A Novel Approach: To Writing Your First Book (or Your Best One)

by Jack Woodville London

Overview

You're ready to write your book, but where to begin? Characters? Conflict? Dialogue? Story arc? In a lot of ways writing your book is like building a home or raising your child, efforts of love and patience that are hard enough in their own right but almost impossible without having a blueprint or the examples set by some devoted predecessors to show the way. Writing your book sounds like work, and it is - but you can do this.
Los Angeles Book Festival Finalist, 2015.

Let's start.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780990612100
Publisher:	Vire Press, LLC
Publication date:	09/02/2014
Pages:	98
Sales rank:	217,442
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.20(d)

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“One author speaking with another, offering fabulous advice in a delightful read. If you love to work with words, you will relate to the guidance and this book will make you a better author. Most enjoyable.”
— DAN POYNTER, Author of SUCCESSFUL NONFICTION, IS THERE A BOOK INSIDE YOU?, and President of Para Publishing Company
“I believe both new and seasoned authors should read up on what makes a novel into a page turner as they're writing for ideas and to nudge their memories. London's A NOVEL APPROACH goes on the list of books I recommend to my students and clients for such last minute prompts.”
— CAROLYN HOWARD-JOHNSON, Author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers
“Every author and aspiring author should read A NOVEL APPROACH before they begin to write even their first sentence. London takes writers to the sacred ground of creative writing, where great novels are born. This book is destined to become the new golden yardstick by which writers will measure their skills.”
— William H. MCDONALD, Author, Award-Winning Poet, Founder of AMERICAN AUTHOR'S ASSOCIATION and MILITARY WRITER'S SOCIETY OF AMERICA
“At Editing TLC, I work with clients who range from inexperienced writers to those who have taken the time to study the art of writing. What I've discovered in A NOVEL APPROACH is a resource which will be on a suggested reading list for all of my clients—no matter where they fall on the writing spectrum. The way that Jack Woodville London shares memorable examples from literature to hit home the concepts of writing is truly novel. To me, it is what makes this resource stand above others and why I highly recommend it.”
— JOYCE M. GILMOUR, Editing TLC, www.editingtlc.com
“…Aspiring authors and old pros alike will find it useful and fun.”
— JOYCE FAULKNER former President of MILITARY WRITERS SOCIETY OF AMERICA and Award-Winning Novelist, ghostwriter, and graphic designer
“I wish I'd had this book when I was starting out. I'm just glad to have it now. A NOVEL APPROACH is an indispensable tool for anyone who's serious about making it as a novelist.”
— JEFF EDWARDS, Award-Winning Author of SEA OF SHADOWS, and THE SEVENTH ANGEL
“Jack Woodville London has stripped away the intimidating mystery of good writing mechanics. His presentation and explanation of the tools of the trade, grammar, structure, and above all, how to use words themselves, is clear, concise, accessible, and engaging. His egalitarian use of examples ranging from high literature to bestselling potboilers is as entertaining as it is instructive. Though the book's theme is about how to write a novel well, A NOVEL APPROACH fills a more important need as a useful reference for how to communicate using the written word.”
— DWIGHT JON ZIMMERMAN, #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author, and President of MILITARY WRITERS SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Editorial Reviews

2014-10-23
A common-sense approach to turning inspiration into a novel.In this how-to guide for aspiring writers, London (Virginia's War, 2009) offers a series of simple recommendations for writers looking for help in researching a topic, suggestions for maintaining motivation and advice on avoiding grammatical errors. London draws heavily on his own experience writing military historical fiction, but to illustrate his points, he also makes use of numerous excerpts from well-known books: e.g., Girl with a Pearl Earring is an example of deft research; A Scandal in Bohemia opens an exploration of the character-driven story. A discussion of pacing uses Debt to Pleasure and The Da Vinci Code as particularly effective examples of the extremes plots may reach. A concluding section addresses polishing and revising the completed manuscript—London recommends hiring an editor—and the importance of book reviews. The book's approach to fiction writing, particularly historical fiction, is on the whole reasonable, urging readers to develop literary skills by reading widely and evaluating other works. The tone is encouraging but not given to cheerleading; it's directed at the reader who prefers a tutor to a support group. The book's brevity, also one of its assets, allows targeted analysis with a clear, incisive point regarding a scene from, say, Gone with the Wind. London doesn't get bogged down in extended literary criticism, and his book has its limitations. Some will find the dogmatic tone excessive—"Your first commitment is to write one thousand words a day. Every day"—while descriptivists will bristle at the depiction of Eats, Shoots, and Leaves as the modern authority on grammar. Minor but notable mistakes may catch the reader's eye: London treats "Strunk and White" as a title instead of a pair of authors, and Jane Austen fans will cringe at multiple references to "Elizabeth Bennett."A brief but energetic guide that makes good use of sample passages to turn readers into practitioners of clear, effective writing.

Kirkus Reviews