Product Description

Sol Stein is one of the most popular writing instructors in the world, teaching through well-attended workshops, featured appearances at writers' conferences, software for writers, on-line columns, and ongoing sales of his first guide, Stein On Writing. How To Grow A Novel is a workshop in book form. With examples, anecdotes, and a rolled-up sleeves approach, Stein reveals the secrets of technique and craft every novelist must master. Topics include: Delivering what readers really want Creating true characters Mastering dialogue Create conflict Getting the most of revisions In addition, key issues of publishing are covered, including list positioning, publicity and where writers get help.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #342656 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 their 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 towards 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[ing] 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 publicise 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

Customer Reviews

Essential Reading
A very useful follow up to the brilliant Solutions for Writers. I am very glad I bought it. Stein is a successful editor so he knows exactly what he's talking about and he gives great practical advice that can really improve a novel. I think you need to read it with his earlier book, Solutions for Writers. I would say it is essential reading. BUT BEWARE. The title of this book is HOW TO GROW A NOVEL. It is exactly the same book as Stein's differently titled SOLUTIONS FOR NOVELISTS. Make sure you don't buy the same book twice like I did.

Over-rated
Having read all the rave reviews on this website, I bought the book and now wish to warn others not to commit the same mistake. I am not saying that the book is useless; it does contain many useful insights into writing, editing and publishing (hence 2 stars). Unfortunately, those insights are lost in badly structured, complacent, self-publicising verbiage. Mr. Stein is extremely self-satisfied and his arrogance seeps through every word he says. Quite frankly, he is unbearable to read. The best, most concise book on th subject I have read so far is Nigel Watts' Writing a Novel. It is simple, straight-forward, clear, well-structured and short. I have since read a few more ambitious, and in this case pretentious books but none have done a better job giving the aspiring writer a handy guidebook to help him with his/her endeavour.

Sol Stein's second (best) book
In Danish "Sol" means "Sun", and "Sun" is not an inappropriate name for a man with that ability to spread som light in my dark ideas on writing. I have read both his first and this, his second, book on fiction writing, and I have loved them both like familymembers. On a scale from 1 to 5 stars, Stein's first book rates 6 stars. It is brilliant. This second book is slightly less fantastic and therefore I have only given it 4 stars. Sol Stein has not only written fiction himself, he has for a lifetime edited and published a number of talented writers, and he literally spills over with knowledge on the editing of fiction. While he would not dare to suggest ways of writing, he has useful suggestions on every aspect of a novel; characters, the plot, the title. In his first book he has gone through all these aspects of the novel; in his second book, undoubtedly written after the succes of his first book was a reality, he has expanded on the ideas, but nothing new comes up (that is if you have read his first book). Sol Stein's books on editing and creative writing are among the top 5 books commercially available on crative writing.