Novel writing. "So You Want To Write A Novel" offers step by step guidance in getting your manuscript written. Many writers begin with a grain of an idea. This book teaches you how to take that great idea and make it grow!



Not only can you learn more about the characters in your story, Dr. Stanek offers practical, straightforward advice on tone, setting, imagery, plot, and more. Best of all, it's written to appeal to everyone with its 'user-friendly' format. This book is easy to read, understand, and apply right away. The guidance offered will make you want to sit down and write!

The writing exercises. Each chapter offers good advice and a list of possible story elements designed to help you find and write your characters, and your entire novel with more depth.



Here are just a few examples:



What gives you clues about a person's self-confidence?



How do you discover if a person is intelligent?



What does a person's laugh tell you?



Describe August, having your character use a sarcastic tone.



Describe June, having your character use a humorous tone.



Describe your character's closet.



Describe your character's car in a way that tells more about your character than her car.



His boss smiles as he says "Sorry, old boy, you're not invited." Your character says ______________ but thinks ______________.

. . .go over some of my cast-away manuscripts. The first thing I did when I put the book down was sit down at my computer and get to work on some of my neglected stories!

Lou Willett Stanek, Ph.D is an author and professional writing instructor who has helped countless aspiring authors to realize their dreams of becoming novelists.



She earned a B.A. at Eastern Illinois University, her M.A. at Northwestern and her Ph.D at the University of Chicago. Although she is originally from the midwest, she now offers her writing workshops in New York while continuing to write practical how-to books on writing, and speaking at seminars across the United States.

This book is not only practical and useful, it's presented in a way that makes you WANT to write. I've found that not only has my novel writing become stronger, so has my short story writing. The exercises themselves created new stories in my mind.

If you had writer's block before you picked up this book, I doubt you will when you're through with it. I'd go so far as to say you'll be well over that nasty malady long before you hit the middle page. Finish reading it and applying it to your writing anyway! You'll be glad you did.

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Created Feb 27, 2003 at 1:27pm • Submit your own review...