Customer Reviews:
 A Must Have Before You Write March 19, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you're thinking about writing fiction, this book is a "must have." In order for a writer to write page one, he needs to know where he's going, and how he's going to get there. This book systematically walks you right through the entire process. I found it to be very beneficial in not only answering the how's but also the why's. It intoduced ideas and thoughts that I had never considered before that am sure will make my writing better. I would recommend this book as a prerequisite to anyone interested in writing good fiction. I found it to be well worth the time and money, as are all of the other books in this series.
An Excellent Resource for any Writer February 17, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
James Scott Bell does a great job of dissecting the basics of plot and structure. Even writers who've been working for a while will find plenty of useful information in the book - especially in the chapter on generating story ideas.
Beginning writers, or writers who are just now starting to hone their craft will find tons of good advice including the basics of outlining, working with plot in various drafts, viewing plot as a vital part of your story, and knowing how and when to make the plot work to it's best advantage.
This book along with a dictionary, thesaurus and Strunk and White's "Elements of Style" should be on every writer's bookshelf.
Helpful for commercial as well as literary fiction writers December 22, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Great advice and generous tips. Finally I understand the three-act structure, and the notion of creating suspenseful fiction doesn't seem so daunting. Thanks.
 If you have common sense, you don't need this book. November 28, 2007
8 out of 46 found this review helpful
What this book should be called is 'How to Sell Your Soul for a Monetarily-Successful Writing Career: Now in 14 Intensely Dull Chapters!'. Bell goes on and on about 'connecting with the reader', but it's really just a thinly-veiled way of saying 'sell a lot of copies'. Which is fine, I guess, but it gets old.
Even disregarding that aspect of it, it's not that what Bell has to say is all bad; he does discuss a lot of important principles. But if one has ever taken any kind of writing class at all, or even simply read a book, one should be able to figure it out on one's own. Essentially, this is a book for the people who didn't pay attention in high school English.
Great resource October 20, 2007
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I've been writing non fiction for over ten years. This summer I decided to start working on a novel that has been brewing in my mind since I was fourteen. I wrote the first three chapters and my plot stalled. This book gave me the ideas I needed to get excited about my novel. I own many "how to" books on writing and this one is laid out brilliantly.
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