Product Description

Successful author and veteran writing teacher Nigel Watts walks you through the novel-writing process-from germinating an idea, through developing plot, character and theme, to finding an agent and contacting publishers. He also provides priceless pointers on how to get started and keep the momentum going and how to conquer writer's block. Each chapter features examples from some of the greats along with skill-building exercises. This new edition contains fully updated listings of writing courses and additional resources not found in the previous edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #130604 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
"[an] excellent book for beginners" -- Writing Magazine - Jun/Jul 2003 issue 20030512 "A well-structured guide...packed with valuable tips, hints and writing exercises... An excellent tutorial" -- The New Writer - May/June 2003 20030514 "a must-read" -- the good book guide 20030514 "This should be a very useful book for those aspiring writers to whom it is addressed." -- PD James 20030514 "Writing a novel is hard, but writing about how to write one is even harder. A book so full of technical advice as this one runs a risk of limiting the imagination; but Nigel Watts avoids that trap, giving the would-be novelist a licence to write with his or her own unique voice." -- DM Thomas 20030514 "There are so many aspects of the text that I applaud, that it's difficult to pick out any single passage..." -- Elizabeth North 20030514

About the Author

Nigel Watts PhD in Creative and Critical Writing, taught from 1989, the year in which he published his first award-winning novel, The Life Game.

Customer Reviews

Great Guide on Writing & Getting Published
Written by an award-winning international novelist and professional educator, the content matches the title- some structure & tools for the creative task of writing quality novels (and other documents) and getting them published.

Action-packed concise, attractive chapters address: introduction, beginning, plot, the eight-point arc (e.g. stasis, trigger, quest, surprise, critical choice, climax, reversal, and resolution), sub-plot and symbolism, character, dialogue, viewpoint, setting the scene, style, theme, editing and shaping, the personality of the writer, support, and marketing.

This book facilitates better creative writing & editing- offering tools often embedded deeply in much lengthier courses or books. An improvement could be to include a chapter on web-publishing.

Overall, highly recommended for use as a thoughtful and deep working book.

excellent help for the novelist
This book is NOT written to inspire you to write a novel. Its purpose is to provide help for people already inspired. Nigel Watts has included excellent tips and examples and "how-to" advice for just about any question one might have. It's a friendly, helpful, wonderful book and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a book like this.

Well-balanced.
Often I'm afraid that books of this nature will focus too much on the "mechanics" of writing. That it will lack soul and somehow detract from my own creativity or individuality. This book DOES NOT do that. It balances well between concrete guidelines for constructing plot, theme and character and abstract "artisitc" advice. The chapters are short and concise, wasting no time in delivering to you the information that you might be looking for. I highly recomend it.