This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a brief but solid overview on the basics of putting together a first novel. Mosley doesn’t go into great detail, he just lays down some rules, some less-strict guidelines, offers suggestions, often gives the writer the thumbs-up to do something however best it works for him and really, really believes in the idea of rewriting.
His advice comes down to a few essentials, most of which will be familiar to anyone who has read any how-to’s on writing:
- set up a daily routine:
- write every day (no exceptions)
- devote 90 minutes per day to writing (this can include editing or reading drafts)
- target daily output of 600-1200 words
- show, don’t tell
- characters should grow and transform, not remain static
- write without restraint
- take about three months for the first draft
- take a week to read the first draft (this counts as the second draft)
- read and if possible, record the entire novel in your own voice to hear how it sounds
- focus on every sentence in rewrites. Every sentence!
- writers write too much. Edit without mercy.
- don’t write things you aren’t sure of; do follow-up research after the first draft as needed
- you can write from a first person, third person or omniscient perspective; third person is recommended for first-time novelists
- you never mention second person perspective because it’s weird and makes you look funny
- to find an agent, write to the publisher of a book whose style you like and get the agent’s info; send a query letter and vitae to the agent
- don’t ever take an agent that demands to be paid directly
And that’s pretty much it. Mosley provides examples of plot, sentence structure and other part of a novel, and the whole thing can be digested in a single sitting if you’re so inclined–all the better to get started on that great novel lurking within.
I can’t really quibble with any of the suggestions, though ninety minutes per day may be tough to manage for a lot of people. But where’s the fun if you’re not suffering for your art?
Given the endless tide of writing advice on the internet, a book like this is probably going to be a tough sell, especially at full price. On sale, it’s a tidy little volume that says what it wants to say simply and clearly. A first-time novelist will find value here, but more experienced (if unpublished) writers may find most of the lessons to be familiar.