Since so many of us are working on novels, I thought it would be useful to provide some thoughts on writing books that I've personally found helpful.
For the first time novelist, Noah Lukeman's THE FIRST FIVE PAGES is good. He helps you to avoid common manuscript errors, and tells you the dos and don'ts for attracting the attention of agents and editors. One of the most ominous things Lukeman says in his book is that agents and editors are looking for a reason to dismiss you. It could be something as simple as presentation, hokey dialogue, misplaced commas, or a character that doesn't seem to have any purpose on the first page. He tells you how to identify these problems and eliminate them.
Celia Brayfield's BESTSELLER: SECRETS Of SUCCESSFUL WRITING is about the technique of writing great popular novels. She explains the importance of storytelling and the universal themes which are the bedrock of successful popular writing. She identifies the classic tricks of the trade and shows you how to use them. She gives clear pointers on plot, character, style and structure. I highly recommend this book for writers who want to understand the difference between popular fiction and literary fiction and why more popular fiction become bestsellers.
Stephen King's memoir, ON WRITING, is inspirational because he tells how his life experiences made him the writer he is today and he provides his own unique insight on how to become the best writer you can be.
Anyone who dreams of writing a bestseller should read Arthur T. Vanderbilt II's THE MAKING OF A BESTSELLER. In this densely packed book is the reality behind the bestseller. Some of the questions he asks are: What motivates people to write? How do publishers decide which manuscripts will be successful? Why do customers buy (or not buy) the latest titles? What can authors, editors, publishers and reviewers do to make a book into a bestseller? The answers are informative and surprising, sometimes discouraging, but always intriguing.
Carolyn Wheat's book HOW TO WRITE KILLER FICTION is not only a practical read, but it's also fun. The best part of this book is how she defines the difference between Suspense novels and Mysteries. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to know what you are writing. Readers expect a certain kind of experience when they pick up a thriller, just as they expect a particular type of experience when they read a mystery. The two are not interchangeable, although some authors have successfully mixed mystery with suspense. She doesn't advise this for first time novelists. In a nutshell, she describes mystery as a funhouse, a puzzle which engages the reader intellectually, while a suspense novel or thriller engages the reader emotionally and is equated with a roller coaster ride.
Go To Page: 1 2
