The Breakout Novelist

Every novelist, beginner or already published, gets stuck at times. So says successful US literary agent Donald Maas. ‘And when they do it would be nice if they had a story doctor on call, and that is the purpose of my latest book.’ Earlier books from Donald include Writing the Breakout Novel, one of the most successful how-to writing books ever, based on the concept of the ‘breakout novel’ being the one that breaks out from the slush pile and the rejections to make it to the charts.
 
This latest book is designed to be a tool that a writer can consult at any stage in the novel writing process. Whether a writer’s problem is plot, character, sub-plotting, style or whatever, there is a section ready to consult. It explains the theory, shows examples of the theory being put successfully into practice, and sets a series of exercises. The exercises get you re-examining your manuscript and asking key questions that can prompt improvements.