Product Description

Author Chris Baty revs up the tradition of The Artist's Way, Bird by Bird, and Writing Down the Bones with his singular guide for high-speed novelistic access. Founder of National Novel Writing Month - NaNoWriMo - Baty shares the secrets for knocking out a novel in no time. With week-specific overviews, pep "talks," and essential survival tips for today's word warriors, this results-oriented, quickfix strategy is perfect for people who want to nurture their inner artist and then hit print!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37202 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

About the Author
CHris Baty is a freelance writer and writing coach whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Village Voice, SF Weekly, and Lonely Planet guidebooks. He lives in Oakland, California.

Customer Reviews

Laugh, I almost started writing a novel.
As one of those people who have "Write a novel" as one of the things on my "Someday/Maybe" lists, I accidentally found myself on the NaNoWriMo website.

Thinking that the whole concept is what I need, to actually force myself to start, I thought I'd get up to speed and buy the book. I fully had the intention of reading it now, doing the writing course I've been procrastinating on for 3 years and then do the challenge in 2007.

Well I read the book in an evening.

Ok, you won't gleam much insight into actually how to write a novel (there are plenty of other books to do that, plus the website has some great information in the forums).

What you get is a very witty (it made me cry with laughter in places) walk through how to prepare and cope through a stessful, painful, delightful, enjoyable etc month whilst you do a, possibly very bad, first draft of your novel.

With tips from past winners, the authors own struggles and the fact that you really are going for quantity over quality. This really has motivated me into contemplating actually entering this competition this year.

Plus how to use fear to get yourself to succeed is a particular useful bit of information I will be using in other aspects of my life.

If you have any interest in writing (or art or music for that matter), then this is an enjoyable romp through how to temporarily motivate yourself to a concentrated burst of creative output.

Lets hope my novel isn't as waffly as this review!

Inspirational!
If you're like me, teetering on the brink of writing a novel but never quite feeling confident that you've researched enough, are talented enough, or have the tenacity to see it through, then read this book. I tried the nanowrimo last July after reading it, and since then have written another one, and am just embarking on my third. What Baty helps you to see is that the first draft is not meant to be a work of great fiction, in fact it's better if it isn't. So go on, get your feet dirty and don't worry about it. I'm enjoying the process so much! It's amazing what you do know when you start to write!

Inspiring, funny and full of fantastically good advice
This is a wonderful book: inspiring, full of practical tips and advice and funny and well written into the bargain. Anyone who's ever wanted to write a novel should read it. Anyone who's ever got stuck while trying to write a novel should read it. Highly recommended.