[.ca] How to Grow a Novel: The Most Common Mistakes Writers ... (ISBN 0312267495)

From Amazon.com:
Sol Stein likens the reader of fiction to a baseball fan. The "tension, suspense, anxiety, and pleasure" a spectator experiences are "all the things readers hope for when they turn to a novel." In How to Grow a Novel, Stein coaches fiction writers in providing exactly those things for readers. First off, says Stein, you must write what you read; don't try to pull off a romance novel if you are a student of serious literature, or a literary masterpiece if you thrive on thrillers. With that in mind, Stein gears his book toward both "those who are trying to write a good book and those who are trying to write a good read." Most of How to Grow a Novel delineates what Stein considers to be a writer's obligations to his readers. A writer, he says, should be "amusing, entertaining, interesting," should create characters with character, and should maintain interest primarily by "never tak\oing\c the reader where the reader wants to go." Stein illustrates his points with examples from his own experiences as a novelist and as a fiction editor. The final section of the book is devoted to the responsibilities of the publisher. Any but the most stalwart writer can't help but be disheartened by the book business. It has often been said that a publisher determines a book's fate--barring a miracle--long before it is even released, by the funds allocated to publicize it. Stein takes this one step further, positing that a book's positioning is determined "when the agent submits it for consideration.... There are reportedly nearly a thousand literary agents in North American alone, but fewer than a dozen have clout." Still, take heart, and try to enjoy the process. "Writing is the second most exciting activity a higher power invented for human beings," says Stein. "And when you get to your eighties, it's the first most exciting activity." --Jane Steinberg

Very good, but...:
He references his other book quite a bit. Keep in mind that you really need both of his books on writing. Still cheap for what you get!

Slightly disappointing.:
There was a good bit of useful information here, and more than a few helpful hints. Perhaps I simply expected too much, but I can only say that I do not feel significantly more prepared to write a novel now than I did before reading this book, and that was not the result I was expecting. More useful, I think, for the journeyman writer with some experience under his/her belt who needs tips on how to improve, than for the beginner who has yet to complete a manuscript.

How to get started:
I tried to read this before writing anything and I didn't get much out of it. "Immediate Fiction" was a help with my lack of self confidence. Now, having been working on my book awhile I have picked Sol Stein up again and it's much more useful to me now, because I recognise my writing problems.

From a different publishing era...unfortunately:
"How to Grow a Novel" by Sol Stein is a curious anomaly in writing books. It's a jumble of information that consists of old publishing war stories, advice to book buyers, writing tips, and a large bit of self-promotion (not for new writers, but Sol Stein himself.) A publisher, editor and book doctor, Stein has plenty of insights and comes off as a grandfatherly mentor . Despite this admirable curriculum vitae, a reader's assessment of the value of all this is truly up in the air. Written in an almost biographical fashion, this guide is best when Stein cuts to the chase of what works and what doesn't. His advice on tightening wording and the logical flow of action are very helpful. The section on realistic dialogue is perfect. The discussion of how to best position the "engine" that will drive your novel is also well done. There are several helpful bits here; best of all, the cream of his advice is summarized in one chapter. But this book is troublesome on many accounts. Stein is an old-timer, and as much as he despises today's formulaic fiction, that unfortunately is what is selling--whether he (or a prospective bestselling author) likes it or not. It is one thing to write well, but quite another to aspire to the literary heights of Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and Hemingway and then suffer for it. He also has a penchant to refer to his client's works. The issue with this is that most of us have not read those works and they are significantly older, written in a manner not in keeping (again) with what is selling. Lastly, the iconoclastic Stein believes that quality trumps everything, including potential sales. He gives plenty of examples of how he turned low-selling, but exceptional, works into bestsellers. But today's editors are not being given that luxury to nurse books along and spend a fortune to promote them. All this only creates hope where little exists in today's market. So "How to Grow a Novel" is a mixed bag. Because of its layout it is hard to use as a reference--lots of cherrypicking is required. The advice is sometimes spot-on, sometimes archaic. The reminiscing is nice in a biography, but ho-hum here. And with the constant references to Stein's older writing book, "Stein on Writing," it's probably just a better idea to read that one and pass on the merely fair "How to Grow a Novel."

An indispensable addition to your library:
I'm not a big fan of "How to Write" books. I remain convinced that the best way to learn how to write is to read good fiction; and there's always the time-tested method of practice, practice, practice. You need no guide, and no coach, to scrutinize your favorite novels and ask yourself, "What makes this novel so great?" Sol Stein's, HOW TO GROW A NOVEL is best touted as a book on how to make your fiction marketable. As the subtitle suggests, Stein points out many of the flaws that many newcomers to fiction often overlook. They are the very same flaws that weaken your fiction and place doubt in the publisher's mind. The publishing business has become like most other American businesses: bottom-line oriented. If you're novel isn't sellable, it's unlikely that you'll get published. We Americans are impatient; we want our story delivered to us in a syringe, not in a poem. Stein's book will help you to focus more on your story and less on your writing. As he repeatedly notes, the writing should be invisible to the reader. The reader is after the story, the engine that makes our hearts races and our minds dream. Stein's book will help you to look at your manuscript with an editor's eye; all of those seemingly excusable mistakes will pop out at you and make you blush, embarrassed that you were once thinking of sending that manuscript to an agent. So, if it's publication in the mainstream fiction market you're after, then I would consider this book indispensable. Much of it is, however, common sense. It's stuff we all know but don't realize we know. The only reason I've given this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because there's nothing new here. This book offers nothing that his previous book, "Stein on Writing," offered (despite what other reviews say); but I think the same information has been presented in better packaging. I greatly prefer HOW TO GROW A NOVEL to STEIN ON WRITING; although I'm glad to own both. The other problem with HOW TO GROW A NOVEL is that it so strictly develops margins for the writer that I'd hate to see new writers be afraid to try something new. Most rules are breakable: it's being crafty enough to get away with it that's tough. All in all, if you need to learn how to write properly, pick up a copy of Strunk & White's THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE. But if you write for publication and you need the help of an excellent editor and some down-to-earth advice on making readers love what you write, pick up a copy of HOW TO GROW A NOVEL and get to work!