IF YOU'RE TIRED OF REJECTION, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.
Whether you are a novice writer or a veteran who has already had your work published, rejection is often a frustrating reality. Literary agents and editors receive and reject hundreds of manuscripts each month. While it's the job of these publishing professionals to be discriminating, it's the job of the writer to produce a manuscript that immediately stands out among the vast competition. And those outstanding qualities, says New York literary agent Noah Lukeman, have to be apparent from the first five pages.
The First Five Pages reveals the necessary elements of good writing, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry, and points out errors to be avoided, such as
* A weak opening hook * Overuse of adjectives and adverbs * Flat or forced metaphors or similes * Melodramatic, commonplace or confusing dialogue * Undeveloped characterizations and lifeless settings * Uneven pacing and lack of progression
With exercises at the end of each chapter, this invaluable reference will allow novelists, journalists, poets and screenwriters alike to improve their technique as they learn to eliminate even the most subtle mistakes that are cause for rejection. The First Five Pages will help writers at every stage take their art to a higher -- and more successful -- level.
The difference between The First Five Pages and most books on writing is that the others are written by teachers and writers. This one comes from a literary agent--one whose clients include Pulitzer Prize nominees, New York Times bestselling authors, Pushcart Prize recipients, and American Book Award winners. Noah Lukeman is not trying to impart the finer points of writing well. He wants to teach you "how to identify and avoid bad writing," so that your manuscript doesn't come boomeranging back to you in that self-addressed, stamped envelope. Surprise: Agents and editors don't read manuscripts for fun; they are looking for reasons to reject them. Lukeman has arranged his book "in the order of what I look for when trying to dismiss a manuscript," starting with presentation and concluding with pacing and progression. Each chapter addresses a pitfall of poor writing--overabundance of adjectives and adverbs, tedious or unrealistic dialogue, and lack of subtlety to name just a few--by identifying the problem, presenting solutions, giving examples (one wishes these weren't quite so obvious), and offering writing exercises. It's a little bizarre to think about approaching your work as would an agent, but if you are serious about getting published, you may as well get used to it. Plus, Lukeman has plenty of solid advice worth listening to. Particularly fine are his exercises for removing and spicing up modifiers and his remedies for all kinds of faulty dialogue. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
You'll need this book, but a few others too:
Once you have read many other how-to books, and many good novels (analyzing how they work), you may want to write your own. After your first or second draft, you'll want to join a writers group, so they'll expose your blind spots and your novel's bruises. Assuming you learn, and make adjustments, you'll then want to refer to this book. (Hopefully by that point you will have read it.) Because the next logical step is sending your manuscript to an agent or editor. You've written a great novel, why not publish... more info
Not a solipsistic book:
I learned much from this book that I am already applying to the novel I'm writing. I find the author had good tone, pacing, and progression adhering to his own advice with the exception of two solipsistic moments not unlike an Alzheimer's moment. Solipsism is the philosophical idea that one's own mind is all that exists. The author used this word in two places and I have no idea what he was talking about. I also thought his point of view on a narrator's point of view were too limited and gave me the... more info
Everyone Who Writes Should Read This!:
Writing is a tough business. Editors receive thousands of manuscripts a year. Your manuscript must be polished within an inch of its life to get read past the first five pages and this book will provide the nitty-gritty details to help you do that.
Read after you've written your manuscript.:
I just recently purchased this book. I was excited when I received it but after reading it a little the excitement passed. Not because the book is poorly written or not helpful, but because the book is best read after you've completed your manuscript. I'm looking for something to help me before I start my manuscript. I'm not upset that I purchased the book because it will come in handy when I start the revising and submission process. The thing that I like about the book is that it nit picks and makes... more info
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