Writing the Breakout Novel (Donald Maass)

Writing the Breakout Novel
Donald Maass
Writer's Digest Books
Nonfiction, Writing
**** (Good)

DESCRIPTION: It's one thing to write a novel, but something else entirely to write a breakout - a story that suddenly surges ahead of sales expectations, that raises the stakes for established writers and launches unknowns into household-name status. So, what makes a breakout novel happen? Is it promotion? Cover art? Following a proven formula? Pure luck? No. It's the story itself, and through careful craftsmanship, any author can raise the odds of their next novel being their own breakout. Donald Maass, a longtime agent with many successful clients, has studied the industry and the common factors of breakout novels for some time, and offers his advice to authors new and old here.

REVIEW: As a would-be fantasy writer, I admit I approached this book with my tablespoon of salt in hand, expecting to see mainstream fiction glamorized and genre writing belittled (as seems to be the general attitude in many circles.) Fortunately, Maass treats most any fiction equally; the stuff of a breakout transcends genre classification, and his advice applies to romantic tearjerkers as much as hard-boiled detective thrillers or sprawling fantasy epics. Most of what he said (or wrote, rather) seemed sound and sensible, and if his writing grew a bit tangled now and again, helpfully clear checklists at the end of each chapter reiterated the high points. Now to see if I can't apply a few of those points to my most recent monstrosity...