
How NOT to Write a Novel
200 Mistakes to avoid at All Costs if You Ever Want to Get Published
Penguin Books Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 29. January 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-0-14-103854-4 (ISBN)
Description
There are many ways prospective authors routinely sabotage their own work. But why leave it to guesswork? Misstep by misstep, How Not to Write a Novel shows how you can ensure that your manuscript never rises above the level of unpublishable drivel; that your characters are unpleasant, dimensionless versions of yourself; that your plot is digressive, tedious and unconvincing; and that your style is reliant on mangled cliches and sesquipedalian malapropisms. Alternatively, you can use it to identify the most common mistakes, avoid them and actually write a book that works.
Guardian Award shortlisted novelist Sandra Newman and veteran editor Howard Mittelmark have distilled 30 years of teaching, editing, writing and reviewing fiction into a hilarious and liberating guide that is the perfect read for anyone who's ever laughed at a badly written piece of prose and for anyone who's ever penned one - and doesn't want to do it again.
Guardian Award shortlisted novelist Sandra Newman and veteran editor Howard Mittelmark have distilled 30 years of teaching, editing, writing and reviewing fiction into a hilarious and liberating guide that is the perfect read for anyone who's ever laughed at a badly written piece of prose and for anyone who's ever penned one - and doesn't want to do it again.
Reviews / Votes
This writing how-to should carry a warning: it's the kind of book one reads at the expense of all other responsibilities. * Library Journal * A great resource and a fun read with a lot of solid advice for would-be novelists. * Publishers Weekly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
no illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
206 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-14-103854-4 (9780141038544)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Howard Mittelmark is the author of Age of Consent. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and other publications.
Sandra Newman is the author of the novels Cake and The Only Good Thing Anyone Has Ever Done. Her writing has appeared in Harper's and Granta, amongst others.
Sandra Newman is the author of the novels Cake and The Only Good Thing Anyone Has Ever Done. Her writing has appeared in Harper's and Granta, amongst others.