The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life
by Noah Lukeman
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Book Summary Information
Author: Noah LukemanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-06-18
ISBN: 0312309287
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Book Reviews of The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life
Book Review: Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read quite a few books on writing while on my journey to writing my own book. Sometimes I read them because I get sick of my story, get a bad case of writer's block, and look to these books for inspiration to get me back on track. Sometimes I just want to develop my abilities, or I just read them for fun (yeah, I know, I'm a nerd).
This is one of the most amazing books I've found on developing your plot, and I'm convinced there isn't one to parallel it as far as character goes. The first three chapters are spent focusing on developing your characters. And if you answer all those questions (literally 50 pages of them) you will know your character as well as yourself. Possibly better. They will have depth, quirks, a history, a detailed physical description, a medical history, spiritual/religious beliefs and philosophies (or lack thereof), an employment background and a transcript of the grades they have gotten in every class. You know what's important to them, how they would react to any situation. If you created a very caustic character, you now know why your character is that way (beyond the boring "oh well someone broke his/her heart and now he/she hates the world), exactly how much he/she is that way, and where his or her one and only weakness might lie that lets you get through those walls. It makes you pause: "I never thought about that!" My characters grew from decent, with some depth and reality, to completely full fleshed, so that I know them better than I know most of my friends and family.
After the first two chapters of questions, there is one explaining how to apply the characterization into the plot and make the story better. Chapters on "the journey," suspense, conflict, and context are unbelievable valuable and full of good advice and ideas you might not have thought of before. The final chapter, on transcendency, helps you learn to create a book that can better stand the test of time.
I found myself getting more and more excited as I read this book, about writing my own. And while there were exercises that I sometimes stopped to do, often I was so into it that I couldn't put it down (cliche, yes, and pretty sad since it is a how-to guidebook, but I think that says something). There are exercises in each chapter helping you learn to apply principles and ideas the author has brought up and outlined, and there are examples from popular literature and movies. My only qualm with the book is that it often doesn't explain the example, just mentions the title of the movie or book. However, when it does explain the example, it does so very well, and the places where it doesn't explain them, it didn't necessarily need an example in the first place. It's like a little bonus chocolate chip in your cookie. And i'm not going to take off points because the chocolate chip wasn't big enough.
Overall, an absolutely amazing book, and I highly recommend it to all potential future novelists.
Summary of The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life
As a literary agent, Noah Lukeman hears thousands of book pitches a year. Often the stories sound great in concept, but never live up to their potential on the page. Lukeman shows beginning and advanced writers how to implement the fundamentals of successful plot development, such as character building and heightened suspense and conflict. Writers will find it impossible to walk away from this invaluable guide---a veritable fiction-writing workshop---without boundless new ideas.
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