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You Can Write a Novel
 
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You Can Write a Novel (Paperback)

~ James Smith (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)


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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Veteran novelist James V. Smith helps beginners make their writing dreams come true with his writer''s toolkit for building a successful novel. He begins by breaking down the complex process of novel writing into simple pieces.'

About the Author

James V. Smith, Jr., has published more than a dozen novels, including the six-book series Force Recon. His latest novels, the Delta Force series written under the pen name John Harriman, use the full range of the new pacing tools introduced in this little helper. He’s a former combat soldier, helicopter pilot, newspaper writer and editor, national award-winning columnist, and magazine editor. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Writers Digest Books; 1st edition (September 15, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 089879868X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0898798685
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #791,077 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

James V. Smith
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's James V. Smith Page


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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews
5 star:
 (19)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Endings First, February 28, 2004
By JEFF F. HAINES "Jeff F. Haines" (Arcata, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I'd like to add to the many reviews of You Can Write a Novel by bringing up what I consider to be the best advice in the book--the best advice I've received in a long time. Smith advises you to write the ending first.

Instead of starting at the beginning, typing thousands of words, suddenly finding yourself lost, then, naturally, abandoning the project, you're advised to plot your novel ahead of time. Then you're to begin writing at the best part, the end.

By writing a strong climax early on, you will clearly see where your novel is going, and you will be able to foreshadow effectively. Honestly, this one professional tidbit has helped me to finish my first story in a long time (a short story, granted, but the advice crosses over).

Smith shows you how to zoom out and see your novel as a whole, to write it out of order--always tackling the parts that inspire you most, first, above all others--and to fill in the lesser scenes later.

It almost makes writing fun. (Many of us don't write for fun, but out of compulsion.)

I'm currently reading another book about novel writing that's twice as long and less than half as effective. You Can Write a Novel by James Smith is short, HELPFUL, and enjoyable. This guy wields words with humor and authority. He makes me want to write a novel, which previously I'd feared. I couldn't imagine how to tackle such a project.

He'll make you beleive that you can, too.

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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A novel approach on writing novels, December 10, 2005
Since I am about three-fourths done with the first draft to my novel, it's too late to take all his advice. As you may have gathered from other reviews, Smith takes a very practical and logical approach to writing. Organizing everything up front. It should make your writing clearer and more focused. It involves a series of cards for each character and scene in your book. Larger cards for larger scenes and characters of greater importance. I will write my next book based on this system.

Other invaluable advice he gives involves what to do once you finished the first draft. And it is up to date requiring word processors. He shows you how to do searches and look up offending words and types of words. In a word, brilliant.

In fact, he gives you no less then thirty-five items to go through for the revision stage. All of them valuable. Perhaps some of the most compact, yet best advice I have seen. Remember, the only thing between your novel and a best seller, is in the revision. These thirty-five steps will shine your work to brilliance! Go for it.

In short, if you haven't started your new novel yet, don't be a moron, buy this book and be signing your own books and a year or so. If you are part way through your present novel. Kick yourself for not buying this book first, buy it and use the editing section. This book goes on my shelf as a must read.

PS This book is yet another home run from "Writer's Digest Books" who is in my mind the premier source of fine how to write books.

PPS My short list of must reads:

The First Five Pages, Noah Lukeman
Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Mass
45 Master CHaracters, Victoria Lynn Schmidt
Dialogue, Gloria Kempton
Description & Setting, Ron Rozelle
Scene & Structure, Jack M. Bickham
You Can Write a Novel, James V. Smith Jr.

PPPS My short list of stinkers that slipped through:

Creating Character Emotions, Ann Hood
Writing Dialogue, Tom Chiarella
Theme & Strategy, Ronald B. Tobias
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Be honest. You need help., September 4, 2001
By "irongiant" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
To all would-be novelists: do you need help? Is there a first line, or a first chapter, lurking in your desk drawer, waiting for your ideas to gel? Maybe scraps of ideas written on envelopes and napkins?

Get organized. This book is what you need.

James V. Smith covers all necessary aspects of writing novel-length fiction, up to and including a unique way to organize characters and scenes on index cards, keeping all your info available when you need it.

Then, beyond the mechanical help, Smith gives you practical advice on the creative process. Learn how to revise by eliminating text; exactly how many main characters a well-crafted novel has in population; how to make those characters believable, and the reader care about them; how to start and keep going until you finish.

It's as good as a fiction workshop priced at ten times the price of this book.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Book is Great
The book continually references organized notepads where you are supposed to list your characters and so forth and which comprise the rest of the purchased kit. Read more
Published 1 month ago by B. Gorshe

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for application and new or experienced writers!
My disclaimer: As with any opinion, it is only my opinion and these reviews will vary depending on who reads the book and what the reader is looking for. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rip Walker

3.0 out of 5 stars Novel Kit
I finished reading the instructional book within the kit. The author has some helpful ideas about how to organize your thoughts. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Creative Writer

5.0 out of 5 stars A valueable book with lots of good info
This book can be read fairly quickly because it doesn't waste words. It's concise and meaty. So it's a good way to get started on writing a novel. Read more
Published 9 months ago by William Polm

4.0 out of 5 stars Little Gem for First Time Novel Writers!!
I'm so pleased that I finally gave in and bought this kit. I own and have read over 50+ books on writing fiction and this one is the first to simplify the process of organizing... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Livvy

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book-- you'll learn a lot, valuable
This book You Can Write a Novel by James V. Smith is excellent and so practical. For example, some of the advice in this book tells you, have your story outlined. Read more
Published 17 months ago by True disciple

4.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable tool for newbies
This is not, unlike many other how to write novel books, a book to pick up and read through at random. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mrs. Dawn Copeman

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book on Writing
I have read many, many, many books on writing. Most focus on this or that and attempt to explain writing in an artsy way. Read more
Published on May 27, 2007 by Christopher Swain

4.0 out of 5 stars What to do & how to do it in plain words
You can best use this book as a guide to the author's 2006 revision published by Writers Digest Books under the title "Writer's Little Helper". Read more
Published on March 15, 2006 by Jerome Beck

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational "How To" with many "Go To" Ideas
I have read about 15 "writing a novel" type books, and claim to have read all the "best" books out there. This 132-page book by J. Smith is decidedly different. Read more
Published on February 21, 2006 by Gary D. French

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