Writing the Breakout Novel

Maass and King: The One¿Two-Knockout Punch for Writers!

With Donald Maass¿ ¿Writing the Breakout Novel¿ in your left hand, and Stephen King¿s ¿On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft¿ in your right hand, any would-be author is armed with a one-two-knockout punch for writing a successful novel. Maass offers and defines the realistic, no-fluff, must-have essential elements for a ¿breakout novel¿. King offers a down and dirty sketch for a daily regimen to achieve stickwithitness and success -- and he offers that for many nit-noy concerns you may have, you can ¿fuhgedaboutit¿! It¿s all here in two volumes, Maass and King, the one-two-knockout punch for writers. If you are serious about the craft and a career as an author, these are absofreakinglutely must-reads!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Worth it

Worth every penny. Will take your writing to the next level.

A must have for any writer

Donald Maass has created a tool with this book and its accompanying workbook that every writer should have. It helps you critically examine your own work, or construct it more compellingly if you are just beginning. The exercises will force you to ask serious questions about your work, plot, characters, conflicts, and many other components in order to get the most out of a scene. For me, it also served as a source of great inspirations. Many of the "AH-HA" moments it inspired will be included in my work. A must have for every writer, from beginner to established.

Great insights for published and unpublished writers

Maass provides suggestions and examples from well-known authors to support his points on how to develop all aspects of a novel. I would recommend this to all writers, at a minimum, as a reference for understanding and reminding yourself what makes a story a page-turner.

IF YOU CAN ONLY BUY ONE "HOW TO" BOOK ON FICTION WRITING, THIS IS IT!

This is the most amazing book I've ever read specifically on the subject of fiction writing. It is humurous, informative, whitty and captivating! Don't believe me? I wouldn't have believed me either...until I read it.

Get the book! You won't be sorry!

Asks the Right Questions

I previewed this book in the bookstore and then ordered it along with the workbook. Both delivered well (the workbook has a different angle from the book and is not redundant, therefore, very worthwhile). This book makes you look at your novel in a new way. I found there were many aspects to my story that I had failed to capitalize upon. The author (a literary agent) knows what sells. I found his taste in books to be a little on the commercial side, but he uses these examples well to make his points.

advice on how to write a thriller

Maass does go beyond the usual bland advice found in how-to-write books in that he tries to say which methods produce better results. He discusses ¿Premise¿, Stakes, Time and Place, Characters, Plot, ¿Contemporary Plot Techniques¿ (¿nonlinear¿ narratives, character-driven stories), ¿Multiple Viewpoints, Subplots, Pace, Voice, Endings¿ (all in one chapter), ¿Advanced Plot Structures¿ (generational novels, whole life novels, historical novels, linked short stories), and Theme. His chapter on Stakes is particularly useful. The problem I have with the book is the usual one: that the book assumes that every reader (and the would-be writer reading this book) has more or less the same tastes. Some of the books held up as exemplary novels to learn from, I found appalling. Another problem is the attempt to please the avant-garde. An example is 'Nonlinear Narrative'. There is no discussion/evaluation of this experimental technique. Nor is there any mention of how few readers there are for such material. But that's okay, because the matter is immediately dropped after two pages anyway, and it's back to the thrillers again. Still, even when he's rehashing the same old ABCs, Maass does so in a lively way. So, beginning writers will certainly learn much from this book. And it is a valid point that Maass has not written a ¿breakout¿ novel himself, so how could this book tell us all we need to know to do it! It doesn¿t, but that does not mean that there isn¿t some useful information in the book. No serious writer should read only one book on writing. The only protection from the author's tastes is to read a variety of books--not as easy as it sounds because most of them have the same tastes and most say the same things in different words and with different examples.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Assistance for Writers

This book is definitely worth reading for writers and aspiring writers. It doesn't just tell you what a reader is looking for in a great novel, it tells you *how* to give it to them. It's very readable, very informative, and filled withe examples and anecdotes. I was surprised by how truly helpful this book was.

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