Customer Reviews

From First Draft To Finished Novel: A Writer's Guide To Cohesive Story Building

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Karen Wiesner is a prolific author! She's written 56 fiction and nonfiction books in the past ten years and has eleven more titles in the works. She's been nominated for or won sixty-eight awards. Her book, First Draft in 30 Days, is a bestseller.

From that first idea to the finished product, Karen Wiesner helps writers write the novel they've always wanted to write. Wiesner believes writing a novel is much like building a house and uses the analogy to help the reader visualize the process.

Wiesner will help the reader/writer:

* brainstorm the novel idea
* with the research process
* create a solid working outline for the story
* create a story checklist that will help you remember those necessary details
* write a cohesive first draft of the novel
* with the revisions
* finish the final editing and polishing of the novel

Wiesner delves into the workings of writing the novel and also helps with the necessary and often dreaded query letter, synopsis, cover letter and partial manuscript to be sent to the agent or editor.

From First Draft to Finished Novel is a wonderful addition to the writer's reference library Wiesner makes things as easy as possible for the reader. She includes a glossary of terms, story plan checklist exercises, editing and polishing exercises and various worksheets. Her writing is concise and easily understood, even for the novice writer.

The book is laid out in a readable manner and includes information and directions to help move along the writing process. Not everyone will use everything Wiesner puts forth, but that's not the idea. The information is offered and can be used if it's wanted or needed.

My only criticism is the repeated comparison of writing a novel to building a house. I found it distracting and interfered with my reading/studying of the book.

Armchair Interviews says: Want to write a novel? From First Draft to Finished Novel would be a good reference source in helping you with that dream.

I read this book and 'First Draft in 30 Days'. They're not set up to require you to buy both, but they compliment each other very well. I got just as much helpful info from each book, not repeats like I've found from other 'series'.

I can't say enough good things about this book. I can now figure out where my issues are in each MS, prop up the middles and get them cohesive. While I may have been able to eventually get published with out the help of these books, I don't think it would have happened any time soon.

At first glance, her method looks a bit complicated. But after reading the book all the way through, and starting at the beginning, It is rather very simple.

There are some things I use (99%) while I discard the items that don't work for me.

As for typing in the worksheets into Word myself, It took me about a half an hour. I typed them up once(customized to my tastes), as master copies, and now I'll be able to use them for any book I decide to write.

I was stuck in a major rut. I did some of the creative writing exercises, knew my plot, had a vague idea of characters, etc., but I still could not get past the blah, blah, blah of most writing books. This book does not go into all of that. It gives you very practical advice to PLAN FOR YOUR WRITING SUCCESS.

It does not take a rocket scientist. I never thought that checklists and organization tips could be so inspiring, but the more information I compile in my writing notebook, the more tangible result I can see. It's absolutely infectious enthusiasm which has already carried me through more than 5,000 words. Plus, by the time I get done reading a portion of this book, I am ready to depart on some totally relaxed writing exercises.

If you are looking for a book to tell you about characters or plot, then look elsewhere. This book guides you to an acquaintance with intimate details of your character which you didn't know existed. It may not make your writing artistic, but it will make your ideas clearer. It is an excellent power-up for beginning book writers (like me) who are just a little overwhelmed by a feeling of inadequacy or by what appears to be a lack of progress.

Karen Wiesner has done a great job for beginning to accomplished writers.
She has written a self help guide to cohesive story building and I found her book to be very helpful to me in my own work. You can use suggested pages to create your own personal help over and over. Her advice and explanations are easy to apply and understand as she encourages the reader. I would recommend this to writers of all levels. You will learn step by step to write a novel in a surprisingly short time.

Paulette L. Harris
[...]

I have both of Karen's novel planning/writing books. These books don't tell you HOW to write a novel, but they do give great advice and worksheets to PLAN novels so when you DO write them they are more cohesive and closer to a finished final draft than if you didn't plan so much.

I value Karen's methods because I used to be a seat of the pants writer and my novels/stories were very disorganized. Because of her method and planning guides and worksheets my idea fully blossoms before I even sit down to write. I read First Draft in 30 Days first, then decided to buy From First Draft to Finished Novel because I love her "teaching" style and I love her worksheets and the fact that her program is flexible. I feel like I can skip steps if I don't feel they are necessary. Other programs I've followed aren't so flexible.

Her books are amazing, but as with any book on writing, take the advice with a grain of salt. These methods worked for this writer, and others, but it might not work for you. Don't be bitter and nasty when a book's ideas don't jive with how you work. Find the way that works for you and use it.

I'm pleased that I happened upon Karen's books. Her program and method works for me.

Claire L. Fishback
Published Author

I bought this as a companion book to "First Draft in 30 Days." Where "30 Days" gives the key outline issues, and an idea of the scope of what needs to be addressed in a novel, this book fills that outline in. I felt that together, they were a great combination, and gave me the perspective I was looking for.

After you have an outline, then what? How do you go about getting that all-important first draft, revise the damned thing, and even get it out the door to an agent or a publisher?

This is the perfect companion book to Karen Wiesner's "First Draft in 30 Days" (which gives you an outline, not, technically, a first draft.) In this book, Karen will bring you home, assuring that along the way you have written a good, solid novel.

A. C. Ellis
author of In Pursuit of the Enemy, Worldmaker, Soldier of 'Tween, and SHADOW RUN: Book I of The Ancients' War

This book has very good info. It is helpful if you are studying to better yourself as a writer.

I bought this book for two reasons.. 1.. it was a very low price. 2 it had pretty good reviews.. Even with such a low price the book really wasn't as good as I had hoped. It talk so much about the other book first draft in 30 days that I feel like I cheated myself by not buying. However I can write a full length 40k word novelette in only 10 days. So why would I waste my money on something like that.
It's very wordy.. I thought the book would give advice on editing and turning a first draft into a completed novel but it's more about planning to write instead of having a draft already done.
I hated it so much.. I gave it to my 15 month old son to color on. Buy anything else but this book. UNLESS you have the book before it.
I might try to read the book later on and see if over time it will get better.. but in the back of my mind it's just a super wordy book that could have been a stupid free article on a simple website.