2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, November 8, 2011
This review is from: Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go (Kindle Edition)
I bought this a couple of years ago while working on my first novel. It is a great tool and it significantly improved my skills. As a result I easily had my first novel published. I would recommend Les Edgerton to any serious writer and also his follow up book Finding Your Voice.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A big help for writers, February 22, 2012
This review is from: Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go (Kindle Edition)
If you are a writer contemplating writing fiction, or if you have already started a work of fiction, get this book first. Its message is simple and understandable, but if you are like me and other writers I know, it will make you rethink your approach to your stories, and improve your writing. Every writer should read this.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A few good ideas that may or may not work, November 10, 2011
This review is from: Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go (Kindle Edition)
I've read a few Writer's Digest articles written by the same author, so when this book came up on the free list here, I jumped at the chance to download and read it. I've read a number of books on writing, so I'm not a novice looking for something like basic story structure, the importance of tension, etc. I knew the first sentence or three were important, but I'm always open for new ideas and gave this one a chance.
And, honestly, I'll say that the first half of the book is helpful, but the second half is pretty repetitious if you have any knowledge about the basics of writing. The most helpful points of this book were:
1) Make sure that every "minor" obstacle (or as he calls it, a surface problem)comes about because of a previous one. The resolution to the minor obstacle must not resolve the bigger overall issue (he calls it the story-worthy problem). The major issue/problem shouldn't be resolved until the end of the book.
2) Make sure that even if your reader doesn't know right away what the protagonist's inner demons are, that you DO know what they are from the very first sentence. (Keep asking why. This sort of came up in Stephen King's On Writing, but I think it is more concrete here.)
3) Realize that your readers are smarter than you give them credit for. In other words, snip the backstory until later. Most writers know this, but sometimes we need to be knocked over the head again as a reminder.
4) He provides a way to structure your book. This helped me the most as I was struggling with the overall outline, and for some reason, it jump started my brain in the right direction. I realize this is an idiosyncratic example, but sometimes your brain just needs to see it a different way.
However, if you are looking more for overall writing tips, these books may be more helpful:
Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel OR The Fire in Fiction
Jessica Morrell's Bullies, Bastards and Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction
I'm sure there are other books if you're really a novice, but I've been writing since I was 12, so I haven't read many books of the basic basics. For genre specific you have Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, or for Romance you have Leigh Michael's On Writing Romance.
Good luck!
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