Sunday, June 22, 2008
Yolanda Sfetsos
Book Description from Amazon
A breakout novel is one that rises out of its category--such as literary fiction, mystery, romance, or thriller--and hits the bestseller lists. Maass explains the elements that all breakout novels share and shows readers how to use these elements to write a novel that has a good chance of succeeding in a crowded marketplace. They'll learn to:
* create a powerful and sweeping sense of time and place
* develop larger-than-life characters
* sustain a high degree of narrative tension from start to finish
* weave sub-plots into the main action
* explore universal themes that will interest a large audience of readers
Then, using several of his clients' experiences--including best-selling novelist Anne Perry--as case studies, Maass provides real-life, insider examples to show how this type of novel can generate agent and publisher interest, creating or enhancing a novelist's career.
A breakout novel is one that rises out of its category--such as literary fiction, mystery, romance, or thriller--and hits the bestseller lists. Maass explains the elements that all breakout novels share and shows readers how to use these elements to write a novel that has a good chance of succeeding in a crowded marketplace. They'll learn to:
* create a powerful and sweeping sense of time and place
* develop larger-than-life characters
* sustain a high degree of narrative tension from start to finish
* weave sub-plots into the main action
* explore universal themes that will interest a large audience of readers
Then, using several of his clients' experiences--including best-selling novelist Anne Perry--as case studies, Maass provides real-life, insider examples to show how this type of novel can generate agent and publisher interest, creating or enhancing a novelist's career.
I finished this book on Saturday night. I'd heard great things about it and had my eye on it for ages. I couldn't find it anywhere here, so I finally decided to order it from Amazon. And I'm glad I did.
It's filled with very interesting information and really forces you to be totally, brutally honest with yourself. I love the raise the stakes concept. It's so true. Without conflict, there is no story. So, after wanting to read it for so long, was it worth it? Yep. It definitely was.
Anyway, I picked up quite a few pointers and will certainly go back - especially to the checklist at the end of each chapter. That's very helpful. But like I've already said, this'll be one of those reference books that I will continually return to.
Have any of you guys read this? What did you think?
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