Trashionista: Writing a book? Here's how NOT to do it...

« BOOK REVIEW: The Importance of Being Married by Gemma Townley | Main | MOVIE NEWS: SATC Confirmed »

February 8, 2009 9:59 PM

Writing a book? Here's how NOT to do it...

Okay, one of my New Year Resolutions is to finish my novel. Really. I tried with wide-eyed ambition last November when thousands of us went NaNo crazy, but failed miserably. So now - NOW! - is the time to get my ass in gear. (And also to the gym too, come to think of it...)

We know that plenty of authors stop by here at Trashionista, and not to mention the aspiring ones. Apparently we all have a story in us and for many of us it's a dream to get it out and into the bookstores. So what's better than a helpful, inspiring and concise writing guide to help us along the way?

So far we've checked out No Plot, No Problem (the NaNoWriMo bible!), See Jane Write and Will Write for Shoes. All of them offer helpful tips, advice and examples to help the new writer get started on their masterpiece. However, there's a new, slightly cruel how-to book to hit the shelves (or should that be how NOT to?)

How Not To Write a Novel, by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark, has been dubbed a 'cruel but wickedly useful checklist for would-be novelists'.

It's said to includes checklist of what NOT to do when submitting work to publishers, and contains examples of what's commonly found in the slush pile that prevent budding novelists from getting the deal of their dreams.

Having not yet read the book, I'm not sure if Newman and Mittelmark are the Simon Cowells of the publishing world. But I'm definitely going to get hold of this one.

So, for all the aspiring authors out there...what writing guides do you swear by?