Customer Reviews

No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Chris Baty, the author of No Plot? No Problem, is the founder of National Novel Writing Month, a bizarre, web-based movement, now in its sixth year, in which would-be novelists are invited to unleash their inner muses, register (for free) at the NaNoWriMo website (NaNoWriMo.org), and crank out the rough draft of a novel during the month of November. Incredibly, more than 25,000 people attempted to do just that in November of 2003, with some 3500 of them crossing the finishing line. (Anyone who writes 50,000 words in the allotted time is declared a winner.) No Plot? No Problem is Baty's brief (about 50,000 words) and breezy companion volume to the literary marathon.

In the first part of his book Baty offers readers mostly playful advice. Those undertaking the month-long novel-writing challenge are advised to turn their loved ones into effective agents of guilt, for example. Writers, too, are urged to procure a "wearable, writing-enhancing object" such as a baseball cap, the better both to put themselves in the mood to write and to signal to family members "that you've slipped away into the shadowy Realm of the Novel, and that you are not to be disturbed unless they--or one of the more likable of the family pets--are on fire." Baty also provides practical advice about carving out time in one's schedule for writing. (One past NaNoWriMo winner, a woman from Indiana, reports escaping from her children to find writing time on the toilet. This may be the way things are done in the Midwest, but I'm afraid a bathroom door is insufficient to stop the determined young of New England.)

In the second, more meaty part of his book Baty provides a week-by-week guide (intended to be read at the appropriate points in the novel-writing month) to the writing process, with week-appropriate pep talks, exercises, and tips. (For example, the tips provided for week one "center on leveraging the adrenaline rush of the first few days, avoiding the pernicious desire to self-edit as you write, creating a convenient home for your castaway thoughts, and maintaining the momentum by keeping your story a mystery to those around you.") These four week-specific chapters are followed by a helpful section on the rewrite, the more exacting business of turning one's raw, hastily-scribbled prose into a passable novel once your novel-writing month is over.

No Plot? No Problem probably does not provide any advice about writing that readers would not be able to find elsewhere. But Baty is a very good, funny writer, and his enthusiasm for this insane project is infectious. Having begun his fetching* little book a skeptic, you'll finish thinking that writing a novel in a month is not so daft an enterprise after all. It may be that Baty's argument for casting aside one's inhibitions and striving for quantity of words over quality will be just the inspiration you need to sit down and produce a viable first draft.

* I love the book's subtly-textured, colorful cover, but the dark gray background of the book's inset notes make for difficult reading.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

MY STORY: National Novel Writing Month 2004 started on Nov 1st of that year. It was Nov. 2nd when I remembered the event had started, so I grabbed a pre-existing novel idea/outline and jumped into the unknown. Nine days later and only 7,000 new words and I was done. I felt guilt for not being commited and shame for thinking I jumped into this unprepared...not to mention starting late.

I chatted with a couple of people who said they spent two weeks prior doing story outlines and character drafts and that helped them finish, which only made me feel worse about my "unpreparedness". Thus I was able to justify my failure, forget it and move on within an hour of quiting and enjoy some chocolate chip cookies, guilt-free.

After reading this book, I felt I could have and should have stuck with it regardless of how far behind I was by day 9. This book made me laugh, made me cry and made me feel inspired to take this challenge tonight and not wait till Nov. I read the book in a day, which is fast for me, and I left with more things to think about than things forgotten.

Too often writing books talk about starting with the notecards, then storyboarding then moving into characters, etc. This entire approach of just writing it and then "fixing" and figuring out all that other stuff after the fact is mind blowing and backwards to all the other writing advice books out there. BUT the more you examine the process (and see the thousands who have completed it) belief takes root that this is possible for everyone to write a novel. I'm not saying a good novel, but a novel nonetheless.

The book contains great advice for surviving the four weeks and so many other tips that I don't want to give you a spoiler like a bad movie trailer. You just need to read the book for yourself and then take the challenge.

I know I'm more prepared now that I have a bit more direction thanks to this easy to ready, entertaining book.

**Updated NOTES**
I still refer to this book each year. Since first reading this book I have succeed in completing this monthly challenge in 2005, 2006 and 2007, 2008, 2009.

I did not do much of the challenge in 2010, but its 11/30/2011 and I'm about to finish my last 3,000 words.
If it wasn't for Chris' suggestion of how to punch out 6K words in a sitting I wouldn't have made it this year.
I still find this book a great resource!!

Whether you're a new writer or experienced, I can already think of a few reasons for owning this book. Key word: ATTITUDE. This book is amazing for "butt-in-chair, words-on-page" writing. The bottom line is that whether the writing is good or bad, you still have to get words written down before you can do anything else.

I also like the format and layout. It's fun and unique, like a 'field guide' more than a writing book.

Like a field guide, the first half of the book is all about the preliminaries, gearing up to do the job, just as if you were going rock-climbing or cross-country skiing: the equipment, the mindset, the little things (like good coffee).

The second half is a four-week 'game plan' for the National Novel Wriring Month challenge. The nice thing is that this is a book you can use any time of year, not just for November.

A great source of inspiration!

(A fellow writer said to me, "I could never finish something like that." I persuaded her to sign up anyway, saying "Even if you don't finish, it'll still be more words on the page than you would have had otherwise, right?")

This book isn't a great book, but it isn't bad. The author's writing style is pleasant and fun. He carries you along through an entire book even when there isn't much to say. But the most important thing isn't the book, or the depth of the book. The important thing is the message.

Let's face it, this book is mostly a cheerleading book. It tells you that you CAN write a book in 30 days. Then it gives you a few good pointers and helpful ideas. There is nothing totally new or earthshaking here, but there are a lot of basic points that are of tremendous value.

I guess I was wishing for something a little more profound, but what is here is very accessible. Most importantly, if you follow the techniques that it recommends, you will find yourself doing things as a writer that you never imagined.

If writers can get the main message of the book, that it is possible to write a book in 30 days and follow through on the techniques, then this book just might change their lives.

March 5: I picked up Baty's book and started reading it. March 6: I started writing my own book, doing most of my writing in the evening when my toddler was asleep. April 3: I typed my 50,739th word to conclude a rough first draft of a story I've been planning to write for the last nine years. April 16: I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder.

Hey, if I can stay focused on writing a novel for a month, you can too. Definite credit goes to Baty, whose practical, enthusiastic book kept me feeling optomistic about my ability to finish. ADD makes me easily distracted and if I'd tried this with a negative attitude ("I'm going to write a book in a month that I haven't been able to finish in nine years?"), my attempt would have been doomed from the start. But Baty's week-by-week description of the monthlong process helped me keep my doubts and my inner editor at bay and keep going.

Now if he would just write a book to nudge me through the rewriting process!

Baty is a wonderful writer whose irreverent, inspiring book made me eager to sit down and write a novel in a month, which shows that his insanity is contagious. After reading his book, I felt too hip for words, like a real cutting-edge, hardcore, wild and crazy novelist, and I'm really looking forward to displaying my extreme novelling hip-ness to the world by sitting down in a coffeeshop and putting down vast quantities of questionable prose. Hey, I can always clean it up when I start rewrites, but there'll be nothing to rewrite if my fears and self-doubts keep me from writing a first draft at all. The advice on page 89 was especially helpful.

This is a superbly-written, user-friendly book for anyone who has ever had the whisper of an urge to write a book. Loaded with happy, helpful hints on how to prepare yourself to become a writer (from finding free time in your busy day to setting aside special "writing" clothes) and incredibly affirming encouragement, Baty's book is sure to entice the inner storyteller in any timid writer. Even veteran writers will enjoy revisiting of their experience of becoming novelists, however. I found myself grinning from ear to ear remembering my first novel attempt. I just loved this book!

Some writers need to not take themselves so seriously here. This is *not* a textbook on writing or publishing. There's no advice or sage wisdom on plot or character or dialogue or style. Chris doesn't tell you how to format your manuscript so as not to be marked an amateur by a publisher. It never claimed to be that. He tells you up front it's not that. There are hundreds of other books that address these issues.

What it does claim is that you will have a novel at the end of 30 days. And it delivers. No Plot? No Problem! is the book you read before you read Elements of Style. Reading a hundred books on proper writing or plotting or crafting does not result in a finished novel. It results in the academic knowledge of how to write a novel. Chris's goal, as another reviewer put it, is to get "butt-in-chair, words-on-paper". Then, and only then, do you have a novel, and that puts you leagues above the person who has Elements of Style memorized but not a single word on paper. Even if the novel is bad, you have a novel. Bad can be worked with. Nothing is still nothing.

No Plot? No Problem is intended to get your butt in the chair, 50,000 words on paper, and produce some fun along the way. Take it for what it is. It's fun, it's insanity, and it's worth every minute of reading and writing.

How you would feel if you were told you could write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days? Would you picture yourself quitting your day job and retreating to some log cabin to write it? Could you see your name on the New York Times Bestseller list? Well, in Chris Baty's new book "No Plot? No Problem!," the author explains just how the seemingly impossible goal is attainable.

Baty is the founder of the National Novel Writing Month challenge (NaNoWriMo), where everyone from the polished author to the newbie is given the task of writing a novel in 30 days. The book serves as a step-by-step guide on how to achieve the goal. Why is the writer only given 30 days? It's because people seem to work better when deadlines are established. Baty explains: "...most of us become "one day" novelists. As in, `One day, I'd really like to write a novel.' The problem is that that day never seems to come, and so we're stuck. Or we were stuck, anyway. Because as far as artistic deadlines go, this book comes with a doozy."

What about the person who hasn't a clue about novel writing? Not a problem. Baty shows you how to get started by developing characters, writing what you know or want to know, and participating in free range writing without worrying about editing. By the time you're done, you'll have a first draft of that great American novel you've been promising yourself you'd write. Well, uh, at least you'll have written an American novel, which is the goal here anyway. The editing phase and getting published are a whole different ball game. So if you're just writing a novel just to say you've written one or to get a major publishing deal like a few of the NaNoWriMo participants have done, there's something in this book for you.

"No Plot? No Problem!" is filled with sound advice on how to write the first draft of a novel, even if you don't adhere to the 30-day rule. Baty's humorous writing style makes reading the book a fun way to learn all about the writing process without necessarily taking the task too seriously. So if you're interested in writing a novel just for the hell of it or to sign that two-book deal with a major publisher, this book is great desk reference to help you get started.

Highly Recommended

Emanuel Carpenter
[...]

Good writers know that many readers are merely biding their time, until there is some money lying on the pavement so they can simply stoop and pick it up. Chris Baty is a good writer. He knows you must get away from this philosphy yourself and follow this wisdom in your own writing. He urges you to "get off the dime," and with all the bait-and-switch, touting, pump and dump tactics of a con man he pummels aspiring writers down the road toward that ultimate goal and enrichment: publication. Cheers! Great! Whatever it takes. ##### I've never had so-called "Writer's Block," for a reason: As editor / publisher of Business Opportunities Digest I always had an abundance of good material coming at me, constantly, to the point of wondering how I could pound it into book form fast enough. The big problem in my cup-runneth-over writing career was the clock. At one point in trying to arise to the challenge, in the 1970s at its apex, I ground out seven books in one year. So, I know what Baty preaches can be turned into reality. It CAN be done ##### And, let's face it: Baty inspires in an offbeat, humorous, yet sagely insightful way. Suggestions like ignoring editing in the first draft, right on. Plow ahead under the sharp, self-imposed whiplash of a rigid timetable? Couldn't be better advice. Don't overburden yourself with quality control in the beginning (that should always come later), don't worry about criticism, don't fret about acceptance, don't listen to all the nay-sayers--all constitute sound counsel to ponder. It's little wonder he has floods of people stampeding a path to his big Fall writing seminars. ##### For a worthwhile prod to get you off the launch pad to a writing career, No Plot, No Problem is still another "way to go" and a fun read indeed.