The Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing [Paperback]

Tom Clark (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1998

From first ideas, plots and subplots to outlining, writing and working with editors after the sale, in this book writers will receive professional guidance from over 30 of the finest authors, editors and teachers in the publishing world.'

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA --A comprehensive how-to manual compiled from articles published in Writer's Digest magazine. Covering all areas of composition, such as organizing, story planning, and rewriting, the handbook also gives tips on character creation, love scenes, and the use of flashback. The book has numerous examples and illustrations, and advice from successful novelists.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This is an anthology of articles culled from Writer's Digest magazine, emphasizing genre and popular fiction. Literary and small-press publishing are not treated, nor are contests, grants, etc. Featured are Orson Scott Card on characterization, Lawrence Block on plotting, Dean Koontz on agents, Tom Clancy on best sellers, and a host of less well-known regulars to the magazine commenting on the how-to, not the art, of novels. Some 37 chapters deal with copy editors, selling a manuscript, suspense, outlining, dialog, plot, and so on. Several articles are little but pep talks, but David Groff is interesting on (nonsexist!) love scenes for the contemporary reader, and Michael Seidman's distilled advice about book contracts is valuable. Much common sense here, and no despair whatever, as if writing a novel were like baking bread.
- John Mort, Kansas City P.L., Mo.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898798310
• ISBN-13: 978-0898798319
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,758,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vital., September 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing (Paperback)

Full of excellent advice. This handbook carefully analyzes every facet of the craft so you don't have to. In one place it says you should allot 2000 hours to write a novel. If that's true, 2000 hours without this book's advice is a waste. Although most of the articles included mention that novel-writing is a process, that your first one will be, ah, less than perfect, I can't help but think that after reading this, I can avoid many of the pitfalls. I would give this book five stars if there were more actual examples of flawed writing improved. But that's almost nothing; this handbook truly is a vital tool. Just reading authors' advice is enough to get your own ideas boiling. I've developed my thoughts more today, reading this, than I have in months with the idea.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Hard, Cold truth about Slush Piles, April 4, 2001

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing (Paperback)

I've learned many good writing techniques from the folks at "Writer's Digest". I have their "20 rules for good writing" taped up next to my PC, and my first SF novel (alas, not yet published) and I graduated together from the Writer's Digest School. WDS matched me up with a published Science Fiction writer and he critiqued my novel very thoroughly. It was a good, albeit slightly expensive learning experience.

"The Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing" expands upon much of the advice that I received from my 'personal' WDS tutor. It is composed of a series of essays that were originally published in "Writer's Digest" by authors such as Loren D. Estleman ("Five Ways to Strengthen Fiction With Dialogue") and Orson Scott Card ("Creating Characters That Readers Care About").

I believe you will find this book inspirational if you're pregnant with a novel but have not yet conceived a single word.

It will be useful (in the slightly disorganized manner of essays by multiple authors) if you've already started to write but would like to improve your craft.

If you are like me and have already discovered the hard, cold truth about the slush piles that lurk behind every publishing house, try Tom Clancy's chapter on "How to Write a Bestselling Novel".

Another suggestion for writers who want to improve their fiction--join one of the web-based writing groups where your fiction will be critiqued by your peers (and you will critique theirs). One of the best groups that I've been involved with over the years is the Critters Workshop (fantasy, horror, science fiction). Many of its members have been published (and paid!), and according to the "Writer's Digest" editors, Critters is "well run and quite stable".

Good luck and good writing!

And as my husband keeps telling me, "Don't quit your day job!"

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read..., January 13, 2003

By 

Paladin08 (Folsom, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Writer's Digest Handbook of Novel Writing (Paperback)

1) When I first received this book it was part of the Novel Writing course paid for through Writer's Digest School of Writing as the main text book. As a totally novice writer it was very needed.

2) Revisiting the book several years later I found 10 out of the 37 essays to still be of use. The 10 I liked were nice checklist/template type essay's that are good to keep posted nearby as a reference.

Whether you are new or advanced there should be something here for everyone.