TODAY YOU WRITE THE BOOK is a holistic guide to technique, process and writing lifestyle.
TODAY YOU WRITE THE BOOK is the quick-read, no-nonsense guide to survey all aspects of novel writing. Not only does it cover story elements, but also provides invaluable advice about the enormous benefits and occasional pitfalls of contact with the writing community. Get unique information about The Word Count Paradox, The Idea Factory, The Hammer Method, and more.
Excerpt
The truly great novel looks as if it is the output of a 3-D printer, layer upon layer of precision treading an unwavering blueprint. It is nothing of the kind. The work is more like molded clay in pursuit of a vision, and even that analogy falls short because novel writing is unique. It is not only unique in the main, but also a process of infinite variety depending on who is doing the writing, and each stage is arrived upon by experiment.
Writing is invention and art, a way of creating what is uniquely yours. If you are waiting to be told exactly how to do such a thing, you will never do it because no one can tell you how to invent your story (which has never previously been invented/ crafted).
Like any invention, creating is a process of experiment, thought, and further experiment.
Like any art, devising what is uniquely yours is a journey no one else can take. When can be learned is the array of elements of traditional and non-traditional techniques that have been successful in pleasing audiences. This book is a practical guide lacking the nonsense that clogs up an academic course.
Professional Reviews
This Book Delivers
“I doubted that aspects of writing could be explained in any different or better terms than I’d seen before but this book delivers.” -Tanya LeBrock
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Reviews for "Today You Write the Book: The Keys to Start Your Novel (2nd Edition)"
Reviewed by TC Mets
3/14/2016
Today You Write the Book by Ben Parris is a useful instruction guide for beginning novelists, calling out questions writers should be asking throughout the writing process and providing clear answers to these prompts. This is an educational read in a relatable tone that is not overly academic. The section regarding Dialogue Tags strongly reminds me of a writing course I took in which the instructor’s lessons closely paralleled Parris’ explanation of how to represent who is speaking in the story.
Parris nicely motivates readers to write, offering smart metaphorical descriptions such as his comparison of the construction of a story to the building of a house. He offers exercises and quizzes, an interaction that kept me interested and involved in the reading. From The Three Kinds of Writers (Parris 4-8), I discovered my technique is “builder” and learned strategies for successfully improving this minimalist style.
Three of the most important aspects of Today: chapter exercises, Inventory of Needs (Parris 49-50) and The Hammer Method (Parris 126-128). The exercises provide an excellent means of solidifying the lessons being learned; I always find this method to help retain what I have read. Parris’ Inventory of Needs provides a solid guide of what writers and their readers must know about a story’s central characters. The Hammer Method offers beneficial tips on overcoming writer’s block.
There were two sections of the book I did not admire as much as I did the rest of it. While the majority of this compilation is simple for beginning writers to follow, Chapter Six (Outlining and Order) is much more advanced and difficult to keep up with. I found the same to be true with Exposition in Dialogue: The Special Case (Chapter 9).
Overall, I enjoyed reading Today You Write the Book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to gain tips on writing a novel. I appreciated Parris’ recommendation to join a writing community—this is an excellent way for new writers to experience sharing their work and putting to use the valuable feedback offered by others.
Reviewed by Katharine Everett
7/15/2015
This book is incredibly helpful for first-time writers interested in getting published. Parris gives excellent, clear advice by walking writers step by step through the process of book writing. Along with helpful exercises and examples, this book not only shows readers the process through which they can succeed but also gives them the incentive to look within, understand what kind of writer they are, and play to their strengths. All writers will find this book useful.
This book is for all first responders (law enforcement, fire, or other emergency personnel) who are or want to be supervisors in their agencies. It goes through all facets of being a good supervisor.
Being a supervisor in any occupation is
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