The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing

It breaks down the novel-writing process into small, manageable tasks that even the most inexperienced writers can achieve. Readers will learn how to find a hook, create a conflict, develop a protagonist and set her into motion.

Formerly an editor and now a successful literary agent, Marshall knows the marketplace. His expertise illuminates every subject, from insightful advice about choosing the right story to strategies for building that story with an eye toward publication. He includes plenty of diagrams, charts and section sheets to make following the program easier, and there's even a section with proven advice and information for writing effective query letters and submitting manuscripts for publication.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

One of the Best Books for Writers, 2008-11-20
Reading this book will not guarantee that you will write a great novel, but does point out many things to avoid. Get rid of as many adverbs as possible and replace them with stronger verbs.

Example:
He walked slowly down the street. (Drop "slowly." The man's speed should be indicated by the context of the passage.)

Better: He strolled down the street. (Walking is boring. Try another verb once in a while.)

Marshall notes that readers like surprises. Your novel should have three or four surprises. The first surprise should come at the end of the beginning. Marshall's book is filled with such gems.

Writing is an art that can be learned. Some people are born with the gift, but that does not mean the rest of us can't learn the craft.

I would highly recommend the "Marshal Plan." I got a lot out of it.


0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

GREAT BOOK!!!, 2008-09-11
I struggled for years trying to finish a novel, then I happened upon this 'how to' book. Now I've authored over twenty. It makes everything easy, just keep an open mind and do exactly as it says. Later you can adapt your outlines to your writing style.
Michelle
www.michelle-oneill.com


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

A step in the right direction, 2008-05-24
I am glad I found this material. As someone who has always enjoyed both reading and writing I was elated to find a book that outlined the process of writing a novel. It is nice to have a structured plan and an organized way of working that plan into reality. As a literary agent, Mr. Marshall provides the necessary input within "The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing" for a beginning writer, like myself, to focus on the important story elements in advance of placing a word on a page. Learning to focus on the novel writing process, prior to jumping into the story, I feel is critical to achieving the goal of finishing the story, and Mr. Marshall provides a framework to assist the writer in executing this process affectively. I would also suggest the workbook that Mr. Marshall wrote to accompany the material in this book.


0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing, 2008-04-16
The book is a step-by-step program to writing a successful novel. Each step is easy to understand and gives examples, both good and bad. There is much to consider in each step but one should be able to write a good novel if the steps are followed.


0 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

A disgrace to literature, 2007-09-16
This is the most outrageous thing I've ever seen. This guy has books out the wazoo that tell people what to do with their books in order to get it published. Are you kidding me? That takes all the meaning out of writing itself. Writing is an expression of your creativity and love of something. Following a mechanical order according to this demented book is all wrong. You don't need certain things to make something a book. What makes it a book is a good idea, and a person who is avid in the area they're in. If you're a fan of fantasy, like me, for example, and you've read and watched countless books and movies on fantasy, and you have creative writing skills, you can write a novel, if desired. You just need to build your skills and learn how to make your story more captivating to a reader, but certainly don't go about it by following rules, like this book suggests. I shall quote my favorite author, Stephenie Meyer, author of three New York Times bestsellers, on her stance on aspiring authors. "Write for yourself first, and then worry about the publishing. Writing for yourself is the fun part. Worry about that first." That statement is so correct. Writing is about doing what you love, not about making money. So, to conclude this review, which no one will read most likely, unless you're only looking to make money, keep away from things like this 'guide' and write from the heart. Don't put literature to shame.

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