Take your story to the next level of excellence!
You’ve completed the first draft of your novel–now what? Chances are, it’s not perfect…at least not yet. In order to increase your chances of getting a literary agent, selling your manuscript to a publisher, or garnering an audience for your self-published work, you need targeted, practical instruction on tackling the problem areas and weak spots in your story. You need Troubleshooting Your Novel.
In this hand-on, easy-to-use guide, award-winning author Steven James provides helpful techniques and checklists, timesaving tricks of the trade, and hundreds of questions for manuscript analysis and revision. You’ll learn how to:
ADJUST elements of story progression, from causality, tension, and setbacks to plot twists, climaxes, and endings.
DEVELOP authentic, riveting characters by exploring their attitudes, desires, beliefs, and more.
LEARN narrative techniques for elements such as dialogue, flashbacks, suspense, voice, subtext, and flow.
ENSURE reader engagement by aligning with their expectations, fulfilling promises, and instilling trust.
CHECK issues with context and continuity.
You owe your book more than just a polish and a proofread. Strengthen your story, prepare it for the marketplace, and make it the best it can be with Troubleshooting Your Novel.
Wow — there is a LOT of information in this book. In fact, it’s a bit overwhelming. I sat down to read it thinking it would be a quick read to reinforce what I already know about writing fiction, but it’s anything but quick. There’s a lot to read and digest.
Two things really stood out to me: one that I like and one that I wasn’t so crazy about.
What I liked: the chapters are short and topical, so you can pretty much search for whatever’s bothering you/whatever you’re struggling with and quickly find the chapter.
What I wasn’t so crazy about: there’s some great info, but no examples. I’m the type of learner who needs an example of what’s wrong and what’s right so I can see how to correct it, but there are no examples. For people like me, this book might not be the most helpful resource: you need to know how to identify bad writing before you pick up this book, otherwise you won’t know what to look for. That will be hard to do for some people; however, if you have someone to tell you your weaknesses, you can find the right topic for what you need.
Overall, though, it’s full of excellent information; it just may not be easily accessible for everyone. Get your copy here!
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