Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction) by James Scott Bell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction)
Book Review: Bell instructs--and inspires!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was about two weeks into the task of plotting and structuring a very convoluted time-travel novel when I received my copy of PLOT & STRUCTURE. I immediately delved into the book and gained valuable insights that enabled me to manage and harness the complexities of my story. And James Scott Bell doesn't merely instruct-he inspires. Let me show you what I mean. Near the end of the book, he writes:
"So what are you writing for? If it is only for money or fame, you'll miss the spark that makes both of those things possible. Go further. . . . Develop a vision for yourself as a writer. Make it something that excites you. Turn that into a mission statement-one paragraph that sums up your hopes and dreams as a writer. Read this regularly. Revise it from time to time to reflect your growth. . . . If you stay true to your own awe, your books cannot help being charged with meaning. That's not just a great way to write. It's a great way to live" [Page 204].
James Scott Bell has written a book you'll want to read straight through, then go back and refer to again and again. Powerful visual diagrams, practical exercises, techniques for brainstorming ideas, valuable tips and tools, and a checklist at the end makes this one of the most useful and user-friendly books on writing I've ever encountered. Whether you are an aspiring writer, just learning your trade, or an experienced pro, wanting to take your craft to the next level, I highly recommend PLOT & STRUCTURE.
Book Review: Bell is a great teacher! You will learn how to structure your novel
Summary: 4 Stars
Plot and Structure is a Writers Digest Book by James Scott Bell. While he touches on many topics, the focus of the book is how to structure your novel to hook your readers and how you can create a riveting plot by giving it structure. Bell peppers this book with examples from literary greats Stephen King and Dean Koontz and many other popular authors.
As with most writing books, this book won't teach you everything and some things you'll find helpful and some things you won't. Some of the lessons I took away were how to structure your book in three acts, how each scene must contain suspense, and of course how you should show, not tell. Also, your hero and villian must have adhesive, ie, there must be a reason the hero can't just walk away from the villain. Bell also emphasizes the importance of constantly looking for ideas to make your plot original and to not be afraid to let your mind wander and fill your story with some crazy, outrageous ideas. You can always cut them out later.
Bell is a strong advocate that you can learn to write well. While some people are born great writers and some aren't, even the best writers have to hone their craft and develop their potential. So, if through trial and error or rejection slips has caused you to think you weren't born to be a great writer, you may be wrong. This book will help you evolve into the great writer you were born to be, or at least improve upon your current meandering novel.
This is fun book to read and Bell is a great teacher.
Book Review: Clear, Concise, and Very Helpful!
Summary: 4 Stars
If you've ever seen a movie or read a book, then you are quite familiar with plot. I would agree with other reviews and reiterate that James Scott Bell tells you things that you already know but puts them in easy to comprehend sections that don't overwhelm someone looking to craft a better plot.
This will be an invaluable reference book for my library and the simple analogies he uses to explain plot concepts are easy to remember and thus (hopefully) won't fall out of my brain as I struggle to get my story from my mind to the word processor. Simple things like "doors" being the gateway from one act to the next are priceless. I only wish my school teachers had employed Bell's concepts (and maybe used his book in the curriculum).
Though the range of authors used for examples are sparse, they are masters of their genres and I truly enjoyed seeing consistency in how those writers approached each section of the plot.
This book definitely does what it aims to do: inspires the writer to let their imagination flow freely and be able to make sense out of everything that floats around in their brain. The key is simple organization and structuring and Bell helps to quell the reader's fears and gets them doing what they should be doing... writing.
Book Review: Clear, Insightful, Helpful
Summary: 5 Stars
I am currently writing my fifth published novel and found this book to be very helpful in the process of both refining my plot and my characters. The writing is clear, insighful, and specific enough to be of real use. The examples and end-of-chapter questions are extremely useful. I highly recommend this excellent book both for beginning and seasoned novelists.Book Review: Comprehensive, Understandable, and Interesting
Summary: 5 Stars
Like a lot of aspiring novelists, I've collected, read, and reread a lot of books on fiction technique. I've read many of the books that Bell lists early on in his book as worthwhile how-to manuals for author wannabes. I've learned enough through study and writing experience to become rather choosy of any new books I buy, since so many principles of good writing are to be found over and over in a lot of previously published good writing books. Plot & Structure was not only interesting and encouraging, but original in ways too numerous to mention here. Bell is quite obviously a Dean Koontz fan, and frequently cites Koontz's work as examples of good plotting and structure. I've never read a Dean Koontz novel, but I've recently acquired two to read in the near future. Bell is also a big believer in prologues or in first chapters that serve the purpose of a prologue to the rest of the story. For beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of fiction technique, I wholeheartedly recommend Plot & Structure. I am planning to read the other three books in this series (Write Great Fiction), even though Mr. Bell did not write them. I appreciate his reference to both classic literature and noteworthy recent novels as examples of what makes a story hold the reader and make them want more of the same. When you've read this book, you will no longer wonder what makes one book a bestseller and what makes another book do poorly. You will be able to judge your own work much more objectively and know how to improve it without guessing what it lacks. I most appreciate Mr. Bell's statement that a writer should continue to study and improve his craft for as long as he or she intends to write. If you read only one book on plotting and structure (and you should certainly read more than one) I recommend this one for scope and clarity. Five stars, very well deserved!