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One of my ongoing projects is to write articles about the craft of writing fiction.  In several of my articles, I’ve quoted Evan Marshall, author of The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing and The Marshall Plan® for Getting Your Novel Published, both of which offer insight and practical tips for fiction writers.  In a third book, The Marshall Plan® Workbook: Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish, Marshall presented a set of templates that writers could customize to create a solid plot structure for a novel. Most recently, he has released his template system in software form.

I’ve never read The Marshall Plan Workbook, but my impression is that it’s basically a set of templates for implementing the recommendations in his other books.  I don’t have a problem with templates, and frequently develop my own for various tasks.  I do recall, however, deciding not to purchase The Marshall Plan Workbook because I felt that paper templates designed by another author would be too confining for my taste.  But the concept of Marshall’s templates in software form intrigued me, so I decided to try it. 

Downloading the software was easy, even for someone as technologically impaired as I am.  Once the program was installed, I just started exploring it.  There are tabs for story idea, plot tips, character profiles, and subplots, each with hints on how to proceed.  One page is dedicated to selecting genre and story length, while another features over 7,000 names, complete with meaning and origin.  Another provides dozens of detailed tips for self-editing the manuscript.

The timing for trying the templates was perfect, as I had been struggling with a pile of notes that I hoped to develop into a novel.  Without much forethought I just started filling in the blanks on the template.  Sometimes I could quickly plug in information that I had already assembled, but other times I had to stop and think about my answers before proceeding.  Before long, my haphazard pile of notes began to take shape on the template; it started to look and feel more like a story. 

What astounded me was that in the process of organizing information onto the templates my creative juices started flowing.  I began making stuff up that wasn’t already in my notes.  Organizing the story components into a predetermined structure forced me to think creatively about the specifics of the story I was developing.  The story began to take new direction. 
 
I found that I was able to quickly tune into the structure of the templates, but when I got stumped, the tips provided by Marshall helped get me rolling again.  No doubt, I had the advantage of having studied Marshall’s books, but writers otherwise familiar with the concepts of writing fiction should be able to effectively use the software, as well. 
 
My first application for the software was with a story in its early development, but the templates should be useful throughout the novel-writing process.  For example, I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a manuscript with five viewpoint characters, by far the most complicated writing project I’ve attempted.  To help make sure it is also my best writing, I plan to use a separate template for each of the viewpoint characters, making sure each of their story lines is beefed up to its potential. 

I suspect that all fiction writers experience writer’s block from time to time.  I’ve found that when I’m floundering with a story, it helps to step back and attack it from a different angle.  With that in mind, The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing Template Generator is likely to prove an effective remedy for writer’s block.  Any fiction writer struggling with a story idea, plot structure, character development, or whatever, ought to give this program a try.
 
In a five-star system, I would rate Marshall’s template generator four stars.  I didn’t rank it higher because I would have preferred the program to have more flexibility, such as in adding or deleting the writing sections to fit the unique needs of a story.  Besides, even with a great product, there’s room for improvement. 

Bottom line, The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing Template Generator should prove useful throughout the process of writing fiction. 

More information about the software is available at http://www.marshall-plan.com/.

By Les Edgerton

Writer’s Digest Books, 2007

Books about fiction-writing tend to fall into one of three categories:

Hooked,

Les Edgerton has accomplished all of these in Hooked.

Why a whole book about beginnings? As explained by Edgerton, "The simple truth is, if your beginning doesn’t do the job it needs to, the rest of the story most likely won’t be read by the agent or editor or publisher you submit it to."

Edgerton addresses misinformation and out-of-date practices from a historical perspective and as they relate to literary fiction. Whenever an author sheds new light on a subject, there is a risk that someone will be offended: no exception here. Writers, of any genre, in the habit of beginning stories with hefty servings of backstory or description get an earful.

Those who believe that studying the classics is the key to understanding fiction may be turned off by Edgerton’s take on beginnings: ". . . many of the great books from the past aren’t practical structure models for today’s market, particularly in the way some of those books begin." And, "Beginnings have changed more than any other part of story structure."

Likewise, fans of literary fiction may take exception to some of Edgerton’s observations. "Bookscan has revealed the decline of what is usually referred to as literary fiction. This category of fiction may be dying because it has stuck with the story structure model of yesteryear much more so than any other category."

To Edgerton’s credit, Hooked goes beyond a mere regurgitation and reorganization of the subject of beginnings. A cornerstone of Edgerton’s lesson is the distinction between what he refers to as the initial surface problem and the story-worthy problem. Edgerton also breaks new ground by introducing the concepts of:

As with any new concept, time will tell whether these will be accepted by the writing community and incorporated into the body of knowledge surrounding the craft of fiction-writing.

One of the challenges of any narrow-focus book is to take a subject (which is typically addressed in a magazine article or as a single chapter of a book) and fill a book-sized manuscript without resorting to repetition, filler, and padding. Although though some points are belabored and some of the examples are a bit tedious, there is plenty of valuable information and insight in Hooked.

Critics of the book may note that some of the examples are overly literary and fall flat for writers of other genres, but Edgerton more than makes up for this shortfall with examples from popular movies. Although Edgerton pays homage to the use of scene and sequel, he doesn’t adequately explain either, or how they may be used to construct beginnings. More information about fiction-writing modes would have been helpful. Maybe future editions of Hooked will address these issues.

Although the book doesn’t provide a recap or exercises at end of chapters, it does offer an index at the end for easy reference.

The last chapter is structured as questions and answers from agents and publishers. For example, from agent Jodie Rhodes: " . . . the more modest the writer, the better the writing. That’s because good writers know how much they still have to learn."

The strongest chapters are those that deal with theme, voice, and style. But the chapters addressing plot and scene are disappointing. Fiction-writing modes were not adequately addressed. Maybe future editions of By Cunning & Craft will fill in some of the gaps.

Many of the examples offered throughout the text are of literary fiction and may fall flat for writers interested in other genres.

Although there are no exercises presented and no summaries at the end of the chapters, an index is provided for easy reference. Selgin also includes a bibliography of books on craft.

Ideally, a newly issued concept-to-publication text about how to write fiction should:

Although By Cunning & Craft offers valuable information on many of the subjects addressed, it falls short of achieving each of these benchmarks.

One of the keys to learning from how-to books is not to dwell too much on what is missing or misleading, but to focus on extracting whatever valuable information is there. Most how-to books offer nuggets of wisdom and technique that are well worth the effort of digging them out, and this book provides plenty. No doubt, readers and writer’s of fiction will be studying and quoting from By Cunning & Craft for many years.

A BLAST OF A READ

As the author states up front, "I haven’t attempted to produce the definitive book on creative novel writing. I’m simply passing on what works for me. This is how I write. And these are the answers to the questions I’ve been asked for years." Writers who have studied other fiction-writing books won’t find much new in this one, but it’s worth reading because of the unique perspective of this very successful writer.

The author’s breezy, entertaining style shines through the entire book, and it’s filled with examples from her Stephanie Plum series. Also included are practical tips about the business and process of writing and getting published, including sample query letters for both a fiction manuscript and a nonfiction manuscript.

Whether you are an Evonovich fan wanting more from a favorite author, a beginning writer looking for tips, or an experienced writer trying to fill in the gaps, give this one a try. It’s a blast of a read.

Although the book is organized in four parts, the content could really be summarized in two categories:

Subjects addressed include: rewriting, craft vs. art, humanity and warmth, clutter, simplicity, finding a style, clichés, rhythm, unity, tone, and attitude. All of these are covered with the insight of a successful writer having decades of experience.

The author works some biographical information and experiences into the text, but the focus of the material is on writing well. Given that the first edition was in 1976, some of the examples and attitudes are dated, but they also add to the charm of the book.

No recaps or exercises are included at the end of the chapters, but an index is provided for easy reference.

As the subtitle indicates, the book is specifically directed at nonfiction writing, but many of the concepts also apply to fiction. With over a million copies sold, and in its thirtieth anniversary edition, much of the information has already been worked into other writing guides. As envisioned by Zinsser, On Writing Well compliments The Elements of Style. Together, they make a great combination.

FASCINATING AND INFORMATIVE

Rather than attempt to cover all aspects of the craft, Morrell addresses a dozen or so specific subjects, many using First Blood to illustrate specific points.

Morrell begins with a question he asks his students on the first day of class: "Why do you want to be a writer?" Other chapters well worth reading include viewpoint, research, description, and dialogue.

Some of the chapters were less interesting, with little information not already addressed in numerous other fiction-writing books. But even these chapters are worth reading because of the biographical content.

No recaps or exercises are included at the end of the chapters, but an index is provided for easy reference.

Bottom line: Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing is both fascinating and informative.

WARNING: Descriptions of food are contained in this article. If you have a personal distaste with the image of librarians partaking of delicious desserts, I suggest that you skip the following.

Yesterday I decided to wear a skirt to work. This is a momentous decision to make, particularly when coupled with the fact that skirts cannot be typically worn with Sketchers. They can, but it looks a tad peculiar and the whole point of wearing a skirt was to avoid the odd-look. Not that it isn't my preferred look 9 times out of 10. Anyway.

I had a chance to have lunch with the good people of Roaring Brook Press alongside their Aussie author Gregory Rogers (of The Boy, the Bear, the Baron and the Bard fame). It was just lovely. I had a steak with a side of .... okay. I'm not sure what they were. They could have been fries but they were the same mass and thickness as particularly thin angel hair pasta. I can't find a Google image. What's more, no one around me entirely certain how to eat them. Do you do it individually, one teeny tiny fry at a time? Do you chomp them with a fork? Do you mix them with the meat and attempt to down them in one fell swoop? Most mysterious. For dessert I had, oh man. I had this chocolate cake filled with ooey gooey warm chocolate sauce that spilled out when I cut into it. Espresso ice cream on the side with raspberries and a kind of toffee base underneath. My seatmate, in contrast, had a chocolate "hamburger". Which is to say, it had a cookie center, oddly impenetrable "bun" cookie top (the quotations marks in the menu amused us considerably), pistachio ice cream formed into a pickle shape (this is all true), and a side of what could have been cranberries that were probably supposed to be "ketchup". Dessert chefs, according to my boss, are all into the "dessert hamburger". You have been warned.

Mr. Rogers, for his part, was quite charming. Neal Porter, who I had never met, was nice as well. And Simon Boughton had no idea who I was. Some of you will understand why I am relieved about this.

The Fall 2007 catalog was handed out and I spotted some tasty items. Sarah Varon created Cat and Chicken last year. It was a book that I liked okay, but I had issues with the storyline. It almost felt as if it would work better as a proper graphic novel rather than a picture book. Fast forward to 2007 and lo and behold we have Robot Dreams. Just your typical lonely dog creating a robot for a friend and then hanging out. It's a children's graphic novel (enter flashing lights here) so be on the lookout for it. They're also putting out a graphic novel about Laika. You know. "Earth's first space traveler". Correct me if I'm wrong here, but didn't Laika die? She died in space, right? We'll see how all that plays out in the book. I'm interested but wary. But best of all? Town Boy is coming! It's coming, it's coming, it's coming!!! Can't wait! Those of you who were lucky enough to read Kampung Boy will understand this excitement. I was kind of intrigued by the Don Brown book The Train Jumper. Cool concept. Not sure why no one's thought of it before.

So that was lunch. Still wearing heels (but switching out my glasses for contacts) I proceeded after work to Sweet & Vicious. Good crowd? Great crowd. Started out slow but by 7:00 we were seriously hopping. I won't name everyone there (as I've an embarrassing inability to remember names) but I'll try to post some pics later this week.

People mingled nicely. I'm a terrible hostess (can't remember names, tends to squat down in a single spot and not move for long periods of time, etc.) but thankfully I wasn't really needed. Heck, I couldn't not shown up at all and it would've been swell. Cheryl Klein (who I suspect was responsible for 85% of the attendees) was there as well and stunning as ever. Topics were discussed. For example, I believe that at one point Chad Beckerman's name came up. He is the former Hot Man of Children's Literature with the cool new book designer blog (Check out his recent list of other design bloggers, by the way).

Then Laura Lutz and her Fabulous Four came in. Queens librarians. I've always had a nice smattering of editors, agents, illustrators, and publicity folks at these things but on the teacher and librarian end we've tended to come up a little short. No longer. Now, people, I've known Manhattan librarians. I've known Brooklyn librarians. I've known Bronx and even Staten Island librarians (with their enviably high Summer Reading stats), but I've never really hung out with any from Queens. Boy howdy, they are electric. Laura L., Laura P., Lori, Gillian, and Sarah were all spit and fire and stories about being bitten on the neck by toddlers and the fact that Conan O'Brien is an Olivia fan. Needless to say, they left me exhausted. After drinks we got pizza and after pizza everyone tromped off to get some delicious high end rice pudding while I lamely stumbled home to sleep in my warm cozy bed. Heck, I was even in my own borough (which was more than they were). How supremely wimpy.

All in all, very nice. Very fun. But why believe me? Here are the facts as such.

Stats:

# of Males in Attendance: 2 (this is actually quite high)
Outdoor Temperature: 60 degrees or so
# of Agents: 2
# of Cards I Received: 2
Librarians: 6(?)
Total Number of Attendees: Dunno. Could have been 30. 30 sounds right, right? Let's say 30.
Hot Shoes of Children's Literature: Don't remember her name, but there was a pair of black leather boots on one of the Queens librarians (memory foggy) that probably took the cake. At my next party, digital cameras will come into play.