In the world of writing, everyone is a critic, but Donald Maass writes literary criticism in the style of Jackie Chan driving a motorcycle through the English Department's wine tasting party. It rips through the flimsy pretension of 'artistic merit' to show aspiring novelists how to connect with their readers. I found it invigorating. Maass obviously loves literature, enjoys great fiction and knows what he is talking about. He's written for a living himself but made his mark as an outstanding literary agent.
He covers the same elements of plot, character and theme that were the staples of English class but he discusses them in practical terms, deconstructing several novels showing how those elements helped their writers connect with their readers. The techniques Maass discusses focus on helping writers kick up their characters, plotting and word craft to move from midlist to best seller.
I love the way he discusses the work of other writers: this is where Maass's own passion for writing and literature shine through. I may not like all the writers he cites or be familiar with every example, but he had me thinking about the writers I most admired in a new way.
Many people can put words together effectively, creatively and beautifully--but theirs might not be the novels that tell the most compelling stories about characters we want to spend time with. A page of text can be beautifully written but bloodless. A point of view can be beautifully voiced but go nowhere near the heart of the story. This is not a book to teach someone how to write, but a book to inspire writers to stretch to new heights in their writing.Get more detail about Writing the Breakout Novel.
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