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Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction) | 
 enlarge | Author: James Scott Bell
Publisher: Writers Digest Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $6.93
You Save: $10.06 (59%)
New (36) Used (23) from $6.93
Rating:  87 reviews
Sales Rank: 1062
Media: Paperback
Edition: 5
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 158297294X
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.394
UPC: 035313109423
EAN: 9781582972947
ASIN: 158297294X
Publication Date: October 6, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The second book in the Write Great Fiction series, Plot & Structure offers clear and concise information on creating a believable and engaging plot that readers can't resist. Written by award-winning thriller and suspense author James Scott Bell, this handy instruction guide provides: * Easy-to-understand techniques on every aspect of plotting and structure, from brainstorming story ideas to building scenes, and from using subplots to crafting knock-out endings * Engaging exercises, perfect for writers at any level and at any stage in their novel * Practical and encouraging guidance from one of the most respected writers publishing today Full of diagrams, plot brainstormers, and examples from popular novels, mastering plot and structure has never been so simple.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 82 more reviews...
 Great For Analytical People May 15, 2009
Me
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have been devouring books on writing, and this one stands out as the best, by far. As an engineer who is seeking to understand what makes fiction "tick", this book is a godsend. Bell himself was a lawyer before becoming a successful novelist. It is obvious this book was born from the mind of a highly analytical person who was also able to achieve commercial success.
If I were to title this book, I would call it "Principles of Novel Construction". Other books have presented useful advice, but this book is the nexus of my understanding.
 Yes You CAN! April 17, 2009
peachkinn (Los Angeles, CA USA)
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book reads like a satire of a self-help guru seminar. It is painful. I could not make it through. If you like worthless and feel-good anecdotes from a guy who butters readers up with sound-bites about the universal victimhood of the "Big Lie" and how we can all break free of that and learn "The Craft" with a kick start from our trusty mugs emblazoned with the word "Writer" (to remind and encourage us) and homemade mock-up of a future book cover with plenty of enthusiastic reviews (next to the glorious pin-up of Stephen King), this book will probably be a good how-to for you. I don't, so it's fortunate that there are all those other books that came before this one and from which Bell freely admits he's procured most of his tips. Also, this book is bluntly about selling, there's no conceit towards art.
 Just want to sit down and write? Maybe not April 13, 2009
F. Harrison
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
James Scott Bell shows (in 230 pages) that there is no difinitive way to write a great novel or screenplay. He goes over various great authors and their techniques for producing masterpieces and it seems that there is no formula. He gives us options of just sitting down to write (more creative NOPs) as well as creating a structured outline (less creative OPs). He gives us twenty different ways to ocme up with a good plot (and three ways not to come up with a good plot: drugs, alcohol, stress), and a ton of different plot systems and patterns. THe point is- there is something in here for everyone--if you don't learn some good techniques from this book, you're never going to be a writter. However, this book is so scattered, it's hard to get a real good feeling for any direction from it. I prefer the really easy to follow and facinating The 90-Minute Effect: How We Shape Our Lives by the Hollywood Formula and Rarely Reach Our Own Happy Endings and Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting over this book.
Excellent Book March 29, 2009
Mary Mcdonald (Chicago)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I will be keeping this book as a resource for a long time. After reading a few chapters, it fired me up and I couldn't wait to try out some of the suggestions. I love that it breaks down the writing process and makes plot development something that can be done in manageable steps.
great book about writing. February 9, 2009
Consuelo Leal Garza (Monterrey, Mexico)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a must-read if you are interested in writing or you are a beginner writer. With many excercises and good information.
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