See Jane Write: A Girl's Guide to Writing Chick Lit [Paperback]

Sarah Mlynowski (Author), Farrin Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2006

With chick lit novels popping up on every bestseller list, millions of readers are all thinking the same thing: I could write this stuff. I could write a bestseller and never go back to the office again!
 
And here’s the guide that will show you how. Bestselling novelist Sarah Mlynowski and veteran chick lit editor Farrin Jacobs cover every stage of developing and selling your soon-to-be bestselling novel, with information on
 
     •  developing an idea     
     •  learning the basics of plotting
     •  deciding on a point of view     
     •  pacing, and conflict
     •  making your characters likable    
     •  finding an agent
 
—and much more, including humorous tips and advice from scores of established writers (from Meg Cabot and Marian Keyes to Emily Giffin and Sophie Kinsella). If you’ve got stories to tell, See Jane Write will take care of the rest!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Writer Mlynowski (Milkrun, Me vs. Me) and editor Jacobs, formerly of Red Dress Ink, team up for this handy dandy guide to penning "chick lit," which they define in the first part, "The Big Picture," as "often upbeat, always funny fiction about contemporary female characters and their everyday struggles," citing Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary as the watershed moment for the genre ("not necessarily the first chick lit author, but ... certainly the most popular"). The balance of the first part goes into preparation for writing, describing it in terms of therapy ("It's your opportunity to vent, reveal, create, and release") and dating ("You want to charm your reader"), and providing a lesson in motivation, "Getting Back at Your Ex and Other Reasons to Write." The text contains plenty words of wisdom from other chick lit pros, including novelists Meg Cabot (Queen of Babble) and Sophie Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic). Fiction writers of all stripes, however, should find useful a substantial chunk of this irreverent, easy-to-read guide, especially in part two, "The Details." Chapters on character, plot development, structure and pacing all translate well. Though warning against stereotypes like "Multiple Personality Mary" and "Perky Patty" aren't exactly earth-shattering, this primer covers the basics with wit, style and plenty of welcome encouragement from those who have been there.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Fun, inspiring, and organized in a clear and encouraging style, this book covers topics from what chick lit is to how to create believable characters, develop a plot, and set a tone. The authors discuss seeing a project through to the finish and getting it published. The writing style is quirky and the advice is sound. The main theme is that writing is difficult, but rewarding, and that one can always improve. Cartoons in shades of pink and green enhance the text, done in the same colors. Sidebars offer practical advice and quotes from published writers. The information is transferable to nearly any type of writing, making the book useful and enjoyable to a wider audience than the title suggests.–Marcie Mann, Lafayette Jr. Sr. High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594741158
• ISBN-13: 978-1594741159
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sarah is the author of MILKRUN, FISHBOWL, AS SEEN ON TV, MONKEY BUSINESS and ME VS ME for Red Dress Ink, GIMME A CALL, BRAS & BROOMSTICKS, FROGS & FRENCH KISSES, SPELLS & SLEEPING BAGS and PARTIES & POTIONS for Random House, and TEN THINGS WE DID (AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE) and HOW TO BE BAD (along with E.Lockhart and Lauren Myracle) for HarperTeen. TEN THINGS WE DID (AND PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE) will be out this June. Sarah has been featured in the short story collections, AMERICAN GIRLS ABOUT TOWN, SIXTEEN: STORIES ABOUT THAT SWEET AND BITTER BIRTHDAY, 21 PROMS, FIRST KISS (THEN TELL) and FIREWORKS. Sarah also co-edited the bestselling chick-lit collections GIRLS' NIGHT IN and GIRLS' NIGHT OUT and co-wrote the first ever guide to writing chick lit, SEE JANE WRITE.

Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-one languages and optioned to Hollywood. She was born in Montreal but now lives and writes in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just Like Chick-lit, October 5, 2006

By 

book junkie - See all my reviews

This review is from: See Jane Write: A Girl's Guide to Writing Chick Lit (Paperback)

This is a fun guide. Learn about how writing chick-lit is like therapy and dating. And forget about making excuses about not writing, Ms. Mess or Ms. Really-Busy. She's got your number. There's lots of personal experience and advice. It's like sitting down and having a conversation with some good friends.

There's a downside, though. With 180 pages and lots of graphics, there isn't a lot of text. A lot of topics are covered but: a) none that aren't covered in other guides and b) none that aren't covered better in other guides. I can't see anyone picking up this book and then having the light bulb go on "aha! I can now write a chick-lit novel!"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Upbeat, encouraging guide, November 3, 2006

By 

Bearette24 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: See Jane Write: A Girl's Guide to Writing Chick Lit (Paperback)

Without being preachy, this book walks you through the basics of writing a chick lit (or any) book...making your characters believable, crafting a likable yet lovably flawed protagonist, ensuring that your character has grown or changed by the end of the story, creating interesting dialogue, drafting a query letter that will grab an agent's attention, and avoiding common stereotypes/pitfalls. The authors, who have experience as writers and editors, include insightful sidebars ("words of wisdom", "mistakes I've made") and pepper the text with interesting quotes from chick lit authors on handling rejection, etc.

As the Amazon reviewer pointed out, the tips here are relevant to writing all types of fiction.

Wholly recommended if you are interested in writing or getting your novel published.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun to Read, January 4, 2007

By 

Lucy L. Blaney "Chick lit fan" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: See Jane Write: A Girl's Guide to Writing Chick Lit (Paperback)

The guide is fun to read and not too technical. The colored ink and pages make it a little over-the-top with feminine decoration, but it doesn't detract from the content. It's a good guide maybe for someone who has never written (anything) before, but some of the 'insider' tips are more like common sense. I would have appreciated more tips on how to crack the market, what types of books sell best, and more on structuring a story.