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Writers Notes Gives Big Thumbs Up to Klim's WRITE TO PUBLISH
Fast-Growing Internet site, www.WritersNotes.com, gives highest marks to Christopher Klim's WRITE TO PUBLISH: Essentials for the Modern Fiction & Memoir Market. Practical, good-humored advice. What Klim includes is unusual and very helpful," says Writers Notes.
The fast-growing writers resoure site at www.WritersNotes.com gives its highest review marks to award-winning author Christopher Klim's, WRITE TO PUBLISH: Essentials for the Modern Fiction & Memoir Market.
Here's what Writers Notes reviewer, Dr. Deborah A. Kaple, author of Dream of a Red Factory, has to say:
I try to leave out the parts that people skip," is my favorite quote about writing. Elmore Leonard said this, and if youve ever read his writing, you get the drift. Obviously, Christopher Klim is in Leonards camp, because in this delightful and clearly-written guide to writing, there is not a wasted word. Klim writes with empathy and with humor, as if he is just one writer talking to another. For instance, here he is on the topic of people who want to write. Real writers must be voracious readers, he insists. And if the writer is not a reader, he continues, dont waste our time putting your written words on the page.
I am harsh on non-readers, but dont worry," says Klim. They will never pick up this book to be insulted. They dont even hear me. The latest rerun of Gilligans Island is blasting too loudly on the television for them to notice."
See what I mean?
Klim understands that having talent is not enough. He knows that writers need to write stories that readers crave, and they need to learn how to get their stories to the readers. In this book, Klim outlines the areas that a writer must work through on the way to creating a successful story. Klim devotes an entire chapter to each of the most important steps.
Starting at the beginning, so to speak, he discusses story openings. Grab the reader from the start," he says, and engage, engage, engage." Get quickly to who the character is, who is telling the story, what the story question is, what the setting is, what action will take place, set the tone, and shorten the timeline. And ask yourself at the end of your opening scene, he advises, Is the reader hooked?" Because, he says, Readers go along for the ride, and the writer is driving."
From there, Klim discusses the essence of character, selecting point of view, setting the story landscape, plotting, and revising. I wont give away any more secrets here, except to say that his advice is concise and practical, with handy exercises at the end of each chapter. In the next sections, Klim discusses the ever-important problem that weighs on every beginning writer: how to get a manuscript noticed and published. Again, practical, good-humored advice. And what Klim includes here is unusual, and very helpful: examples of his own query letter for a short story, a query letter for his novel, and a novel synopsis. He continues with examples of what a short story first page should look like, as well as a novel submission.
Following that is something Ive never seen in how to" books, a copy of his own short story The Final Ingredient," with an analysis of its parts. He dissects the story by showing us his character sketch, and an extremely helpful scene and sequel analysis," which leads the reader through the building blocks of creating this story. Finally, there is a very good bibliography and an index of terms.
All in all, this is a very useful, fun-to-read, interesting guide to writing, written by an award-winning writer and teacher. All writers and aspiring writers will find these pages entertaining and encouraging, as well as enormously helpful. I highly recommend that you add this to your bookshelf.
During the month of May, the author is offering free writing critiques to Hopewell Publications' customers. Details at www.Write-to-Publish.com.
WRITE TO PUBLISH is available through Write-to-Publish.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other major book outlets. A national campaign is scheduled for summer 2003, including select bookstore and library dates. Book, tour, and author information at www.Write-to-Publish.com or www.ChristopherKlim.com.
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