Product Description

This book covers the most popular element among our fiction-writing audience: plot. Appealing to novelists of any stripe. The Novelist's Essential Guide to Creating Plot allows readers to focus on and examine in depth the structure of the novel - either one they're currently working on or one that they are planning. Light in tone and friendly to the beginner, Davis' instruction is accessible and practical, guiding readers to implement the lessons of the text in their novels. Readers will learn how to increase the intensity of their plots, enrich their work with multiple and parallel plots, and weave in subplots, leitmotifs, backstories and more. From planning the plot to polishing it, Davis covers every aspect of how the plot works in concert with the other elements of fiction writing and putting plot into perspective, allowing the reader to more clearly understand how novels are shaped and structured.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #921620 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780898799842
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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About the Author
J. Madison Davis is the author of several mysteries and books of nonfiction. His mystery, The Murder of Frau Schutz, was awarded an Edgar by the Mystery Writers of America. He is currently the senior professor in the Professional Writing Program of the University of Oklahoma's H. H. Herbert School of Journalism.

Customer Reviews

Good for beginners...otherwise, perhaps pass it up
I confess that I'm a junkie of writing books. Perhaps I'm not representative of this book's intended audience. But I pulled out my hilighter to catch useful or new things in this book...and couldn't find anything. If you already know pointers like "begin in the middle of a scene", you've read other books on writing and plotting, and have passed the newbie stage in your writing, this book may not have much new for you.

However, the book could be helpful for beginning novelists who are trying to figure out where to start and how to structure a book. It is well illustrated with examples from novels, short stories, and movies to help get its points across. For beginners it may provide a number of important "a-ha" moments.

Novel Writing Guide Reads Like a Novel
This book is short and sweet. Practically every page points out a useful tip for creating successful plots, and the book remains insightful and entertaining throughout its tour of plot beginnings, middles, and endings. The author seems quite familiar with the habits of beginning writers and knows exactly how to get a point across in as few words as possible. I love the book and am recommending it to all the writers I know.

Aristotle would have been proud
If you're looking for a fast-paced, interesting book to improve your writing, this it. Like former University of Oklahoma professors Jack Bickham and Dwight Swain, Davis offers writers of all skill levels and genres a truly helpful blueprint for creating plot and building an interesting story around it. Enjoy.