Customer Reviews

Writing the Blockbuster Novel

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If you want to write "serious" literature, look elsewhere. But if you want to write a blockbuster novel, one that will top the bestseller charts and be read for decades to come, then you NEED this book! Not a course in literature or even in novel writing (Zuckerman presumes that you know the basics) this book is a guide to writing the "big book," the book all agents dream of finding, the book that will earn you the million dollar advance, be sold to the movies, etc. While it's not absolutely necessary to read the blockbuster novels Zuckerman cites in this work, it does help, and some familiarity with them is certainly necessary. Knowing example is the best teacher, Zuckerman takes us, step-by-step, through each of the requisite elements of a blockbuster novel--elements that each and every big book share. The book is not for everyone, though. If you aspire to short-story writing or the writing of small, quiet books that may be excellent but will never "take the world by storm" then you'll probably find Zuckerman "too commercial." But if it's commercial you're looking for, this book is truly worth its weight in gold. Thank you Mr. Zuckerman for writing it, and a special thanks to Ken Follett for sharing his early drafts with us. You both did far more than you'll ever know and we appreciate it.

This book should prove very helpful to writers of commercial fiction. It's not necessary to read the blockbusters (Man from St. Petersburg, GWTW, Godfather, Thorn Birds) to follow Zuckerman's arguments, though the novels will certainly help any writer learning the craft. The Follett outlines demonstrate how a serious (and ambitious) novelist crafts his work prior to writing. The outlines give a very detailed look at the novel in its various stages of development, and Zuckerman's analyses of them are dead-on. However, Zuckerman pays too little attention to the other novels: he's not nearly as detailed or insightful of their inner workings as he is with Follet's, which he edited. Moreover, the inclusion of "Garden of Lies," a novel written by his wife, seems to be a ploy to squeeze royalties out of an anachronistic book that few nowadays would consider a blockbuster. But Zuckerman is an agent, after all, so such tactics shouldn't scare die-hards off.

Zuckerman warns that the first-time novelist attempting a blockbuster might be biting more than he can chew, since he he isn't talking about any ordinary bestseller, but a "blockbuster." However, some of his advice (e.g., not to write a historical work) must be taken with a grain of salt because, even as he points out, most of the works he's dealing with are period pieces. In addition, anyone looking for a "how to write" book will not find much guidance here (Zuckerman assumes we know the basics of conflict, structure, character, etc.). Nor does he delve into the matter of how to sell your work.

Overall, an excellent resource to your writer's library, and well worth the price. Writers who aspire to blockbusterdom (or just plain bestseller status) owe Zuckerman a big thanks.

This book IS different from most others. First of all, where other authors bob and weave about exactly what you should do, Al hits you in the face with it. If you agree, fine. If you disagree, better get some other book. For instance, he lays out his value criteria: "high stakes; larger-than-life characters; a strong dramatic question; a high concept; a farfetched plot premise; intense emotional involvement between several point-of-view characters; and an exotic and interesting setting."

Really, there's the whole book for you in a nutshell. In separate chapters, he elaborates each of these elements. If you're not sure you want to base your novel on a farfetched premise? Or have larger-than-life characters? Well, you have a problem.

He also devotes about a quarter of this rather short book to discussing in detail the re-writing of one of Ken Follett's novels. If you don't want to write the type of novel Follett writes, better choose some other writing book.

Still, if you can afford one more book on writing, this one might challenge some of your assumptions and provoke you to make your novel just a little more gripping.

Get this book! Even without studying the works Zuckerman references, tools crucial to a novelist are ludicly described. The references give context for his examples.

I read the work three times: the first time, without referring to the material; the second pass, having several of the reference works at hand; and the third, working through some of the examples.

One reviewer understandably was irritated about having to use these references. If you want to pair them down, get only Follet's _The Man from St.Petersburg_. Zuckerman refers to it most often - and the novel is fun too.

Along with Sol Stein's, _Stein on Writing_, Zuckerman's will sit next to Strunk and White on my shelf.

The only fault that I found with this book is that it should have been titled "Writing the Blockbuster Novel FOR DUMMIES". I have two BIBLES on how to create a novel-the other is Stein on Writing. Both of these books contain similar content but approach the topic of creation from a different point of view. A budding novelist should read both in order to grasp the key concepts required to create an interesting and sellable work.

Like many people, I find it easier to grasp new concepts when introduced with an example. Mr. Zuckerman introduces a writing concept and then reinforces it by demonstrating how it is achieved in different blockbuster titles. The majority of the references in this book are to Ken Follett's "The Man from St. Petersburg." This book must be read in order to gain the full impact of the examples. I found that if you rent the videos "Gone with the Wind" and "The Godfather" the points of reference to these works can be gleaned over popcorn and soda.

One of the most interesting chapters is dedicated to the outlining process. Mr. Zuckerman reprints several early outlines of "The Man from St. Petersburg." For anyone trying to build a work of fiction, it is comforting to see that even a successful writer such as Ken Follett doesn't get it right the first time.(Second, Thrid...) A must have!!!!!!!!!!

From reading the title one might gather that an appropriate subtitle might be "A Hack's Guide" or "Slanting for Success." Reading the book, however, dispels that illusion. I've often wondered why certain excellent books I've read never went to the top of a bestseller list, and now I know. Most of this book covers basic stuff you can find in lots of other books on writing, but the parts that deal specifically with what makes a blockbuster novel are the best parts. You don't even need to have read the books he uses as examples-- I, personally, have read only _The Godfather_, but it was this book that made me want to. And since Ken Follett lets Zuckerman use plenty of his first-draft material to see how a good book can be made better, this book provides invaluable insight into the process of writing a novel itself. You should get this one.

This is one of those must-have books for the aspiring novelist. Zuckerman's concept of the "commercial best seller" is very specific. His advice might seem constraining and formulaic, but it's hard to argue with the success of a best seller, monetarily and in terms of number of readers reached. For us philistines who would like to produce a good read and reach a wide readership, Zuckerman shows us the way to go. The successive outlines for Ken Follet's Man From St. Petersburg were very edifying, showing the author's struggle with plot development and characterization. It's a rare opporunity to see a clearly weak first idea develop into a first rate novel. So get this book and write a best seller first, then you can go back at your (well bank-rolled) leisure and write exclusive arcana for your elite cadre of literati.

I'm torn. Normally, there are books I recommend to absolute beginners, & books I push on those who are about ready for publication. Zuckerman says more than a few things that someone who's just starting out should really ponder, but most of the book is for Serious Students.

In any case, please understand that Zuckerman's agenda is right there in the title: the "Blockbuster" part. This isn't about High Art -- it's about aiming for best-seller status, & improving your chances (however marginal) of getting there.

It's not an "easy how-to" sort of book: he expects you to read, & to study, & to do some actual work at becoming the sort of writer who can turn out a million-seller. To get the most out of this, you really ought to read _Gone with the Wind_ and _The Godfather_ and especially Follett's _The Man from St. Petersburg_.

Literally half the book is taken up by only two chapters (of fourteen) on respectively "The Outline Process" and "Revision" -- the two parts most shunned by the majority of writers who expect fame &/or fortune to fall at their feet.

In particular, creating & evolving an outline is something very likely to set your teeth on edge. Zuckerman does a great job (via Follett) of showing how a good idea becomes great, & then sells a million, by putting the outline through repeated upgrade.

For that reason alone, most hopeful writers will reject it. I'm still struggling with it myself, but I have to admit that a little doggedness here has already improved an idea of mine that I knew would never be fine art, but more & more looks like it could be a great thriller.

If you want platitudes & "support" for your noble writerly efforts, or you want to write nothing but lit'ry fiction... then, yes, this is very much the wrong book for you. If you want to turn out a respectable potboiler, & maybe make it something more progressive, read & follow this book, especially those two chapters.

I am a literary agent at the William Morris Agency. I do not work for or with Mr. Zuckerman but I think this is one terrific and useful book, particularly for experienced authors who want to write the "big one" and jettison their careers to new heights. I do not agree with everything Mr. Zuckerman says but he lays out all of the issues. I have refered many writers to this book and have had excellent results. This is must read for ambitious and hardworking authors.

This is, once more a book on writing and to tell you the truth, If you've read one, you've read them all. They all get into the same stuff, Point of view, resist the urge to explain, exposition, tell the story in the now, dialogue, and many many more. If you have told yourself you are going to write a book and you wanted to get a book on the craft, then by all means get this one. It is no different than, Self Editing for Fiction Writers, The First Five Pages, How to Write a Damn Good Novel or many others out there.
SUGGESTION: Two books that helped me out, more than any other, On Writing by Stephen King and Elements of Style By Strunk and White. Read those as well as this book, and you should have enough tools in your belt to get the job done.