Writing the Breakout Novel

As a top literary agent, Donald gives great insight into what a top agent looks for and not just with new writers, but writers who have stalled in their careers.

Nick

Maass provides some useful information, but illustrates it with example passages that I didn't find to be at all inspiring. Many times I was left wondering if a particular example was really intended to illustrate what he'd written.

Most of his examples left me cold, being either uninteresting or artificial-sounding, certainly nothing that I would want to read... or write. There are examples containing huge stretches of exposition and description in jumbo-length paragraphs that are devoid of action, dialogue, conflict, tension, or anything else interesting except lyrical wording, and these are upheld as shining examples of how to write "breakout" fiction. I find that hard to believe.

Part of the problem with the examples is the age of the book. It's almost ten years old (as I write this review), and his "modern examples" aren't so modern any more.

But I understood a lot better when I finally reached the bottom of page 191(!):

"I am particularly interested in some old and durable story types... focus on sagas, historicals and such. Mysteries, science fiction, fantasy and romances are among today's most popular forms of fiction, but there are already many fine books on writing in those categories..."

It would have helped if he'd told us up-front that he wasn't focusing on genre fiction, which today is the overwhelming majority of fiction that is written and sold.

Maass makes some good points, and the book is probably worth reading for that. You may find yourself skipping many of the examples and his discussions of them. But if you don't already have it, I think that Maass's much more recent The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great is a better choice.

Read through this text book once and am beginning again with highlighter in hand! What a great start to a writing career!

Donald Maass lays it on the line about what makes fiction ring for a reader. As a novelist focused on entertaining my readers this book has loosened my pen and bolstered my courage to dare to write the most engrossing, involving story that I can. Excellent advice, examples, and encouragement.

This how-to book may be somewhat premature for the beginning author, but it is a goldmine for the (intermediate/advanced?) writer wanting to add the special punch that lifts a story from 'good' to 'great'.