The Fiction Editor, the Novel and the Novelist: A Book for Writers, Teachers, Publishers, Editors and Anyone Else Devoted to Fictoin [Paperback]

Thomas McCormack (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1994

This book talks about how to plan, write and revise a novel. It describes the sensibility and art required, and it conveys concrete, practical elements of craft. It details how to structure the novel, choose the characters, drive the story, diagnose narrative ailments, and find and apply specific remedies. McCormack is constructive at every level--from individual word choice, up to the over-arching total effect of the novel. Included in full are the author's often-excerpted attack on the notion of "theme" and his innovative analysis of the act of art itself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The chairman and editorial director of St. Martin's discusses the art of editing fiction.

Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This breezy little book illuminates the normally private relationship between author and editor. In prose that is opinionated, brash, and forceful, McCormack lays bare the principles he has applied for 30 years as a fiction editor. While admitting the need for sensibility, he denounces seat-of-the-pants editing, substituting instead a systematic method of analyzing stories and repairing their faults before publication. In a conversational and light-hearted tone, he offers insights that will interest not just writers and editors of fiction but also anyone who wants to understand what makes a novel succeed or fail. Perfect for teachers, critics, and general readers as well.
- Michael Edmonds, State Historical Soc. of Wisconsin, Madison
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312114672
• ISBN-13: 978-0312114671
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,907,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Publishing & Books > Authorship

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential critiquing tool., March 23, 2000

By 

Miranda F. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fiction Editor, the Novel and the Novelist: A Book for Writers, Teachers, Publishers, Editors and Anyone Else Devoted to Fictoin (Paperback)

For every published book, there are many editing steps from rough draft to finished product. If math alone were the determining factor, that should mean there would be many more books on editing than on writing. In fact, there are dozens (perhaps hundreds) of books on writing and only a handful on editing. To be sure, there are stylebooks that concentrate on grammatical and punctuational form. And most respectable writers give shelf space to Strunk & White and Zinnser and a few others. But while their efforts address precision of thought and clarity of form, McCormack takes the plunge and talks about artistic sensibility and the effective use of craft in a way that enlarges and energizes like no other book I've run across.

His main premise is that artistic sensibilty is something innate. We like or dislike something because it strikes a chord within or fails to. This resonant characteristic of art doesn't need to be taught. It is simply there. The purpose of craft is NOT to teach the writer how to hit that mark but to help him diagnose the ailment when he doesn't. A writer begins with a vision that drives him. The study of craft, at the outset, may hinder more than it helps. When the attempt falls short, there is plenty of time to apply technique and identify the lack or the excess that caused the work to be less than hoped for.

McCormack says there are two basic failures--bad things which have crept in and good things which have not. He demystifies the whole spooky process and makes it seem much more manageable and achievable.

He also encourages writers to find, cultivate, and appreciate good critiquers whether they be someone in the industry or astute and articulate readers. He encourages critiquers to focus on reader reaction (I had no sympathy for George at this point) rather than specific item that triggered it (George shouldn't have screamed at Alice). This allows the writer to address the effect of his choices rather than become bogged down and defensive of the choices themselves.

This is the best book I have read on the subject although I have to admit, it's not a light read. McCormack has a tendency to invent and run with jargon, a minor distraction but an occasional irritant nonetheless. Still, his obvious respect for writers overall and his passion for the subject matter give this book great value. I return to it every six months or so just to soak it all in again.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Call-to-Arms for Editing, April 26, 2002

By 

Jeffrey Leeper "kem2070" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fiction Editor, the Novel and the Novelist: A Book for Writers, Teachers, Publishers, Editors and Anyone Else Devoted to Fictoin (Paperback)

To be honest, the tone of the book didn't grab me. I had trouble reading this book in one sitting. This is not a bad book. It is just that there many books by editors who lambast their colleagues in front of writers in an effort to sign the writers. At first thought, McCormack seemed to be attacking other editors just to look better.

After completing the book, I see that is not the stance the author is taking. He acknowledges that editing is still an art, but avers that a more standard practice and terminology is needed to better the quality of writing today.

To this end, he suggests a vocabulary to help editors describe what works or does not work in a novel. One such word is the prelibation, which is the effect the writer is trying to get from the reader. After reading his suggestions, I am inclined to agree. McCormack also points out the contradiction in many fiction textbooks today. No wonder we have a disparity in editing ability.

I would recommend this book to writers and editors. This book will help you think about the novel in ways that can only help it become stronger.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Insightful, May 18, 2010

By 

JypsyJBook "Jessi" (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fiction Editor, the Novel, and the Novelist: A Book for Writers, Teachers, Publishers, and Anyone Else Devoted to Fiction (Paperback)

As shocking as it may sound, many books on editing fail to give helpful, practical advice. This book succeeds where others have failed. McCormack's chapter on craft stands out like a shining beacon in the field of publishing books. Because of that chapter alone, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to write, edit, or teach fiction (or even non-fiction, which is actually what I want to edit).

McCormack's ideas on sensibility (you either have it or you don't) are interesting and, in some places, very insightful. I agree with him that not every editor is ideally suited to edit every book and that his/her taste must be similar to the taste of the "ideal reader" of a particular book. But at the same time, I'm not so sure that there are a "gifted few" who are born with editorial genius and the rest of the world are just a bunch of Philistines. I think everyone has some artistic sensibility. Whether or not they have the ability or inclination to use and develop this sensibility might be a different story.

However, my opinion once again coincides with his when he points out the important relationship between craft and sensibility. Craft gives you a "bag of tricks" or a set of practical skills and strategies for making a book better. But only artistic sensibility can guide you in how (or if) to use particular elements of your craft. For example, craft would say to avoid using the same verb repeatedly in one paragraph. But one of my classmates brought in a poignant paragraph from Neil Gaiman's American Gods that repeated the verb "believe" over and over to a marvelous effect. Clearly, the editor of American Gods needed to rely on sensibility to say, "Go ahead; break the `rules.' It's powerful, it's beautiful, don't ruin it because of your devotion to Strunk and White!"