Thursday, 3/28/2024


A man walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender serves him and, wanting to curry favor when it came to his tip, engages him with a friendly question: "What do you do?"
   "I'm a writer. Novels mostly," the man says.
   "I've always wanted to write a book," says the woman to his left.
   "I've got a great title for one," the man to his right chimes in, "but I just haven't gotten around to getting started."
   "I was thinking of writing a story," the bartender says, "It's about a bartender and all the funny things that happen to him."

Everyone wants to write a book. A small fraction try. Few of those complete a manuscript.

Whether IQ140 is the 1st or 101st web site you've visited, welcome, and kudos to you for pursuing the dream.


Just as there are conventions about which side of the road on which to drive, there are agreed upon rules for writing well and getting published. Meet those stardards, and with some talent and a little luck, you can spread your words far and wide.

A different focus: The Arc of the Manuscript
IQ140 is not another review of how to create characters, determine point of view, or develop a plot. This is not about Writing; there are hundreds of blogs and books for that and a reading list is provided on the menu.

IQ140 is about those topics briefly and inartfully mentioned in most treatments of writing:
Preparing yourself to write
Managing the production of that first—unpublishable—draft
Penetrating the fog of self-editing in practical terms
Readying your manuscript for publication
Getting early readers to be honest with you
Dispelling misconceptions about agents and editors
Making that decision: Traditional v. Self-publishing

Succinctly: IQ140 guides you in producing a novel.

There are caveats:
The writing of your manuscript is the easiest part of the project.
Editing and polishing are as challenging as creating the first draft.
Few writers sell a sufficient number of books to quit their day-job.

Our mission is to provide meta-direction for how to get this job done. Most treatments of writing teach you how to drive, IQ140 is a writer's GPS with warnings about construction zones and bad weather along the way. Enjoy the journey.
NEXT: How to Produce a Novel
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Producing a Novel
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  Preparing to Write
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  The Writing
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What it Costs to Publish
Beta Readers
Publishing a Novel
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Writing Non-Fiction
100 Best Novel 1st Lines
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