I’ve built a following by presenting clear, easy to understand information that was helpful and useful. So when I started putting my resources together in a book on the craft of writing, most people assumed it would be in the simple style I was known for. Instead, Book Craft is self-consciously obese.
The truth is, most authors could access my plotting templates and be well on their way to better writing, as long as they already saw the point and purpose, and believed that they would be useful. Part of the trouble is, I wrote this book to reach all those other authors, who aren’t yet comfortable writing to market or outlining their novel: you may not need any convincing, but they do – and they are the majority: the numberless horde of eager writers who are still stuck on their manuscript, or have published but can’t get any traction, readers or reviews.
The frustrated, stubborn artists who refuse to bend their inspiration to the will of the world. I wrote this book for them, and it’s not a pleasant or easy conversation to have. But it’s desperately needed. I learned the hard way, after a decade of struggling as a starving artist, that if I wanted to make a difference, I had to provide value.
Incidentally, this book didn’t follow all of my own rules and recommendations: partly that’s on purpose, and if you want to learn more about the choices I made, you can check out the nonfiction guide. For years I’ve been recommending the “benefits” book versus the “brand” book – but this is the first time I actually put myself into the work, to drive a wedge: to force people out, and to draw people in.
However, I didn’t predict quite how disappointing the book would feel to those in my audience who just want the simple and quick cheats and hacks they were used to, without the bloated pontificating: and even those who loved the theme and style of Book Craft still probably found it overwhelming and difficult to manage all the new information.
So, in addition to adding a clarified outline and structure, I also pulled out all the bullet-points, without the metaphors and stories, and condensed it into just 25 pages. Some of these won’t make sense without reading the book, but you can also watch the free video walkthroughs where I break down all the important stuff.
