Plot Your Way to Publication (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

I have recently downloaded Plot Your Way to Publication by Brenda Hill and was amazed at how much help I gained with this. The techniques of writing a novel are shown with a clearly written way to begin, proceed, and end. Helpful hints and charts are all included. For anyone wanting to improve or even spruce up on what they are doing, this is a must. I thought I was finished with my third book until I realized from this course I have a long way to go. I highly recommend this to all writers. --Anne Lebrecht, Memories of a Forgotten Past

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Brenda's charts and examples show theory at a glance. --Dr. Camille A. Smith, Take Back Your Power

Trying to write a book...have you thought of every fine point? Brenda Hill has. As an editor, instructor, and author herself, Brenda has compiled a comprehensive and easy to follow method when plotting your next book. I had prepared myself for a hard, technical book on writing, but was pleasantly surprised to find the tone so entertaining. As a nonfiction and fiction author, Brenda brings this book down to our level and gets to the heart of what is important. The explanation of essentials and follow up with examples is exactly what every writer needs. --Lighthouse Literary Reviews

Product Description

Plot Your Way to Publication A step-by-step method for building a successful storyline. A compact writing course, this workbook guides you from basic story idea to a solid storyline. Designed for the busy lifestyle, it's simple enough to read in one sitting, yet powerful enough to demonstrate the mysteries of story structure. Contrary to myth, a good skeleton does not inhibit a writer's imagination; instead, an accepted structure provides the exciting changes that lead to story satisfaction. Which is what your reader expects. Today's readers are more sophisticated than ever before, and they instinctively know and expect certain things to happen in your story. If these incidents do not occur, the reader is often left dissatisfied and disappointed. Draggy, they may think. Dull. They may have purchased your first novel, but may hesitate to buy your next one. Don't let that happen! After many requests, Brenda Hill has condensed years of teaching fiction into simple one-page chart templates. Not only does she explain structure, she gives examples of critical scenes and turning points and shows you exactly where they should be placed for the best dramatic effect. She even lists the scenes she used in her novels, Ten Times Guilty and Beyond the Quiet, on the included plotting charts as clear illustration of the techniques and methods. Extra pages of blank charts are included as bonus, charts you can copy and use again and again.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing (January 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935407252
• ISBN-13: 978-1935407256
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #954,968 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just a Collection of Basic Fill-in-the-Blanks, March 20, 2009

By	Livvy "Livvy" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

I usually don't waste my time reviewing 1 star books but this one really bugged me. I bought this book based on the other 2 reviewers. What a disappointment. I'm a visual person, so I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of charts and the such was compiled in this book but to my dismay, the charts were extremely basic and repetitive. If you already know about the 5 major plot points, then this book will be very remedial, basic, and useless. At best, it serves as a notebook to jot down notes on your story structure. If you are an extreme beginner and haven't really read any books on plotting and are intimidated by lengthy explanations on story structure, then this book might help you as a starting point. But for the price tag being charged for this book, try to find it used because it really isnt worth more than a few bucks.

If you're still looking for a book that is user friendly and visual with charts on plotting, I highly recommend Martha Alderson's Blockbuster Plots instead. Check out her site as well, as it has a wealth of information.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book will be Your Best Friend!, January 13, 2009

By	Nancy A. Jackson "constant reader" (Monroe, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a writer who has very little in the way of innate organizational skills, I just want to say that this book has been my best friend! It really lays out the basics in pulling one's ideas together to make a coherent story. I have used it as a guide in several stories I've written. It's a superb tool to keep writers on track. I'd recommend it to any writer, new or experienced.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars To Each Their Own, March 27, 2009

By	William Simon "William Simon" (Houston, TX, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am very pleased with this one. As another reviewer commented, yes, it has many blank forms to use, but that's the point! Fill in the blanks, plot your novel, stay on course. Every writer is different, and works differently, but I personally am finiding the book to be a great help!