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Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at His Craft

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David Morrell's name may not sound familiar, but his works should spark recognition. Rambo. Brotherhood of the Rose. If you haven't read them, you may have seen or heard of the Rambo movies or TV miniseries. Who can forget Sylvester Stallone as Rambo in his black headband with his exposed sweaty muscular chest holding a machine gun with fury?

Impressive background aside, the knowledge that Morrell imparts is educational and constructive. He tells the story of the writer, Sterling Silliphant of Route 66, who influenced Morrell's career in writing. A story like that sounds dull, but Morrell tells it in a simple and gripping way like the rest of the book.

Morrell provides lessons on literary techniques: plots, structure, and voice. His technique of talking to himself and questioning every aspect of a story is a remarkably easy way to ensure the words and story have purpose.

Most writers don't have time to go to a writer's conference or take a class. This book is a class in itself without the annoying "how to" style of writing. I read this book over a period of several months, absorbing one chapter at a time. Reading it slowly was like getting a mini-lesson each reading session.

Not only does he offers tips on smarter dialogue and overcoming writer's block, but he also talks about the business of writing and what to do when a book is published. "Getting Published and the Business of Writing" alone is worth the price of the book. Every writer who publishes a book will benefit from this chapter.

Whether or not one is interested in screenwriting, the chapter on movies is a humorous adventure as Morrell dives into the red tape-like process for getting Hollywood to bring a book alive on the silver screen. Think writers whose books get Hollwoodified are rich? Think again as Morrell walks through the steps of where all the money goes and it ain't in the writer's pocket.

The genre of Rambo movies isn't my thing, but I'm Morrell's fan after spending time with this book. He's inspiring.

Anyone who's spoken at length with David Morrell knows him to be
insightful, and seldom lacking for amusing anecdotes. The engaging former professor is a learned man, eager to impart the benefits of his considerable wealth of knowledge and experience to those who are interested.

In keeping with his reflective nature and his instinctive desire to educate, Morrell has penned a useful and entertaining combination memoir and self help book called LESSONS FROM A LIFETIME OF WRITING: A NOVELIST LOOKS AT HIS CRAFT. In its pages, Morrell taps four decades of writing experience for the benefit of aspiring writers. He thoroughly explores both
the act and the business of writing, methodically covering the basics of everything from plot construction to contract negotiation. Morrell truly believes that there is no such thing as a stupid question, as he painstakingly answers many inquiries that most writers impatiently dismiss out of hand. A good example is the oft asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" a question that seems to cause many writers physical pain. Always
the patient educator, Morrell takes the question seriously, detailing the method by which he transforms a kernel of an idea into an engrossing plot.

It's this attitude that distinguishes LESSONS from other writing guides, making this user-friendly tome an invaluable addition to anyone's library. Not so much a "How To" as it is a "How I" book, it provides insights into a working writer's mind and habits, showing how one author tackles problems and overcomes challenges. There is great inspiration and encouragement here for practicing writers and plenty of intriguing particulars for those who are merely fascinated by the writing process.

I've been a published novelist for over a decade and David Morrell's book still managed to teach me things I didn't know about my craft. His style is personable, his anecdotes delightful, and his insight and instruction invaluable to anyone interested in writing and publishing. He boldly and bluntly begins by addressing the big question: WHY do you want to be a writer? Answer that one correctly, then get to work with the help of this terrific book.

This is not a traditional "how to," with step by step instruction. Don't look for that here. Rather, this is like getting to sit down for an evening with a real pro, and have him share the most important things he's learned over the years.

It is encouraging, even for published writers. I am comforted by the fact that Morrell still gets the "shivers" at the start of any project. And knows that there is a way out. You'll find all sorts of nuggets you can put to use.

Morrell has proven his stuff, by writing books that try to do a little more than the traditional thriller conventions. Thanks, David, for your voice, and for this book.

David Morrell has presented us with a book about writing that tells the truth about the craft and business of writing. Like many books on writing, he tackles the basics of plot, character, point of view, and description, but his explanations are superior to most books of this type. Because his examples come from his experience writing novels (and screenplays), he shares his personal difficulties along the way. His discussion of point of view, particularly when to use first person or not, is among the best I've seen. I loved his discussion of the financial aspects of writing where he states the real dollars you can expect-not the fantasies so many writers have of getting rich. Some laughter here, too, about his experiences with Hollywood.

If you're in the middle of writing a novel, stuck on a block, or considering starting a novel, you'll find LESSONS FROM A LIFETIME OF WRITING readable, inspirational, and practical.

~review by Joan Mazza, author of Dream Back Your Life; Dreaming Your Real Self; and 3 books in The Guided Journal Series with Writer's Digest/Walking Stick Press.

David Morrell is a writer's writer - a master of fiction who is avidly read and admired by fellow bestselling authors such as Dean Koontz and Stephen King. When I interviewed Stephen King for a writing magazine a while back he told me that David Morrell's First Blood was one of only two novels he used when teaching creative writing at the beginning of his career. 'David's a great writer,' he enthused. 'That's a wonderful book.'
Picking up a secondhand copy of The Fraternity of the Stone on impulse a few years ago was my own introduction to David Morrell; little did I know then that he would become one of my biggest influences in fiction. Reading David Morrell made me want to become a writer, and I've been a fan ever since. I not only read his novels and short stories for enjoyment, but to learn. Now he shows you how he does it - how you can do it too.
Lessons From A Lifetime of Writing is an essential guide book for learning the craft of fiction, and David Morrell is a fantastic teacher. It's a bit like Stephen King On Writing, and just as good (see my review of this book as well). The former Professor of American Literature (and expert on the work of Ernest Hemingway) painstakingly explains in careful detail everything you need to know about dialogue and characterization, plotting and structure, pinpointing the pitfalls to watch out for that will spoil your chances of success. His advice on all aspects of writing (including the business side) is excellent. Lessons From A Lifetime of Writing is not only inspirational ... it's indispensable. Don't just read David Morrell's book ... keep it on your desk for reference.
Other related books I recommend: Black Evening by David Morrell, and any of his novels; Stephen King On Writing; Patricia Highsmith's Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction; The Writing of One Novel by Irving Wallace.

After recently meeting David at a conference, I bought and read his book, FIREFLIES. Written with a mix of fiction and fact, it touched my heart so deeply that I found myself searching out his other work. Since 1988, I've had short stories published, signed with a literary agent and also a screenplay agent, but eventually gave up writing fiction altogether in 1997. Then because my new line of work led me to write an autobiography, I chose his book, LESSONS FROM A LIFETIME OF WRITING. After reading each of his chapters, I found myself critiquing my own work from his examples. Though his book is based on helping the fiction writer, I found much helpful information concerning the craft of writing that applied to both fiction and nonfiction. It was such an inspiration that I have decided to return to fiction writing, my true passion! My favorite part in the entire book is when he asks the question; Why do you want to be a writer? And his answer says it all. For those of you who had to put your fiction writing on hold for one reason or another, David Morrell's book will re-ignite your passion for writing and have your mind dancing with new ideas long before you read the last page.

Reading this book is like taking a writing course from a knowledgeable and friendly teacher. It's a particularly insightful book because it addresses practicalities as well as craft. It is so interestingly written, it makes learning enjoyable.

Morrell, most famous for writing the original Rambo novel, shares his reflections on over 30 years in the writing trade. I would say about 20% of this book is exceptionally good and the rest seems like filler. Much of the content is better presented in other books on writing (Stein on Writing, for example).

Some of the advice is paradoxical. For example, in the chapter titled "The First Page," Morrell presents 11 models of great first paragraphs. All but two have a first person narrator (and their narrative power comes from this point of view). That would be fine except the entire previous chapter ("The First Person") explains how difficult first person is to use properly: "An author shouldn't choose a first-person viewpoint unless no other viewpoint will work..." How useful, then, are these paragraph examples? This book has quite a number of these inconsistencies (especially in the chapter on dialogue).

On the bright side, there is some great advice here. In one section, Morrell recommends beginning writers check the books in the New Releases section of a bookstore once a month. Read "the first sentence/paragraph/page of every one of them." Such a practice can offer a sense of the type of material that editors are currently purchasing as well as supply instruction on good and bad openings.

A must-read if you've written a novel is the chapter titled "Getting Published and the Business of Writing." It describes the business side of writing, editing, and publishing. Morrell's anecdotes about book tours/signings have information I've not come across elsewhere. While the book is "sorta" recommended, this chapter is highly recommended.

David Morrell sticks to the point, and has a from-the-trenches kind of style that feels like your own personal mentor, rather than a "how I became rich and famous" memoir or "here's my course notes" professorial lecture.

I particularly like the chapter where he demonstrates his style of outlining. It's a self-directed Q&A to preserve why you got enthusiastic about your story idea in the first place, for those weeks and months later when you're asking yourself "WHY am I writing this thing again?"

I'm so glad he wrote this book! It's a keeper on my shelf.