In this video, I share two of my favorite resource books for clarifying the big picture of what you want to say in – and do with – your novel.
What have you read lately? Let me know in the comments!
Blueprint for a Book, by Jennie Nash
Transcript:
Stephanie (00:07):
Hello writers. This video today is the first in a series of videos where I’m going to share with you some of my favorite books on craft and the writing process. Today I’m going to share with you two books that are really great when it comes to thinking about and making some big decisions about the big ideas for your novel. Whether or not you’re somebody who likes to plan out your novel in great detail, or you would rather not do any of that, it’s really important to at least consider some key questions and make some key decisions before you start writing to help you with both efficiency and focus. The first book is Blueprint for a Book by my mentor Jennie Nash. So this book is really great when it comes to thinking about the big picture of your book, not just the structure, but also the intention behind the story.
Stephanie (01:03):
And she also asks you to consider where your finished product will end up sitting in the literary landscape. In this book, she gives you 14 steps to create a target for your finished product, and it’s so accessible. Look at how small it is. It’s a really easy read and it’s a delight to work on. The second book I want to share with you is Story Genius by Lisa Cron. Funny story, Jennie Nash, the author of Blueprint for a Book, which I just shared, is actually the test subject who is featured, her story and her writing is featured as an example throughout this book. So they’re very clearly closely linked. Story Genius goes a little bit deeper into a couple of things such as who the protagonist is and the emotional journey that they’re going to go on, and also how to craft a scene around that emotional journey and how to link those scenes together. So I highly recommend both of these books. There are links to each in the notes below, and I’ll see you next time. Happy reading and happy writing!