If your goal is to be published by a legitimate publisher, get paid (maybe even make a career out of it), actually see your book in bookstores, then yes. You absolutely need an agent. It can take some time, but don't let impatience sabotage your long-term goals. And sometimes, it can happen quickly....

No worries on this end, Carradee! You are fully within your rights to dislike my opening line. :) Like Matt, I usually judge based on the first page (or at least a couple 'graphs). If anybody wants to see the rest of that first page, it can be found here: http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index....

JohnstonMR wrote:When you’re traveling at 75% of the speed of light, you have to make decisions quickly.

Love that.

The first line of my latest book is: Facts are not truth. Listen carefully, this is important. Okay, that's two sentences, but they do fit on the first line. The first line of my next book (current WIP) is: The Deceiver had not yet arrived, but the multitudes preceded him and Jackson Square was pack...

I suspect Sarah is really labouring with a version of my perception of the problem ... I have already read the book that I would write that I would want to read[1], ... it's already been written by somebody else. Actually, I think you're right, Sean C, but my perception is one hell of a hurdle to c...

SeanC, that's a whole other kettle of fish I think, the ability to read your own work as a reader and not as the writer. Yes, that is another kettle of fish, but I'm not talking about reading your work as a reader (as vital as that is); I'm talking about writing your work as a reader (i.e. writing ...

Incredibly impressed by the quality of thought on this forum, yet again. So much great stuff here, and I'll try not to be too redundant (there we go with the urge for "originality" again...). When I was writing my first book, one of the many critical voices in my head kept screaming, "...

Wow, answering this question is fraught with peril. Tempted to be glib and say, "why the hell not?" But that feels like I'm giving the question short-shrift. I'm new here, and I may be talking out my ... uh, hat ... so take as much salt as you like. But since the topic is still drawing com...

Magnus, Here are four titles that I think you may find useful: Lawrence Block - WRITING THE NOVEL FROM PLOT TO PRINT Patricia Highsmith - PLOTTING AND WRITING SUSPENSE FICTION Stephen King - ON WRITING Walter Mosley - THIS YEAR YOU WRITE YOUR NOVEL I know you don't want me to suggest crime novels to...

Thanks, Keith. Been playing around with it some more, and it seems bulletproof. Thanks again for creating such a great program.

Best,

No shame, but there are some big gaps in my reading that I should get to, one of these days. -Recent lit-fic. I tend to read dead people when it comes to lit-fic. -War & Peace. Just never have. -More Dickens. Read some, enjoyed some, frustrated by some. Should read him again. -Harry Potter. Neve...

Hey everybody, My name is Sean, and I'm new here. Have been playing with Scrivener for months, and love it. Totally love it. Thank you, KB, for creating such a great writing environment. Having said that, I'm a tad nervous. I wrote my first two novels using MSWord. I don't love the program, but it w...