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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 89 customer reviews )
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176 of 184 found the following review helpful:
 It can be done... Feb 23, 2006
By Eric Wilson
"novelist"
I'm a published author with a division of Random House. I wondered what this book might have to offer, after hearing great things about it from amateurs to pros.
My response is two-fold. Yes, I'm one of the midlist authors that Maass addresses, and I did find some true--albeit painful--comments that pertain to my mediocre success. The man knows the market and the publishing industry. Don't let artistic snobbery keep you from seeing the realities that he portrays here. I still have much to learn, and some of those lessons have started with the reading of this book.
On the other hand, the book is focused on commercial success. Like many others, I get suspicious when I see Nicholas Sparks mentioned as one of the examples of a breakout novelist. In a world of Starbucks and WalMarts, do we really want every writer to break things down to the same commercial aspects? I don't.
I have novels in stores; I've earned money (though not enought to live on) from this side job; and ohhhh, how I'd love to make a great living at it. As Maass points out, though, those who want to move past the midlist must adhere to certain principles of great storytelling. Great writers are not always great storytellers. Joining the two crafts can create miraculous things, and this book has challenged me to do so. Putting aside my artistic differences, I believe it can be done.
120 of 129 found the following review helpful:
 advice on how to write a thriller Jan 27, 2005
By bookloversfriend
Maass does go beyond the usual bland advice found in how-to-write books in that he tries to say which methods produce better results. He discusses "Premise", Stakes, Time and Place, Characters, Plot, "Contemporary Plot Techniques" ("nonlinear" narratives, character-driven stories), "Multiple Viewpoints, Subplots, Pace, Voice, Endings" (all in one chapter), "Advanced Plot Structures" (generational novels, whole life novels, historical novels, linked short stories), and Theme. His chapter on Stakes is particularly useful.
The problem I have with the book is the usual one: that the book assumes that every reader (and the would-be writer reading this book) has more or less the same tastes. Some of the books held up as exemplary novels to learn from, I found appalling.
Another problem is the occasional attempt to pander to the avant-garde. An example is "Nonlinear Narrative". There is no discussion/evaluation of this experimental technique. Nor is there any mention of how few readers there are for such material. But that's okay, because the matter is immediately dropped after two pages anyway, and it's back to the thrillers again.
Still, even when he's rehashing the same old ABCs, Maass does so in a lively way. So, beginning writers will certainly learn much from this book. And it is a valid point that Maass has not written a "breakout" novel himself, so how could this book tell us all we need to know to do it! It doesn't, but that does not mean that there isn't some useful information in the book.
No serious writer should read only one book on writing. The only protection from the author's tastes is to read a variety of books--not as easy as it sounds because most of them have the same tastes and most say the same things in different words and with different examples.
92 of 99 found the following review helpful:
 Worth the time and the money, despite some drawbacks Dec 27, 2004
By A reader
"moneysavers"
OK, so I will first start with the drawbacks. They're basically what the unsatsified reviewers of this prduct said - Maas likes to talk about himself and isn't shy about using this book to promote himself and his clients. A little annoying but BIG DEAL!
This book was extremely helpful. I've read many books on writing before. All are useful in their own way, but this one was useful through and through. Each chapter offered something important. The major contribution of this book was getting me to think BIGGER. To see the novel as an orchestra and to consider what I wanted the final product to look like and how to achieve it. It was also helpful how he reviewed different book and what it was about them that was successful. Read this book and every now and then look inside and consider whether you're following all the suggestions he offers. Writing a great novel (breakout novel) is more work, true, and with this book he helps you figure out just what work it is that needs to be done.
I can't see a book being bad if it follows all of the criteria.
41 of 43 found the following review helpful:
Writing the Breakout Novel Jan 16, 2007
By CV Rick
Donald Maass gives a course in how to turn a good story into a breakout novel. He doesn't give advice on how to craft beautiful prose in the mode of Marquez or Naipaul. He's not teaching how to write the next To Kill a Mockingbird. He doesn't even attempt to supplant the craft as taught by the Iowa Writer's Workshop. What he writes about is turning a good story into a commercial success.
Like his advice, it's straightforward and a bit formulaic, but why would you pick this book up with the title, How to Write the Breakout Novel, if you didn't want advice on commercial success? That'd be silly if you ask me.
Maass knows the market as one of the top agents in publishing and as a successful novelist. He's given advice to his clients and it's propelled them to the top of the Bestseller List. Sure he uses personal examples and touts his client list, but it's an impressive client list, believe me. I don't like all the books he uses as examples, but that's personal choice and my choice hasn't impacted sales numbers at all.
I found his advice on Theme to be really good. To be honest, I hadn't considered starting with a theme and working to craft around something which resonates with the reader simply and clearly. I know all great stories integrate theme, but I didn't really understand that it could be a conscious thing on the part of the writer. Maybe that's my own naivety, but that's why I'm reading self-help books. It's completely changed the way I'm writing my next story.
The Checklist style construction makes recollection of what each chapter covered simple.
Want to know what it covers? Here are the contents:
Why Write the Breakout Novel
Premise
Stakes
Time and Place
Characters
Plot
Contemporary Plot Techniques
Multiple Viewpoints, Subplots, Pace, Voice, and Endings
Advanced Plot Structures
Theme
Breaking Out
Read each and every one. I found value throughout the book.
- CV Rick
30 of 31 found the following review helpful:
The Truth, simply put Jul 14, 2001
If I could, I would give this book ten stars. I am in the midst of writing my first novel, (truth be told I've started 1,000), and I am reading this book simultaneously. I read "On Writing" by Stephen King, and that has some great advice, "Don't use adverbs" and "Kill your darlings" to name a few tenets. However, in reading "Writing the Breakout Novel" I found myself questioning the plot I'm working on, questioning my characters, and with about 5 minutes of thought, bringing something to my book that makes it 200,000% better. Even though I feel like I've got an interesting story, Maass's advice helped me to make it matter. I've found myself rooting for my characters, adding dimension, changing some outcome. All in all, I feel like Maass and Stephen King are standing over my shoulders going, "What about this? and that?" King's book inspired me, Maass's book challenges me. Unlike the plots that I've tried before, this one grips me, keeps me writing. If I get stuck, Maass helps me through it. Unlike some instructional writers, Maass injects passages from successful authors and books to illustrate his point. The reader can easily decipher what he means, and see it in a variety of writing styles. Maass is telling the truth, and the truth will revolutionize your writing.
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