1st Edition
Before You Write Your Novel Essential Skills for the First-time Novelist
Previously available as "Before You Write a Word", Before You Write Your Novel sets out the essential techniques and approaches that lay the perfect foundation for writing your first novel. This concise and readable guide addresses the major stumbling blocks of fiction writing: the importance of planning and structure. This book covers the essential components of novel writing including narrative, story, plot, pace, chronology, character arc and engagement techniques, as well as research, story building, plotting and editing. Using an open and honest approach, feeding from his own experience as a published novelist and creative writing teacher, James McCreet offers a guide to the structural mechanisms of the novel, helping you plan a first draft through to a finished novel.
About the Author Why listen to me? Introduction Chapter 1. Readiness Chapter 2. The Idea Chapter 3. Building Story Chapter 4. Construction Chapter 5. Narrative Approaches Chapter 6. Case Study: Plotting a Novel Chapter 7. Troubleshooting Chapter 8. Before You Write a Word Thematic Reading List
Biography
James McCreet has worked as a teacher, a bookseller, an editor, a copywriter, and a journalist. He teaches the MA Novel course at Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
"Those who like to work with outlines will find McCreet’s approach extremely helpful, as he lays everything out for the author to follow along. Those who prefer the 'pantster' approach will probably find this information more useful at the time of revision. No matter which camp you belong to, this is a great how-to book for any author to add to his writing toolbox." - BergersBookReviews.com
