Thursday, August 14, 2008

Novel Writing Made Easy Review

When most people read a really great book, they often think things like:

I wish I would have written that.

- or -

It would be amazing to have that kind of talent and success.

The unfortunate thing about it is that most people aren't able to write novels right off the bat. While we know how to write in general and we know how to write simple things like letters and lists, novels are a whole other ball of wax.

I've read a lot of writing books in my day. While novel writing books usually have a few good tips, they say a lot of the same thing:
  1. Write what you know.
  2. Write every day, even if you don't feel like it.
Beyond that, they really don't give you any extra information. Novel Writing Made Easy is different, though.

How Novel Writing Made Easy is Different

Right from the start, you'll notice a big difference in this book compared to what you'd find at a bookstore or in a library. You will get practical tips that you can start using right away.

Novel Writing Made Easy is all about the planning. The author, Andrea Rains Waggener, takes you through all of the steps involved in successfully planning your novel. Essentially, you'll be making a novel binder full of information about your characters and plot.

Not sure what you want to do for your plot? Or characters? She'll help you with that, too.

I noticed that, instead of giving a lot of useless theory, this book gives you everything that you will practically need in order to write not only a coherent novel, but a successful one as well.

Add-Ons Galore

What makes Novel Writing Made Easy worth the money is the value of the main ebook. It doesn't hurt that you also get a bunch of free ebooks as well!

The main book comes with a supplement taskbook with worksheets to help you with everything that you've learned in Novel Writing Made Easy. You'll also get lots of extras, including:

  • The Art of Writing
  • The Craft of Fiction
  • How to Tell a Story
  • ...and more.
As an added bonus, you also get her How to Become a Writer Extraordinaire book series as well. I'm not sure how long she's going to offer this deal, though.

While these add-ons are great, the real meat of this is the Novel Writing Made Easy main ebook and taskbook. The extras are great, but they don't compare in the slightest to the main book.

The Price

As of this review, the price of Novel Writing Made Easy, including all of the free extras, is $47. I have a feeling that this price may go up over time, seeing as how popular it is. You may want to grab it up while you have the time.

The Verdict

At first I was reluctant about the price, mainly because money is tight in these bad economic times. My overwhelming need to write a good novel eventually won out, though.

I dove right in and was surprised and pleased at the amount of content in Novel Writing Made Easy. There isn't any filler like you commonly find in ebooks. Instead, she gets right down to business.

But will it help me write a novel?

I think so. This kind of style (meticulous planning and preparation) may not work for everyone, but I found that it was just right for me. Now I'm well on my way to writing a great novel of my own.