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  • writing classes
    • The 90-Day Novel®
    • The 90-Day Memoir®
    • The 90-Day Screenplay™
    • The Rewrite Master Class
    • The 30-Day Outline
    • Siren Tales: A Women’s Writing Workshop
    • Story Day
    • Class Calendar
  • writing resources
    • 1-on-1 coaching
    • editing services
    • books
    • videos
    • audio
    • writing challenge
    • envision
    • write on thursdays
    • other free resources
  • retreats
    • Tuscany Retreat
    • Solo Retreats
  • blog
    • How to Outline a Book
    • How to Write a Memoir
    • How to Write a Novel
    • How to Write a Screenplay
    • Story Structure
    • Character Development
    • The Writing Process
    • Writing Techniques
    • Writing Resources & Tools
    • Book Editing
    • How to Publish a Book
    • Writers on Writing
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Blog, First-Time Novelist, General, Novel / Fiction, Resources, Rewriting

The Ultimate Guide to Developmental Editing 

If you’ve been working on a rough draft of your story for a while, and find yourself thinking, This is good, but […]

Alan WattJuly 9, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Free, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Resources

How to Start a Memoir

How do you start your memoir when there are infinite places to begin, and every idea leads to ten new ones? How […]

Alan WattJuly 8, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Free, General, Novel / Fiction, Resources

How to Copyright a Book Like a Pro

In the world of digital publishing, intellectual property protection is more vital today than ever. Whether you are self-publishing on a platform […]

Alan WattJuly 4, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, General, Resources, Rewriting

Revising vs. Editing: Why Mixing Them Up Is Costing More Than You Think

You might be wondering, Aren’t revising and editing the same thing? They’re not. There’s actually an important distinction.  Let’s say you’re working […]

Alan WattJune 26, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Free, General, Novel / Fiction, Resources

How to Start a Novel

Okay, perhaps you’ve been filling pages with scattered notes, and now there’s a growing sense you have a story that wants to […]

Alan WattJune 24, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Free, General, Novel / Fiction, Resources

How to Write a Query Letter

Writing a query letter after finishing your manuscript can feel like climbing a second mountain you didn’t know was there.  It took […]

Alan WattJune 17, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, General, Inspiration, Novel / Fiction, Resources

Overcoming Procrastination: How to Get Out of Your Own Way

There’s a quiet moment every writer knows. You sit. Open the page. The cursor blinks . . . waiting. Then your phone […]

Alan WattMay 29, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Free, General, Novel / Fiction, Resources

How to Write Faster

Every writer at one time or another thinks: I need to write faster. The page is blank. The clock is ticking. And […]

Alan WattMay 18, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Free, Novel / Fiction, Resources

Proofreading

While your Editing Checklist is about clarity and pacing, and your Rewrite is about adjusting the structure and polishing character development in […]

Alan WattMay 15, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, General, Novel / Fiction, Resources

How to Publish a Book

Master the path to publication. Learn how to polish your manuscript, query literary agents, handle rejection, and weigh the pros of self-publishing.

Alan WattApril 7, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Free, Novel / Fiction, Resources

A Guide to Pen Names

Create a powerful tool to protect your personhood and work with a pen name, but establish it intentionally and early in your career in order to use this device of authorship cleverly.

Alan WattMarch 27, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Inspiration, Novel / Fiction

Follow the Dog: On Persistence and Self-Trust

Tess Callahan details her journey through authorship and publishing her manuscripts--the difficulty of not feeling enough as a writer and ultimately getting the break she owed herself.

Tess CallahanMarch 25, 2026
First-Time Novelist, General, Inspiration

4 Tips for Writing a Novel

Monica Lourens shares tips on how to write a novel and find one's individual strength to finish their work.

Monica Bergers LourensMarch 22, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Novel / Fiction, Resources

How Long Does it Take to Write a Book?

"How long does it take to write a book" is a question of daily schedule. A solid outline and forward movement allows any writer to finish on time.

Alan WattMarch 20, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Novel / Fiction, Outline, Resources

The Pantser Method: Writing Without an Outline

Learn how to hone your strengths as a "pantser." Discovery-based writers often succeed with creative freedom and spontaneity, but successful narratives still require an underlying structure of character transformation to avoid losing direction.

Alan WattMarch 19, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

Morning Pages: A Daily Habit to Boost Creativity

“Morning pages” is the term coined by Julia Cameron in her work The Artist’s Way used to describe the habit of sitting […]

Alan WattFebruary 6, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Memoir, Novel / Fiction

How to Start Writing a Book: The No-Fluff Starter Guide

Welcome! And congratulations! If you’re reading this, you are about to begin a creative journey that can bring satisfaction and a deepening […]

Alan WattFebruary 3, 2026
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Novel / Fiction

What is a Novella? Key Characteristics Explained

Some of literature’s greatest stories aren’t in novel form at all, but a different kind of prose. Rich characters like George Milton […]

Alan WattJanuary 27, 2026
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Workshops

  • the 90-day novel®
  • the 90-day memoir®
  • the 90-day screenplay™
  • story day
  • rewrite master class
  • the 30-day outline
  • siren tales: a women’s writing workshop
  • Tuscany writing retreat
  • envision: creative goal setting
  • writing challenge
  • solo/couples retreat
  • the 90-day novel®
  • the 90-day memoir®
  • the 90-day screenplay™
  • story day
  • rewrite master class
  • the 30-day outline
  • siren tales: a women’s writing workshop
  • Tuscany writing retreat
  • envision: creative goal setting
  • writing challenge
  • solo/couples retreat

Creativity is your birthright. Your sole purpose is to build a body of work.

The written signature of Alan Watt, writing teacher

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alanwatt.com
  • writing classes
    • The 90-Day Novel®
    • The 90-Day Memoir®
    • The 90-Day Screenplay™
    • The Rewrite Master Class
    • The 30-Day Outline
    • Siren Tales: A Women’s Writing Workshop
    • Story Day
    • Class Calendar
  • writing resources
    • 1-on-1 coaching
    • editing services
    • books
    • videos
    • audio
    • writing challenge
    • envision
    • write on thursdays
    • other free resources
  • retreats
    • Tuscany Retreat
    • Solo Retreats
  • blog
    • How to Outline a Book
    • How to Write a Memoir
    • How to Write a Novel
    • How to Write a Screenplay
    • Story Structure
    • Character Development
    • The Writing Process
    • Writing Techniques
    • Writing Resources & Tools
    • Book Editing
    • How to Publish a Book
    • Writers on Writing
  • meet Alan
  • contact
  • log In
  • log out
  • Join Free
  • ⠀