Writing Fiction For Dummies 1st Edition

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

316 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0470530702

ISBN-10: 0470530707

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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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Editorial Reviews

Review

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

From the Back Cover

Writing a novel can be a daunting process — it will challenge you, stretch you, and change you. Whether you've never written fiction before or are looking to brush up your skills and learn new techniques for crafting your words, Writing Fiction For Dummies gives you savvy advice on navigating the entire writing process and turning your ideas into a well-written, marketable book.

Establishing an ideal writing environment — discover how to set aside enough time and an ideal location for your writing
Getting ready to write fiction — pinpoint your location on the road to publication, and set your strategic and tactical goals to get your novel published
Discovering the principles of writing powerful fiction — build a realistic story world, envision unique and exciting characters, craft the layers of your plot, and grow a theme organically
Editing and polishing your story and characters — put on your editing hat and analyze your characters, scrutinize your story structure, and edit your scenes to get your novel in tip-top shape
Getting published — learn how to write query letters and book proposals that will ignite an agent's or editor's enthusiasm and help sell your novel to the right publisher

Open the book and find:

Your strategic roadmap to getting published
Help in choosing your category
Tips for building a believable plot
Guidelines for creating three-dimensional characters
Examples of storylines that spotlight a novel's high concept
Pros and cons of various publishing methods
Advice on finding the right agent and publisher

See all Editorial Reviews

Product details

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (December 2, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0470530707
ISBN-13: 978-0470530702
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 316 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #35 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > Creative Writing & Composition
- #80 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Fiction
- #95 in Books > Education & Teaching > Schools & Teaching > Instruction Methods > Reading & Phonics

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Novel Teen

Ahh, Randy. What a funny guy

January 4, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

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.

159 people found this helpful

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Nate

There are so many good writing tools and tips in this book that it ...

March 27, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I'm a total amateur who has been writing creatively since I was a young person, and have always aspired to some day complete a novel. I used to be a fly by the seat of my pants type of writer with a binder full of unfinished ideas. Tired of this approach, I was looking for a book that would help me formulate an organized, well-structured writing process. This book delivers. There are so many good writing tools and tips in this book that it feels like having a personal mentor sitting next to my computer. I especially liked the idea of a three-act structure with a three crisis overlay. This really helped me think about the big picture and develop a formula for my novel. There are also a lot of character development questions to ask yourself, and your characters, even an opportunity to interview your characters one-by-one until they squirm and give up all of their secrets. There are tips for structuring your time and organizing your work space as well. Just and all-around great resource. It even goes so far as to give you practical advice for pitching your book and getting it published.

The book is also very entertaining and extremely accessible. There are plenty of examples from classic fiction to help you understand the concepts that are being addressed. I feel like I am learning a lot and improving daily, thanks to this book.

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Multiman

A comprehensive tutorial for all level of writers.

September 25, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A comprehensive tutorial for all level of writers. The process of writing a novel can be confusing and disorienting, but Mr. Ingermanson and Mr. Economy take you though step by step giving time tested advice along the way. I have read several of Mr. Ingermanson books on writhing and several of his novels as well. His "Snowflake Method" takes a little getting used to but in the end it simplifies the whole process. I highly recommend using it from the beginning to build your story as apposed to having to use it afterwards to fix structural problems - as I did the first time I used it.

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Remix

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fiction (But Were Afraid to Ask)

July 19, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I've procrastinated about writing a review of this book since shortly after it came out because I have a lot to say, and I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to express it all. So I figure I'll force myself to just do it and get it over with.

Who is this book for?

A. Someone who wants to know exactly how to write fiction from start to finish.
B. Someone who has ideas about how to write fiction, and wants them confirmed.
C. Someone who knows exactly how to write fiction, but has a few weak spots that they can't quite put their finger on.
D. Someone who can't decide which fiction book to buy and can't afford to buy every single one.

This is the last book you will ever need to buy on the craft of fiction. If you're on a shoestring budget, or if you're sick and tired of wading through theory and want to finally get down to writing, this is exactly what you need.

This book covers everything from A to Z, no topic uncovered. It is simple, direct and to the point and doesn't waste time. The advice within the book can be used by writers of all different styles from Seat of the Pants writers to dedicated Outliners; the book even helps individuals figure out which one they are.

Character development, story world creation, how to write a compelling scene, how to write a book that will keep readers turning the page all night long no matter the genre, how to define your niche, genre and target reader; it's all here.

This is the one reference every fiction writer should have.

59 people found this helpful

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Fiontar McEoghanTop Contributor: Pets

Excellent, in depth primer

March 6, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

No filler here, this book provides a lot of detail on how to write a fiction novel, from essential ingredients, building your foundation, finding your writing style, developing structure, etc... It also provides much advice on how to get your novel published once you've found your voice, hammered out your novel, edited, re-edited and polished your work into something worth shopping around.

This book will disillusion you from the idea that you will just sit down and write a novel in one go, with no research, no time spent developing your characters, so attention to your story world and no re-writes. However, that's o.k., because the authors help to guide you toward a strategy for writing a fiction novel that will provide you with a much better chance of producing something worthy for your effort with out having to learn a lot of lessons other fledgling writers need to learn the hard way.

Writing a novel feels a lot less daunting after reading this book, even if there are more steps to the process than I might have previously imagined.

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Most recent customer reviews

Karen Michelle

Step by Step Instructions

This book has definitely been helpful in keeping my thoughts on track for my latest writing endeavor.Read more

Published 24 days ago

whatwat

Four Stars

This was a good ebook

Published 1 month ago

Tami A. Jaegel

Put this in your writing tool box!

I can't agree with the other reviewers, although they didn't ask me to agree with them. I was ready to write, and ready to study how to write. This book got me there.Read more

Published 2 months ago

aileen laing

Five Stars

great job thank you Vacaville Checker Cab and T4 Manufacturing Inc ,Rio Vista California

Published 2 months ago

Eva

Writing tips

Great book! I enjoyed it very much. If you are planning to write a book it will give you a kick start.Good luck!

Published 3 months ago

A.B.

Basic information for everyone who did not major in English ...

Basic information for everyone who did not major in English but who wants to write a book. Well, I am an English major and the book helped Me as well. :)

Published 4 months ago

Candace Joy

Comprehensive and clear

While written for beginning authors, the structural tips inside are the perfect refresher course for even experienced authors as they edit their works in progress.Read more

Published 5 months ago

Lorelei O'Connor

Great information. It has a specificity that gets into ...

Great information. It has a specificity that gets into the nitty-gritty of putting together your novel.Read more

Published 7 months ago

S. L. Vernon

I highly recommend it a the author's other helps

This book is a tremendous help for writing fiction. I am working my way through as I begin my first fiction writing endeavor. I highly recommend it a the author's other helps!

Published 8 months ago

Mike

Good transaction!

Arrived fast, as described. Thank you!

Published 9 months ago

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