Comments on: How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:30:29 +0000

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

By: R. C. Sacksteder

R. C. Sacksteder — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:11:02 +0000

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

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:45:47 +0000

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

By: JackDaniels7

JackDaniels7 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:36:02 +0000

This book is horribly outdated and uses terrible examples to prove points.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

By: Kathryn Smith

Kathryn Smith — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:22:19 +0000

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