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Nail Your Novel - Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence
 
 

Nail Your Novel - Why Writers Abandon Books and How You Can Draft, Fix and Finish With Confidence [Kindle Edition]

Roz Morris
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Product Description

By bestselling ghostwriter and book doctor with a top London literary consultancy

'This book should be used as a text in writing courses'

'There are shedloads of books on how to write novels, and a lot of them are longer and considerably less useful'

'I wish I'd had this book a long time ago'

'The author has a proven track record as a writer of fiction, as opposed to writers of "how to write" books'



Are you writing a novel? Do you want to make sure you finish? Will you get lost and fizzle out? Will you spend more time reading about how to write than actually getting the words down?

Most books on novel-writing will make you read hundreds of pages about character arcs, inciting incidents, heroes’ journeys. It’s great to know that – but while you’re reading about it you’re not writing your book.

And what these books don’t tell you is how to use this learning and get the job done.

Nail Your Novel is a writing buddy – and mentor - in a book.

In 10 easy steps it will tell you:
*how to shape your big idea and make a novel out of it
*how to do your research and how to use it
*how to organise your time.
*how to plot and build characters
*when you’re going to hit problems and what to do about them
*how to write on the days you don’t feel inspired
*how to reread what you’ve written and polish it.

Along the way, Thumbnail Notes give tutorials about storytelling and storycraft – strictly when you need them. The author has written nearly a dozen novels that have made it into print – and this is how she did it.

You don’t even need to read the whole book before you get started. You read a section, then do as it says. And, once you’re finally satisfied, Nail Your Novel will tell you how to sell it to publishers and agents.

You’ve dreamed of writing a novel. Don’t procrastinate with another theory book. Don’t launch in, get stuck and throw your hard work in a drawer. Nail your novel.


About the author
Roz Morris has nearly two decades of experience writing novels and helping floundering authors find their way. She is a senior book doctor for a major literary consultancy in London, writes fiction under her own name and has ghostwritten bestselling fiction for high-profile writers with major publishers, including Random House, Puffin and Mammoth.

About the Author

Roz Morris has two decades of experience writing novels and helping floundering authors find their way. She is a senior book doctor for a major literary consultancy in London, writes fiction under her own name and has ghostwritten bestselling fiction for high-profile writers with major publishers, including Random House, Puffin and Mammoth.

Her websites are www.rozmorris.wordpress.com and www.nailyournovel.com

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 287 KB
  • Print Length: 182 pages
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B004LROOEQ
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #36,353 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A useful book on writing 28 Jun 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
I've spent years looking for a creative release. I've tried various things but time is a major issue with the amount of hours I work. Through the Kindle I rediscovered my passion for reading. The recent e-book phenomena led me down a path of discovery into the life of an independent writer. After reading independent works and endeavouring to make myself useful as a volunteer proof reader I decided to try my hand at writing. The result being, I've begun to consume literature on the subject of writing at a furious pace. Happily, I seem to have found a book that's going to be of considerable use to me. There are plenty I've read that aren't and some of them have very respectable names on the cover. Success doesn't stop even famous authors from stating the obvious in a bland manner page after page.

The first comment is on writing style. This book comes across as light hearted but doesn't contain any fluff. Some teachers lecture while others impart knowledge without you realising. The rigid lecturing style of some works on writing portrays this creative art as a chore from start to finish and attempt to formalise the whole process, which in the end stifles creativity. Roz acknowledges the more difficult aspects of writing and suggests creative exercises to overcome them while satisfying the critical more logical sides of our character. Keeping the critical mind at bay while you create and letting it loose later on is a theme that runs throughout this book.

Some of the exercises regarding the generation of ideas aren't really relevant to me at the moment and won't necessarily match my personality in the future. The use of memory aids and playing games irritates me a little. It reminds of those useless management courses. To be fair the source of a person's creativity is a very personal thing and I'm not trying to generate fresh ideas on a daily basis. However, Roz explains the exercise in such a way that I can adapt the concept to my needs. Roz acknowledges everyone is different and presents her material and concepts as a toolbox for people to use as they see fit.

The section on creating a second draft was a revelation. It may be a common tool that Roz uses but it's the first time it's cropped up in my research. Roz presents rewriting as her preferred method, which suits me down to the ground as I'm a conceptual thinker and I often take a top down iterative approach to problems. I had already decided that was my preferred method after reading the blogs of Andre Jute. An author I've corresponded with on a personal level and respect as a serious intellect. I was happily blasting away at my novel but at the same I was very aware that it had issues. I put these to the back of my mind and carried on. But as I got deeper into the novel I realised the issues were stacking up. The individual problems weren't a worry but managing the inherent complexity of their interaction seemed a little daunting. Reading Nail Your Novel solved all my problems in a few pages with the introduction of the beat sheet. I would've paid the cover price for those few pages alone.

This book methods won't suit everyone but it's a great help if you're a rewriter. This book is brimming with useful practical advice. There isn't any padding to try and justify an extortionate cover price. It's not a lecture by the headmaster; it's one on one tutoring with your favourite teacher. This little book is an invaluable read if you're a new or inexperienced writer.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Process-driven but much more 26 April 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
On the surface Roz's book is a logical, step-by-step guide to take a novelist through the process of starting (and finishing) a project. I've completed the first five tasks and am using NYN as a constant reference as I plough through the first draft of my third novel.
What made this book work for me was what happened as I worked through the tasks in its first two sections detailing what to do before you start writing. The logical and progressive approach seemed to release the creative side of my brain which took me to places I hadn't imagined at the outset. (I should say that the author makes this an explicit aim of the process.) The end result is the most innovative and exciting project I've embarked on. Whether the rest of NYN maintains the standard and sees me through to the end remains to be seen but, this is almost irrelevant. The first two sections alone make it worth the money.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful and practical 31 Jan 2013
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book provides very good advice and guidance for less experienced writers of fiction. The most useful sections are those which emphasise the need for careful planning and preliminary work before the author launches into the finished draft. Although the book covers familiar ground, the advice is very practical and focused. Anyone staring at a blank screen and wondering how it will turn into the latest blockbuster should get a copy! Some of the specific methods proposed will not be found useful by everyone, but the vital message about "preparation before perspiration" is clearly conveyed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars an informative insight into a technology of novel writing
In this brief, straight-to-the point book on the craft of writing, Roz Morris gives us her own method of novel writing. Read more
Published 1 month ago by GRIGORY RYZHAKOV
4.0 out of 5 stars It's good
This is a good guide for helping you along your way to nailing your novel. I felt as if a friend were talking to me all the way through. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ava
3.0 out of 5 stars so far so good
I liked the no-nonsense practicality of this book and the fact that the author didn't treat you like a fool or send you off on wild goose chases with writing exercises that take... Read more
Published 6 months ago by JLM
4.0 out of 5 stars A very useful resource for writers of all levels - not just novelists
This is a great little book with some really useful tips for any aspiring writer. It will be useful even if you are not writing a full novel; if you are dabbling with short... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Esofagus
5.0 out of 5 stars A How-To Book That Really Works
Roz Morris has written a gift of a book. It's as well-written as any great novel; it offers clear-cut instructions which hit home sure as an Olympic gold arrow. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Miss Chinaski
5.0 out of 5 stars An essential practical toolkit for new and struggling writers.
I generally dislike "How to..." books unless they contain solid practical suggestions. In Nail Your Novel I found an indispensible companion for helping me through the tricky... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Chris Jarvis
5.0 out of 5 stars love book but not kindle version
I really love this book - it has got me kick-started again when stuck half-way through my novel and the exercises genuinely work. Seriously recommend it.

BUT!!! Read more
Published 12 months ago by mythoughts
4.0 out of 5 stars There are some good tips in this book...
...I recommended it....really, check it out.
You will learn some things about the writing, plotting and outline process which may get you out of a difficult situation whilst... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Apollon
5.0 out of 5 stars Never mind the first draft - go straight to the second!
This is an excelent little book that will enthuse you and stimulate you, especially if you have been flagging. Read more
Published 13 months ago by daisycow
3.0 out of 5 stars Jamie1
I bought this book in conjunction with "writing a novel and getting published for dummies". This book does have some good ideas in but it's very 'rambley' - it doesn't flow very... Read more
Published 15 months ago by jamie1
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Popular Highlights

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Keep going until you know: -who the hero is, who might oppose them -what these people are trying to do &quote;
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Good novels are focused, they don’t have things that are irrelevant. &quote;
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‘Over the years what you develop is a tolerance for your own crudeness. Stay with your crap and it will get better, and come back every day and keep going’. &quote;
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