Monday 9 April 2012

Nail Your Novel: Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence

5/5
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.UK
by
Roz Morris

This is a cracking how-to novel for newbie (but serious) and experienced writers alike. It's a novel to dip into, or read in one sitting but certainly one to keep for encouragement and inspiration.

At almost 200 pages it isn't too short or too long either. The intro is a bit long, and I did have to skip a few pages to get to the "start", but I felt nurtured by the author as she explained structure, plot, procrastination, characterisation, finding ideas etc and all in a non-patronising, girl-next door kinda way. In short I felt I had a friend.

Nail Your Novel also discusses your book's development, the synopsis, writer's block and so much more as well as the above. There were a few things that Roz Morris talks about that I know I should do, but don't, like use a notebook for ideas, a planner for character development but I think I will put that into practice and see if it helps with my own story writing.

I know what this book HAS inspired me to do and that's to look up Roz Morris's website and bookmark it! 


Blurb:
Are you writing a novel? Do you want to make sure you finish? Will you get lost and fizzle out? Will you spend more time reading about how to write than actually getting the words down?

Most books on novel-writing will make you read hundreds of pages about character arcs, inciting incidents, heroes’ journeys. It’s great to know that – but while you’re reading about it you’re not writing your book. 

And what these books don’t tell you is how to use this learning and get the job done.

Nail Your Novel is a writing buddy – and mentor - in a book. 

In 10 easy steps it will tell you:
*how to shape your big idea and make a novel out of it
*how to do your research and how to use it
*how to organise your time. 
*how to plot and build characters
*when you’re going to hit problems and what to do about them
*how to write on the days you don’t feel inspired
*how to reread what you’ve written and polish it. 

Along the way, Thumbnail Notes give tutorials about storytelling and storycraft – strictly when you need them. The author has written nearly a dozen novels that have made it into print – and this is how she did it. 

You don’t even need to read the whole book before you get started. You read a section, then do as it says. And, once you’re finally satisfied, Nail Your Novel will tell you how to sell it to publishers and agents.

You’ve dreamed of writing a novel. Don’t procrastinate with another theory book. Don’t launch in, get stuck and throw your hard work in a drawer. Nail your novel. 

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Remember my reviews are my opinion, and I am a VERY fussy reader.