Library Book #5

Finally, I'm up early enough, not dashing out the door, not sweating to death and I've remembered to pull a library book.

Today's offering is The Novel Writer's Toolkit by Bob Mayer

Bob Mayer created the best-selling Area 51 series (writing under Robert Doherty). He graduated from West Point and served in the Infantry and Green Berets, where he commanded an A-Team. He also just co-authored a book with Jennifer Crusie.

What this bio doesn't tell you is that Bob Mayer is funny. I heard him speak at a local conference and he was fabulous. Not that his book is very funny - apparently his real personality shines when public speaking, but the book contains a blueprint for everything you need to know about writing and I highly recommend it, especially for those just starting out.

Some of the chapters include:

Yourself - Internal characteristics of a writer
Your Surroundings - Tools for day-to-day writing
Your Idea - What to write, The original idea
Your Story - Plot, Starting, Pacing
Your Technique - Point of view, Characters, Dialogue, Setting, Subplots
Your Finesse - Editing, The writing cycle
Your Submission
Your Business
Your Future

Anyway, that's enough to get the idea. Mayer has put together a comprehensive review for creating a novel from what you need to be before you start to where you need to go after a sale.

Excellent resource for writers at all stages. Particularly good for those on a limited budget that want to get a lot of information in the price of one book.