DONALD MAASS, YOU DA BOSS!

In another blog I extolled the virtues of a number of writing books that I said were the equivalent of a fiction writing MFA and at a fraction of the cost. They were Bob Mayer's The Novel Writer's Toolkit, Noah Lukeman's The First Five Pages, Renni Browne and Dave King's Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, and Donald Maass' Writing the Breakout Novel, both book and companion workbook.

Well, Donald Maass has done it again. At my local Barnes and Noble recently, I picked up his latest manual on fiction writing called The Fire in Fiction, and it was--bar none--the best (and most applicable) book on writing excellent novels I've ever read. It sounds impossible, but Maass literally takes what I would call the "intangibles," the elements of great novels that seem to be just a part of a writer's magic, and then says, "Here's how you do that." Elements like micro-tension, first lines/last lines, creating unique and compelling minor characters, and imbuing setting with emotion and resonance are discussed in a very accessible manner and, amazingly, every chapter is followed by clear and helpful exercises to apply to a current manuscript. In this perfect balance of theory and practice, author and agent Maass has given fiction writers a manual they cannot ignore. And considering his history and experience in the publishing industry, this is a man to listen to.

I CANNOT wait to tackle the second draft of School Spirit having learned these new techniques from The Fire in Fiction. Just by reading it, I know I've become a better writer. In short, this is stunning stuff.

Go now to your local bookstore and pick up Donald Maass' The Fire in Fiction and become a better writer, possibly by the time you reach the checkout counter.

Perhaps I was unclear. I mean, stop reading this pathetic attempt at written expression, do not pause to turn off your computer, and go to the bookstore and buy is book!

Right now!

Ahem. If you're a serious novelist, you won't be sorry.

(And if you aren't a serious novelist, it just might make you one).