Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!"

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.

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.

I am just starting out in this crazy world of writing, publishing, etc... I bought this book after browsing it at the book store. I have fallen in love with it and it has inspired me so much. I can't wait to put all the great advice to work!

I've been writing for almost fifteen years. I grew up reading teen lit and chick lit and wanting to write books just like that, but I always wipe out, dead end, ect. Sarah and Farrin have put together a great guide to help you through your journey of writing a book. Their guidlines and list ideas can actually help you through a variety of projects and tasks, not just novel writing. I found it inspirational and when it needed to be, tough! I'd recommend it to people who want to write and people who like to read, because it gives a lot of insight into the ways the authors create their books and especially their lead characters.

I have read this book three times. It is so user friendly, fun and absolutely charming. I am thrilled to say that since I read See Jane Write, I have finished my own Chick Lit book, Called Diary Of A Beverly Hills Matchmaker. It will be published in February 2010. Thanks Ladies.

I found this book to be very helpful. I tend to have trouble managing my time, and this book had a great way to chart out your day, so you can work in time to write. I also liked the break-down of publishing lingo, and the royalty calculations. It made things very realistic.

My favorite section of the book was the character descriptions that appear in most chick lit books. It's so informative, and helps you realize how you can make YOUR characters different, and not cliche.

I love that it's written in chick lit style, too, which makes it a really fun, breezy read, even though you get tons of great information. Great work, ladies!!!

I LOVED this book. It was so helpful and had so many great ideas. It's written in a very easily understood manner. It's great even if you never plan to write a book!

This is readable, engaging, honest, clear-sighted advice on getting published in women's popular fiction and if you have what it takes, could steer you in the right direction and knock some rough edges off. The only thing I'd criticise are the 'mad libs' or How Not To's. Normally I love How Not To tips but these are annoyingly self indulgent at times, particularly a whole page devoted to a spoof bad query letter. It would be much more helpful to show the template for a good query letter, either as well as or instead of, and in this respect it's more about entertaining than being useful. Still, overall, a good read.

This book is for you if you are looking for practical (& interesting) advice on writing. I have tons of books on writing and while I try to get the ones with the best reviews, this book stands out as one that makes the research process fun. I've read two of Sarak Mlynowski's books and I love Caren Lissner's writing style (the co-author was her editor) so it makes sense that I'm enjoying this book. I recommend it!