- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Penforasword (July 1 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0978924622
- ISBN-13: 978-0978924621
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14 x 1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 249 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #33,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
To Outline or Not?,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success (Paperback)
Writers are divided about whether to work from detailed outlines or 'go with the flow' and revise later. In Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, author K.M. Weiland argues that outlining provides writers with a valuable road map that makes the story-telling journey much easier. By spending time on planning early on, writers can avoid dead-end ideas and produce coherent, balanced and focused stories. Outlining helps writers understand their main characters before they leap onto the page. This familiarity helps 'outliners' create rounded characters who speak with a consistent voice throughout the story.Weiland's lively book offers a step-by-step guide to the process she used to outline her own novels. The steps address the critical elements of good story-telling including establishing character, setting, plot, structure, conflict and theme. Each step is illustrated with pertinent examples from her own writing, familiar novels and films and with lists of questions for writers to consider about each topic. Whether you are an 'outliner' or a 'seat of your pants' writer, Weiland offers a treasure trove of ideas, probing questions and resources for any writer who wants to keep readers reading!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (62 customer reviews) 49 of 49 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Priceless Tool For Any Novelist,
By Kristin A. Offiler "writer" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success (Paperback)
As a writer who has attempted a handful of novels in the past without an outline, I knew it was something I would need going forward with my newest work-in-progress. I wasn't sold on the idea of an outline at first, though. They seemed restrictive, boring, and frankly too much work BEFORE starting the real work of writing a book. But after reading "Outlining Your Novel" my mind is completely changed. In fact, I doubt that I'll ever go back to "pantsing" it with novels. Weiland's guide not only walks you through the steps necessary to set up a functional, useful outline, but it also explains WHY having a road map will make your story better. She's absolutely right-- when I try to write without a guide, I only get so far before I panic and stop working altogether. I would never head to a new city without directions, so it makes no sense to write a new story without a guide either. Both are new, unfamiliar territory. Both can be conquered with some planning.I read this book in less than 24 hours, highlighting points that resonated with me so I can revisit them again and again. I read it a second time to begin working on my outline. However you read it-- at the speed of light or slow and steady-- you will come away with practical tools to get your outline started. If you're a writer, you can't afford to NOT read this! 25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best writing books I've read,
By Matt Murphy, Author of THE SOMEBODY OBSESSION... - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
As the owner of more than 40 books on writing, I've found it increasingly difficult to find a book that offers a whole lot of material that hasn't been covered in numerous other books. Outlining Your Novel provided plenty of new and useful information to me as a writer and, unlike many writing books which left me feeling more despair than enthusiasm about writing, it left me feeling eager to start my next book. Despite its title, the book will be very useful to writers of all genres in all forms of media, whether you're writing a 300-page book or a 300-word blog. My only minor complaint is that the author's novel Dreamlander, which has not yet been released, was used for many examples, and it would be nice to be able to read the book right away after finishing this one so I can read the examples in the actual book. But that's a small gripe about a great book. Highly recommended, well worth the low price.
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Book Will Help You Write Your Novel!,
By Liberty Speidel - Published on Amazon.com
As a reluctant outliner, I couldn't recommend K.M. Weiland's book more. The techniques she suggests in "Outlining Your Novel" will definitely help me in future projects as I further explore the outlining concept.Her book is well organized, beginning with many misconceptions about outlines--many of which I used to adhere to until recently--and taking you step-by-step to the start of the actual writing of your novel. Several techniques I'd already begun utilizing prior to reading her book. Many others I am already contemplating using as I begin working on my next three projects, two of which I've already started "pantsing." In fact, I can see a couple packages of my favorite pens and several more notebooks in the not-to-distant future for me. :) What makes K.M.'s book great is the fact she speaks from personal experience, describing the techniques she personally uses when drafting her novels. In a series of interviews, she also draws on the varied experiences of ten other authors, such as Elizabeth Spann Craig and Jody Hedlund. Examples of good techniques are also used from various books and movies--The Patriot and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are made examples of more than once. If you're a newbie writer, or just a newbie to outlining, reading K.M.'s book is well worth the time. All of the techniques indicated may not be for you--I know I'm not nearly as detailed as she is!--but they do add something extra to think about as you embark on this great writer journey. Happy writing! Liberty Speidel LibertySpeidel.com [...] |
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