How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling
admin | Nov 14, 2009 | 5 comments
- ISBN13: 9780312010447
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Written in a clear, crisp, accessible style, this book is perfect for beginners as well as professional writers who need a crash course in the down-to-earth basics of storytelling. Talent and inspiration can't be taught, but Frey does provide scores of helpful suggestions and sensible rules and principles.
An international bestseller, How to Write a Damn Good Novel will enable all writers to face that intimidating first page, keep them on track when they falter, and help them recognize, analyze, and correct the problems in their own work.
$11.50
How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling
Filed Under: Books Today
I bought this book hoping to find ways to improve my own writing. While Frey introduced me to some new exercises, what astounded me was his remark on pg 37 (of the hardcover) in which he claims that without conflict Madame Bovary would have been “no more worth reading than a Harlequin romance.” As a romance writer I wonder what Harlequin — a huge, huge, huge publisher would make of that. No, I don’t write for Harlequin, but I’m insulted all the same. Writers are writers, Mr. Frey. Romance fiction is built upon conflict. Readers of the genre can vouche for this. I’m disappointed by this book and by Mr. Frey’s remarks. Perhaps I can offer a fix. Maybe the pg 37 could be changed to say that without conflict the book would be “no more worth reading than a memoir that really isn’t a memoir.”
Rating: 2 / 5
This book is horribly outdated and uses terrible examples to prove points. People who follow these guidelines are the ones responsible for clogging up the publishing industry with #$%^& novels.
Rating: 2 / 5
The section of 3 character dimensions, and the section of premise is ripped off The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri. Once you get past that, you realize that this book offers nothing useful for writing a salable novel. Although it seems like the author knows what he is talking about, if you try to write from what you learn in this book, indeed in any such book, you will never publishin anything. Talent can’t be canned or reduced to a set of rules. There is an exception to almost everything he says.
Rating: 1 / 5
I bought and read this book as part of writer’s workshop some years ago, and found it extremely limited in scope and not at all helpful to what I supposed was it’s market: just-published or not yet published novelists.
The author turned out to be one of those writers who ‘teach’ that there is only one way to write a novel and see it published. That generalization pretty much describes his approach in a nutshell and I found it helpful only for some of the other sources on novel and fiction writing he does cite.
Rating: 1 / 5
In a word, other people do this much, much better. I found nothing new or particularly valuable in this rehash of other people’s advice. Also, his snide attitude about other genres (particularly romance) was uncalled for.
Save your money…or spend it on Swain, Bickham, Vogler, King or one of the many other useful guides.
Rating: 1 / 5