggs Types
• INTP= Architect
• ENTP= Inventor
• INTJ= Scientist
• ENTJ= Field Marshall
• INFP= Questor
• ENFP= Journalist
• INFJ= Author
• ENJF= Pedagogue
• ESJF= Seller
• ISFJ= Conservator
• ESFP= Entertainer
• ISFP= Artist
• ESTJ= Administrator
• ISTJ= Trustee
• ESTP= Promoter
• ISTP= Artisan

40. “Great spirits have always found violent
opposition from mediocre minds. The
latter cannot understand it when a man
does not thoughtlessly submit to
hereditary prejudices but honestly and
courageously uses his intelligence and
fulfills the duty to express the results of
his thoughts in clear form.”
Albert Einstein

41. Change?

42. Change?

43. Change?

44. Character And Change
•Can people change?
•Change produces character arc.
•You want to show change, not tell it.
•Change requires three things to happen . . .

45. Moment Of Enlightenment
•Experience something never experienced
before.
•Experience something you’ve experience
before, but it affects you differently than
ever before.
•This is the classic ‘’light bulb going on’.
•By itself, it is not change, just a momentary
awareness.

46. Decision
•Because of the Moment of Enlightenment, a
decision is made.
•It is not necessarily a good decision.
•Character is then
•Stuck with the decision (externally
imposed change) or
•Sticks with the decision (internally
motivated change)
•By itself, a decision is not change, just a
fleeting commitment.

47. Sustained Action
•Because of the decision, behavior is
changed.
•The changed behavior is sustained long
enough to become habit.
•In the military, this is called training.
•The 5% rule for external and internal
sustained action.
•Sustained action leads to change.

48. CHARACTER: Exercise Five
•What is your protagonist’s moment of
enlightenment?
•What decision does your protagonist make
because of that?
•What sustained action does your
protagonist do that produces change?

49. The Stages Of Change
•Denial
•Anger
•Bargaining
•Depression
•Acceptance

50. •We see it.
•They act differently.
How Do We Know When
Someone Has Changed?

51. The Climax & Character Arc
•By the end of the book we want to know our
protagonist has changed.
•Take your protagonist as she is at the
beginning of the book and put her in the
climactic scene.
•She should fail.
•If she does, then you have arc.

52. The Resolution & Character
Arc
•By the end of the book we want to know our
protagonist has changed.
•We need to see them do something
emotional they weren’t capable of doing at
the beginning of the book.
•This completes the character arc that is the
core of your book.

53. For More Information click on covers
The Complete Writer is four books at discount in one
bundle.

54. New York Times bestselling author, graduate of West Point, former Green
Beret, and feeder of two yellow Labs, most famously Cool Gus. He’s had
over seventy books published, including the #1 bestselling series Time
Patrol, Area 51, Atlantis, and the Green Berets. Born in the Bronx and
having traveled the world he now lives peacefully with his wife and labs.
Sort of. Free books below available HERE
www.bobmayer.com

55. Original Idea
Conflict the Fuel of Your Story and the Conflict Box
Plot I: Research and Narrative Questions
Plot II: Outlining
Plot III: Narrative Structure
Character
Point of View
Write It Forward: From Writer to Bestselling Author
Writers Conference Guide (Free eBook)
Three P’s: Platform, Product, Promotion
Writers’ Block and Rewriting
How to Write the Query/Synopsis
Planning for NaNoWriMo Success
Bob Mayer’s Workshops, Seminars & Presentations
Your Creative Process: How You Write
The Present and Future of Publishing for Writers
Writers Workshop and Retreat
ON WRITING SLIDESHARES

56. Writing Scenic Workshop
•An intense, on-premises workshop focusing on idea, conflict, story and the ever-
changing business of publishing.
•At our house on Scenic Drive in Knoxville, TN
•Most importantly, this workshop focuses on developing your creative process as
a writer.
•Led by Bob Mayer and his wife, Debbie.
•We’ve worked with everyone from #1 NY Times best-selling authors to novices
writing their first book.
•Limited to four people per workshop. This workshop can also come to you if you
have four interested writers. For schedule contact bob@bobmayer.com