Access Writing To Sell Assembled By Scott Meredith Formatted As Hardcover
book. an Awesome reference book. Good info on plotting for the largely selftaught writer i, e. , me. I can't speak to the business info, since I haven't gotten that far yet, The original version isyears old, but I still got a lot out of this, Especially:
"The desire to write the editor and tell him he's a moron will be so strong you may have to lock yourself up in a closet for a few hours until you get over it.
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Replace "editor" with "random person on the internet" and that's the best advice I've received this year, Good clearly written book on writing to sell, Writing to Sell by Scott Meredith I've been really into writing lately and started to entertain the idea of selling them to publishers, So I went to the library and checked this book out,
It is a very easy, one sitting type of read, It is full of some useful information and some, not so useful information. I really think it's a great start on the subject but I'm probably going to do more research since this book was kind of dated,years out of date.
On the modern market, this book is junk, I'm so sorry I threw money out the window to buy it, Just stay away from it, it contains nothing the modern writer can't get better and more of on the internet, In all honesty I would give this book,stars, but I rounded up, WHY CAN'T WE DO HALFSTARS, GOODREADS, The latest edition of this book was published in, over two decades ago, and it shows, The digital age was in its infancy then, and it is conspicuous in its general absence, Only a few mentions exist of computers or word processors in the entire book, The first section of the book, "The Business Facts", is replete with references to typewriters and paper manuscripts,
If you are looking for advice for writing styles that are considered salable, I think this book still has a lot to offer, but I'd start with Part Two.
If you're looking for information about working with agents and publishers, then find something more current, There were a lot of business practices given as absolutes that I expect are outdated and/or substantially changed by this time, I read a rash of books on the craft of writing when I was in mys, My journal notes from this time say I thought Meredith was "a hack" but that there was something to his suggestion about the idea of the "plot skeleton, " A little dated, but still a good general overview esp, for beginner writers. It covers a lot of the most common traps new writers fall into, Succinct wisdom on the essentials of planning, writing, the old model of publishing, and editing, A mustread even if you know much of what's inside, for writers should not wander astray from this advice,
Keep your story moving steadily, believably, and inexorably forward from the inciting problem through each new connected complication toward the ultimate crisis and the final fitting solution, Authors should integrate limited flashbacks and descriptions of setting and characters into the present, forward movement of the story, striving for realism, within the confines of condensing and highlighting, Dialogue is key, but we only include what is essential and related, Everything is about advancing the reader effortlessly through your story, Easy to read in one sitting, Not so very enlightening. This classic gets three because it would be really informative for a new writer, I learned one new thing, Dialogue should make upof a fiction manuscript, Any more, and the dialogue is carrying too much weight, That's handy to know, as a guideline from a seasoned editor, There are a lot of books out there about writing, filled with ageold truisms and notsotruisms, Some are helpful, others well less so.
"Writing To Sell"
was highly recommended to me by an old mentor of mine who had recently started writing a lengthy work of fiction, It's easy to understand why,
This is an easy read, full of practical advice, Much of it is dated, particularly in the context of the publishing world and as some other reviewers have noted the typewritervscomputer debate, However, the basic advice on good writing, manuscripts, plot development and dialogue are all timelessespecially for those who are either too busy to take a creative writing class or frankly, uninterested in shelling out hundreds of dollars for one.
Where the book really shines is in its practical approach in getting published and author Scott Meredith's glee in debunking "writer myths"particularly the ones of writer's block, alcoholism and genre.
This is nofrills advice at its finest and you're spared a lot of the flowery tips that some writers spout "Don't give up on your dreams," "Persistence is key!" etc.
This is a good introductory book on writing and a good brushup read for those already honing their craftI would also recommend Stephen King's memoir "On Writing," for some more tips to the slightly more polished writer.
Meredith gives incredibly helpful comments about the building blocks of plot, It doesn't bother with the squishy, noncritical writing advice a whole lot of books do that makes people feel good about themselves, and it focuses heavily on plot to a degree I imagine many Literary Fiction authors would disapprove of.
The whole book has a lot of value, but the section on plot and the sections tying into it are the real value of the book, Don't put it down just because he tells you that you're doing things that won't appeal to anybody, Somewhat dated gives considerable advice on typewriter ribbon choice, and advises against newfangled computer writing because they make sloppy first drafts, and slightly sexist, this is still a solid book that gives good advice for writers, covering both the business and creative side.
Take the tone with a grain of salt and check this book out, This book was recommended by fellow fantasy author Nick Martell, who was told to read it by his and Brandon Sandersons literary agent, It is a great read for aspiring authors and I rank it up there with “must reads” like Stephen Kings On Writing and Anne Lamonts Bird by Bird, While there is alot of helpful information for new authors, certain chapters are dated since this book is overyears old, Highquality writing and marketing counsel from wellknown agent Scott Meredith with updated marketing information, .