Writing Fiction For Dummies (Paperback)

~ Randy Ingermanson (Author), Peter Economy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'...an easy-to-follow guide providing step-by-step instructions...' (Writers Forum, December 2009).

Product Description

A complete guide to writing and selling your novel

So you want to write a novel? Great! That’s a worthy goal, no matter what your reason. But don’t settle for just writing a novel. Aim high. Write a novel that you intend to sell to a publisher. Writing Fiction for Dummies is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author. Here are some things you’ll learn in Writing Fiction for Dummies:

• Strategic Planning: Pinpoint where you are on the roadmap to publication; discover what every reader desperately wants from a story; home in on a marketable category; choose from among the four most common creative styles; and learn the self-management methods of professional writers.
• Writing Powerful Fiction: Construct a story world that rings true; create believable, unpredictable characters; build a strong plot with all six layers of complexity of a modern novel; and infuse it all with a strong theme.
• Self-Editing Your Novel: Psychoanalyze your characters to bring them fully to life; edit your story structure from the top down; fix broken scenes; and polish your action and dialogue.
• Finding An Agent and Getting Published: Write a query letter, a synopsis, and a proposal; pitch your work to agents and editors without fear.

Writing Fiction For Dummies takes you from being a writer to being an author. It can happen—if you have the talent and persistence to do what you need to do.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (December 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470530707
• ISBN-13: 978-0470530702
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,263 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, December 14, 2009

By	Timothy R. Greene (I believe I am on uncharted Territory) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I am still only in the beginning of the book because of my time to read has been limited since I picked up when it was first released. Have followed Randy for two to three years through his Advance Fiction website and has always been willing to answer questions of mine and other. This book has allowed him to take his teaching and put all together for those interested in writing. Where as I have been writing for several years now, I am still learning from reading through the basics.

I would high recommend this book for anyone who is already writing or just starting out. It keeps it simple. As for more advance stuff in the later part of the book I have no doubt that it will still be easy to follow and if questions come up you can always email Randy. I also would recommend this checking out Randy's free E-zine where he goes over this stuff in more depth each month.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it. Now., January 7, 2010

By	James L. Rubart (Woodinville, WA. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I won't bore you by repeating the comments others have already made. Suffice it to say there are a few must-have writing books on my shelf. Writing Fiction for Dummies has just created a new space for itself.

John Wooden always stressed fundamentals at UCLA on his way to winning all those championships. Ingermanson and Economy do that here with brilliance. It means beginners, advanced writers and all in-between need to have this book in their library. I wish it had been around when I started. Highest recommendation.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ahh, Randy. What a funny guy, January 4, 2010

By	Novel Teen Book Reviews (USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)

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Review by Jill Williamson

Randy Ingermanson is my hero. I have been learning from him since I discovered his website in 2005. The man is not only a wealth of information, he teaches in such a fun and friendly way, you can't fail to learn. And now, everything Randy teaches is here in one convenient package. Man, how I wish he had written this a few years ago! It would have saved me a lot of trouble.

I highly recommend this book to any writer, but especially to beginners who want to write a novel. You'll learn how to come up with a plot and test it to see if it's strong, how to create amazing characters that are deep and engaging, how to plot your story and avoid the dreaded sagging middle, how to keep the tension and pacing strong, and how to edit your novel. This book even includes cool things like an interview between J.R.R. Tolkien and Frodo Baggins. Ahh, Randy. What a funny guy.