Customer Reviews

Revision And Self-Editing (Write Great Fiction)

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

 

 

How-to books for writing come in as many variations as there are writers. Some are hype, promising you'll make $100,000 in your first year of freelancing or a $50,000 advance on your first novel. They promise much more than they deliver. There are also the texts which do provide some useful information, but they're about as dry as the Nevada desert in August.

But every once in awhile a writing instruction book comes down the pike which not only delivers techniques you can immediately apply to your own fiction writing, but is actually entertaining to read too. James Scott Bell's Revision & Self-Editing is that kind of book.

Writers worth their salt are always looking to improve their craft. We want each plot to be stronger, each character deeper, each book or story to be better than the last. We're desperate to write a novel that'll keep our readers up `til dawn. But what do we do when we churn out a draft that is, shall we say, junk? What if we know something's not right, but we have no clue how to fix it?

Jim Bell to the rescue. In his previous book Plot & Structure he taught us how to create compelling plots. Now in Revision and Self-Editing he shows us "techniques for transforming our first drafts into a finished novel". When asked who the book was for, Jim told me, "Any beginner who wants to learn the essentials of the craft. And experienced writers, who can pick up some extra tips that work and a systematic approach to revision that will make their books better."

Part I: Self-Editing, gives us an overview of various fiction techniques and exercises. Here Bell touches on the building blocks of novel writing like point of view; show vs. tell and beginnings, middles and ends. It's here in this section readers of Plot & Structure might notice some re-cap. But even seasoned novelists need to be reminded of things like Bell's LOCK system (the four essentials of strong narrative) and what makes great dialogue.

Part II is where we heat up and get down to the nitty gritty of resuscitating our manuscripts. And let's face it--almost every first draft we write is going to need help. As Bell says, "Submitting a novel without rewriting is like playing ice hockey naked. You're just not equipped to put your best, um, face on things. And sooner rather than later a well-placed puck is going to hit you where it hurts most. That puck is the editor's or agent's built-in prejudice against weak material."

Broken down into easy read and digest sections, Bell shows us how to overcome obstacles like procrastination and what to do before you revise. He gives common fixes for everything from setting & description to dialogue and theme. For example, if your opening isn't working he suggests revving up our opening line or weeding out too much backstory, exposition and cast. Your middle sagging? Try strengthening your exposition, adding a subplot, raising the stakes, trimming, or adding research.

If you've ever attended one of Jim's writing classes, you know he doesn't just preach at you, he shows you examples of what works in the real world. Revision & Self-Editing is chock full of examples from successful, published novels and even movies. There are tidbits of advice from other published novelists like Athol Dickson and Terri Blackstock. Exercises after each chapter help you retain and apply what you've learned (Jim provides answers at the back of the book.)

Speaking of writing conferences, that's what reading this book felt like--attending a break-out session presented by a skilled wordsmith who knows of what he speaks. Like a caring English Professor, Jim hovers over your shoulder pointing out the problems and dishing out the fixes. He pulls no punches, and you can tell he wants those who read this book to succeed. With lots of sweat, burning desire, and these techniques in your back pocket, you truly can.

When Plot & Structure released I said, "If you can only buy one writing book, buy this one." Well, it's time to make space on your shelves for one more. Revision & Self-Editing deserves it.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk.com

I read James Scott Bell's Plot & Structure and found it extremely helpful (that's saying a lot since I'm a seat-of-the-pants plotter). Revision and Self-editing is a great follow-up. I found the format of the book very easy to use with interesting sidebars, illustrative examples from books and movies for each technique, and sections with the key points for each chapter. Like Plot & Structure, this book was hard to read only because I kept wanting to jump up and run to my computer to apply Bell's techniques to my own writing. Highly recommended!

As a multi-published author, I'm always looking for great craft books for my "library" to keep honing my skill and working on my craft. This book is definitely a keeper. While it gives a "refresher" on some writing basic concepts and pointers to go deeper into your story and characters, the revision section is a must for all writers prior to submission (or fulfilling deadline). Infused with Bell's humor, the suggestions given are extremely helpful for not only the new writer, but for the seasoned writer as well. The pages contain real, HELPFUL information to help every writer on their career path. This book has earned a space on my reference book shelf.

I bought this book hoping for a detailed how-to on revising my manuscript which is, currently, kind of a mess. This book provided little help. There are only two new chapters--the rest of the content is virtually identical to his other book, Plot and Structure. While there is good stuff in there, I would say, if you have one book, don't waste your money buying the other.

This is in many ways a perfect companion to Bell's classic Plot & Structure. It covers virtually every aspect of the fiction craft and gives dozens of techniques for improving each. (Oddly, some comments seem to have missed this obvious point. There is almost no repetition of the material in the Plot book. These two volumes completely complement each other).

Here is one example, worth the price of the book: How to get HIP to your scenes. HIP stands for Hook, Intensity and Prompt. Understanding these concepts will make every scene in your novel more gripping, whatever genre you write in.

The Revision section is also one of the most helpful tools you'll find anywhere. It provides a systematic approach to editing, something all writers need. Using Bell's guidance, you won't find yourself flopping around wondering what to fix next. Bell helpfully points to the most common flaws you'll find when revising, with ideas on how to handle them.

What I love about this book, and Plot & Structure, is how down to earth and easily understood it is. Bell is not writing to puff himself up, but to help other writers. That is greatly appreciated by me.

Having bought Plot and Structure from the same series and found it helpful, I was looking forward to reading this book. However, huge chunks of this have been copied and pasted from Plot and Structure, so much so that I feel I've been conned into buying the same book twice. Don't make the same mistake yourself - this is a rip-off.

I rated this book on the title and what I thought I was getting. As a book on revision and self editing, it makes a better book on the basics on the craft of fiction writing. If that was what is was being marketed as I would have given it a 4 or 5 because it does a nice job of covering the basic 'how to's' of writing. I would say that reading this was not a waste of time. I found much of it informative and it was pleasent to read.
However, if you looking for a good book on editing and revision, look elsewhere.

This is part of the Writer's Digest "Write Great Fiction" series. I found Bell's other book in the series, Plot and Structure, to be quite helpful, so I was interested in seeing what this one had to offer. I've already developed my own "system" for revising, basically starting with big issues and working down to the detailed polishing. But revision is such an important part of the writing process that I wanted to get as much advise on the subject as I could.

I imagined this book would be devoted exclusively to revision and editing strategies: how to use critique groups, friends as readers, the mechanics of moving text around or rearranging scenes while maintaining flow, record-keeping strategies, which problems to address first, etc. That's not what it is, for the most part. The first two-thirds of the book, although titled "Self-Editing", is really a distillation of writing advice on standard topics, such as plot, character, dialog, point of view, etc. If you own some of the other books in this series, this will be familiar territory. And the subjects are approached mostly from the point of view of how to write well rather than how to edit what you've already written.

The final third of the book, titled "Revision", gets into more of the nuts-and-bolts material I had imagined the book to be about. A fair amount of this is pep-talk or philosophy of writing, but the heart of this section is a revision checklist. This is a genuinely useful tool: a list of things to check your writing for, listed in an order that makes sense (big-picture stuff first). There are "key questions" and "common fixes" for each element of fiction. If nothing else, this helps alleviate the feeling one can have, sitting down to revise of manuscript, of being overwhelmed with all the different things that might need work. I know I have a tendency to revise in a few areas and neglect others. The checklist is a good cure for that.

Still, there wasn't much in this book that I hadn't already read or figured out for myself. No "magic bullets" for foolproof and efficient revision.
All that said, I think this is an excellent book, especially for aspiring writers who have not read other books or taken classes on the subject. It has the virtue of covering everything and emphasizing the importance of revision in the creative process. In fact, if someone were beginning to write fiction and wanted a single book to learn from, this is the one I'd recommend. Bell's prose is clear and engaging, his examples are cogent, and his advice is sound. He's not teaching a rigid method or promoting his personal preferences, just presenting the basics of good fiction writing in a way that any new writer can understand and apply.

If you don't have any books on writing, this is a highly recommended place to start. If you've bought and read a shelf full of them, you've probably got what you need already.

Yes, the title is misleading--this book is so much more than just about editing your manuscript. It's about crafting a well-written story. And isn't that the whole point of editing in the first place?

For the beginning novelist, this book is like finding a full canteen in a desert--a very dry one, filled with mirages, and the skeleton of that guy who had the canteen before you did. It covers all the things I took writing classes to try to learn, read books like "Bird by Bird" and "The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing" to find out (by the way, the latter one is useless, unless you need to start a campfire).

It seemed those classes and books never had the specifics I needed. I had to learn on my own, watching movies and reading books that peeked my interest. I must admit, I feel vindicated: some of the techniques I've been using in my novel are recommended in this book.

DO buy this book if you want to learn:
How to make realistic dialog
Not bore your reader to death with distracting elements
Create a beginning which starts with a bang and keep your audience in suspense
Seed your novel with description which makes the reader feel like they're there
Keep your plot untangled and your scenes strong
Learn how to heighten your creativity and find your writer's voice
And yes, revise your manuscript (!)

DO NOT buy this book if you want:
Something which will tell you all about grammar
Something which will tell you how to write / edit a comedy (my one beef with it, comedy isn't covered)
Something boring and humorless (even though comedy isn't discussed, this book has some amusing moments)

Bell also includes a lot of exercises to help your writing improve. I could totally see a class being taught based on this book.

So yes, the title doesn't suit the book, but that's because it offers so much more than the title implies.
Do buy this book, if you're serious about writing, and you aren't Stephen King.

(If you are Stephen, what are you doing browsing for writing books? Have a little more confidence, Mr. King.)

. . . buy this book. It will help you, whether you're a newbie or a multi-published veteran. I've written four published novels, and I still found invaluable advice in every chapter of Revision & Self-Editing. Although this book focuses on the work that comes after a first draft is finished, it includes tools and tricks that will be useful no matter where you are in the writing process.

It's also surprisingly fun to read. We've all read novels that read like bad manuals. Here's a manual that reads like good novel. I generally have to force myself through nonfiction books (particularly how-to-write guides), but I actually had trouble putting this one down.

Kudos to James Scott Bell on a job well done.