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Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days
What Can You Accomplish in 30 Days?
Set realistic goals and monitor your progress
Manage your time so that your writing life has room to flourish
Select a story topic that will continue to inspire you throughout the writing process
Quickly outline your entire story so that you have a clear idea of how your plot and characters are going to develop before you start writing
Draft each act of your story by focusing on specific turning points
Keep track of the areas you want to revise without losing your momentum in the middle of your story
Relax and have fun-you are, after all, doing something you love
So what are you waiting for? If you've been putting off your book project, let Book in a Month be your guide and find out just how much you can accomplish.
If you make time to write and put away all of your excuses, could you stay on track and finish your novel in only a month? With a structured plan and a focused goal, yes, you can!
Using a combination of flexible weekly schedules, focused instruction, and detailed worksheets, author Victoria Schmidt leads you through a proven 30-day novel-writing system without the intimidation factor. Book in a Month shows you how to:
Set realistic goals and monitor your progress
Manage your time so that your writing life has room to flourish
Select a story topic that will continue to inspire you throughout the writing process
Quickly outline your entire story so that you have a clear idea of how your plot and characters are going to develop before you start writing
Draft each act of your story by focusing on specific turning points
Keep track of the areas you want to revise without losing your momentum in the middle of your story
Relax and have fun-you are, after all, doing something you love
So what are you waiting for? If you've been putting off your book project, let Book in a Month be your guide and find out just how much you can accomplish.
288 pages, Spiral-bound
First published January 28, 2008
99 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
December 31, 2011
To be honest, I'm not sure how helpful "Book in a Month" would be if a writer follows it down to the teeth. Speaking from experience, I didn't follow it strictly on the day to day activities it prompted me to do. I would often do two to three days worth of plotting/planning from the book in one single day, just in 20 minute bites of time. And noting that Schmidt relies on three act structure (which some of my stories do not follow) that might be something worth noting for people who may or may not use that particular form.
I used this as a loose guide during this year's (2011) NaNoWriMo, but I finished in 15-16 days versus the usual 30. I'm something of an odd combination of an outliner and discovery writer, so I empathize with writers of both methodologies. I wouldn't suggest anyone getting bogged down to fill out all of the worksheets provided in this guide (though if you're that kind of writer, go for it - just as long as you remember that you still have to write!). It provides a lot of structure, and that might be good for those who need it as beginning writers, but for those who are a bit beyond that, I don't know if it is the best form to follow, because there are times when you might be tempted to break through the pattern and mold it to your own. It's helpful though, and I will likely return to it for reference, but I think there are other guides that cover the details better for writers of all walks.
I used this as a loose guide during this year's (2011) NaNoWriMo, but I finished in 15-16 days versus the usual 30. I'm something of an odd combination of an outliner and discovery writer, so I empathize with writers of both methodologies. I wouldn't suggest anyone getting bogged down to fill out all of the worksheets provided in this guide (though if you're that kind of writer, go for it - just as long as you remember that you still have to write!). It provides a lot of structure, and that might be good for those who need it as beginning writers, but for those who are a bit beyond that, I don't know if it is the best form to follow, because there are times when you might be tempted to break through the pattern and mold it to your own. It's helpful though, and I will likely return to it for reference, but I think there are other guides that cover the details better for writers of all walks.
May 2, 2013
If Chris Baty's No Plot? No Problem! is for budding "pantsers," I'd say this book is decent for budding outliners looking to speed through a first draft. Schmidt offers a crash course in three-act structure as part of her plan, and the print version of the book is actually a spiral workbook for you to fill out as you develop your story. (She encourages you to buy a new copy of the book for every book you write. Heh heh... of course.)
I think I might have found this book very appealing during my early days of NaNoWriMo, but since then, I've discovered that 1) I'm not an outliner, and 2) I really don't like my output when I write that fast. She also sells this as a system in which you can skip nothing and that's not very appealing either, especially on the heels of Bell's more modular Plot & Structure (which is overkill for someone doing their first NaNo, I suspect, but it depends on what you're looking for).
I think she oversells the final product from her program, too. One piece of advice, for example, is "Watch the length of your sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. Use the white space on the page to your advantage." Maybe during revisions, but this sounds like a waste of time during the first draft. Even if you're working from an outline, you're going to end up making text adjustments in the final version once all your plot points are where you need them to be. Plus, I wouldn't just start adjusting the lengths of the sentences, etc. It's better to scrutinize why blocks of text look the way they do if they appear daunting or are ruining pacing. Was there an excessively long descriptive passage? A backstory info dump? Simply adding more paragraph breaks to things like that are not going to fix the real problem. This advice felt very superficial to me.
She also suggests a check during the third week to make sure you've hit on all the critical elements of whatever genre you're writing. "After all, you do not want to be in the romance section if your book doesn't have much romance in it. You will lose all your readers." Talk about jumping the gun. There are a LOT of revisions to be done before the book will see the shelf (unless you self-publish without revising, god forbid). And who's to say that the romance you set out to write might not turn into a great mystery instead? Would you be packing in the love scenes just to get your book shelved in a different place? I doubt it. Cross-genre books are very popular, plus shelving is not something you can personally control anyway.
So, although I think this book isn't bad for a beginning outliner, I'd think critically about what she's asking you to do. Some of it doesn't make sense and isn't necessarily going to help you move forward. Some of it feels like busy work. Maybe the biggest reason to buy this book is if the workbook/daily homework aspect appeals to you, because you can get outlining methods and info on the three-act structure in lots of other books.
If you're just looking to enhance your productivity, I highly recommend Rachel Aaron's 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love instead. It's my favorite of any of the write-like-the-wind books out there and it's adaptable to whatever your writing style might be, whether you work from an outline or fly by the seat of your pants. You could certainly use it to try to complete a first draft in a month, too.
I think I might have found this book very appealing during my early days of NaNoWriMo, but since then, I've discovered that 1) I'm not an outliner, and 2) I really don't like my output when I write that fast. She also sells this as a system in which you can skip nothing and that's not very appealing either, especially on the heels of Bell's more modular Plot & Structure (which is overkill for someone doing their first NaNo, I suspect, but it depends on what you're looking for).
I think she oversells the final product from her program, too. One piece of advice, for example, is "Watch the length of your sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. Use the white space on the page to your advantage." Maybe during revisions, but this sounds like a waste of time during the first draft. Even if you're working from an outline, you're going to end up making text adjustments in the final version once all your plot points are where you need them to be. Plus, I wouldn't just start adjusting the lengths of the sentences, etc. It's better to scrutinize why blocks of text look the way they do if they appear daunting or are ruining pacing. Was there an excessively long descriptive passage? A backstory info dump? Simply adding more paragraph breaks to things like that are not going to fix the real problem. This advice felt very superficial to me.
She also suggests a check during the third week to make sure you've hit on all the critical elements of whatever genre you're writing. "After all, you do not want to be in the romance section if your book doesn't have much romance in it. You will lose all your readers." Talk about jumping the gun. There are a LOT of revisions to be done before the book will see the shelf (unless you self-publish without revising, god forbid). And who's to say that the romance you set out to write might not turn into a great mystery instead? Would you be packing in the love scenes just to get your book shelved in a different place? I doubt it. Cross-genre books are very popular, plus shelving is not something you can personally control anyway.
So, although I think this book isn't bad for a beginning outliner, I'd think critically about what she's asking you to do. Some of it doesn't make sense and isn't necessarily going to help you move forward. Some of it feels like busy work. Maybe the biggest reason to buy this book is if the workbook/daily homework aspect appeals to you, because you can get outlining methods and info on the three-act structure in lots of other books.
If you're just looking to enhance your productivity, I highly recommend Rachel Aaron's 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love instead. It's my favorite of any of the write-like-the-wind books out there and it's adaptable to whatever your writing style might be, whether you work from an outline or fly by the seat of your pants. You could certainly use it to try to complete a first draft in a month, too.
October 30, 2011
I personally believe that to write a book in 30 days borders on insanity, I enjoy reading the different methodologies for accomplishing this Herculean feat. Of all the books I've perused, this one remains my favorite.
Schmidt's approach requires a systematic way of approaching one's writing. As you move through her book, you fill out various forms (which you can download off of the Writer's Digest website) to create a template for your novel. She explains there reason behind each template and how the results will apply to your writing.
Being a bit of a form junky, I found myself thoroughly enjoying filling out the template when I worked on my first project. I also found that the templates made me view my story from a deeper perspective and revealed the flaws behind some of my writing ideas.
Every writer has a different way of approaching their writing and I recommend this book for any beginner.
Schmidt's approach requires a systematic way of approaching one's writing. As you move through her book, you fill out various forms (which you can download off of the Writer's Digest website) to create a template for your novel. She explains there reason behind each template and how the results will apply to your writing.
Being a bit of a form junky, I found myself thoroughly enjoying filling out the template when I worked on my first project. I also found that the templates made me view my story from a deeper perspective and revealed the flaws behind some of my writing ideas.
Every writer has a different way of approaching their writing and I recommend this book for any beginner.
July 30, 2011
It wasn't a bad book - it gave a few good pointers on finishing a novel within 30 days. The worksheets are interesting, but it drives the potential author into a formulaic approach to writing. Also, it may be a good resource for new authors, but I didn't gain much value from the daily exercises.
December 28, 2016
This is a workbook. It has explanation of a system of structuring and then writing a novel in 30 days that really works.
Of the five publications (books) I've had published, I wrote all five on this system of novel building, writing, and revising.
In every case, with no exception, the novels I've written using this book (workbook) ALL WERE PUBLISHED FROM THIS FIRST DRAFT I GENERATED USING BIAM.
BIAM, Book In A Month: Day 1, 2, 3, ...30, are begun with a brief two or three pages of instruction, usually a form or two to fill out with such things as characters, settings, scenes, outline of scenes, and plotting. It features a novel development that is divided into three parts, similar to a three act play. The rise and fall of action and the climax are all eased out of your mind onto the paper in a studied and practical manner.
The books I wrote in 30 days (also used Ywriter5 as my computer word processing structurally helpful program). I submitted the exact draft that came out in the 30 days and in each of the five novels my FIRST DRAFT was what the editor/publisher accepts as a completed novel. I am serious, I had a few typos, and some minor adjustments in language and voice, but basically this method produced a publication ready novel every time for me in a month.
I am enthusiastic about this workbook. I. Have used about twenty of them. I buy them for about 2 or 3 bucks on abebooks.com unused, rather than on Amazon or similar sites for 14 bucks or so. These used copies come in mint or near mint condition, all the forms empty and no markings in these books. I am available to give hints on how to use this book. I would enjoy the dialogue. Just let me know if you need help writing a novel. This is my hoppy -- helping writers -- so ask and it is yours.
If you want to publish a novel, this is an essential beginning resource, and it works. I published as Jacob Campbell, and although some are no longer in print, you can get my books on abebook.com too.
Five stars for sure, actually ten stars!
Of the five publications (books) I've had published, I wrote all five on this system of novel building, writing, and revising.
In every case, with no exception, the novels I've written using this book (workbook) ALL WERE PUBLISHED FROM THIS FIRST DRAFT I GENERATED USING BIAM.
BIAM, Book In A Month: Day 1, 2, 3, ...30, are begun with a brief two or three pages of instruction, usually a form or two to fill out with such things as characters, settings, scenes, outline of scenes, and plotting. It features a novel development that is divided into three parts, similar to a three act play. The rise and fall of action and the climax are all eased out of your mind onto the paper in a studied and practical manner.
The books I wrote in 30 days (also used Ywriter5 as my computer word processing structurally helpful program). I submitted the exact draft that came out in the 30 days and in each of the five novels my FIRST DRAFT was what the editor/publisher accepts as a completed novel. I am serious, I had a few typos, and some minor adjustments in language and voice, but basically this method produced a publication ready novel every time for me in a month.
I am enthusiastic about this workbook. I. Have used about twenty of them. I buy them for about 2 or 3 bucks on abebooks.com unused, rather than on Amazon or similar sites for 14 bucks or so. These used copies come in mint or near mint condition, all the forms empty and no markings in these books. I am available to give hints on how to use this book. I would enjoy the dialogue. Just let me know if you need help writing a novel. This is my hoppy -- helping writers -- so ask and it is yours.
If you want to publish a novel, this is an essential beginning resource, and it works. I published as Jacob Campbell, and although some are no longer in print, you can get my books on abebook.com too.
Five stars for sure, actually ten stars!
November 24, 2015
Totally loved this book.
I'm normally very wary about books on writing. I've picked up a few out of curiosity and have ended up with an overwhelming desire to tear their pages out and flush them down the toilet, or set them on fire,
all while screaming "Don't tell me what to do!"
I'm definitely one of the ones who feels like very "structured" classes on writing take away from the creative process. I don't like being told HOW to do things. This is probably a character flaw of mine. I'm working on it (No I'm not). Anyway, this book takes the "suggestion" angle. The author is not telling you HOW to do anything. Instead she's offering you options and wisdom about what's worked for her and other writers.
It's very much a book that is saying "Just do this and see what happens!".
So, I guess what I'm saying is that the tone of this particular book is very chill and friendly. It's encouraging and leaves room for you to do exactly what you need to do to write your first draft, even if it doesn't fit entirely in with her worksheets and suggestions.
Here is a teacher who is giving you the freedom to have a personal and enjoyable experience that isn't full of stringent rules and very black and white boundaries. It's like the Montessori of writing reference books.
Highly recommend.
I'm normally very wary about books on writing. I've picked up a few out of curiosity and have ended up with an overwhelming desire to tear their pages out and flush them down the toilet, or set them on fire,
all while screaming "Don't tell me what to do!"
I'm definitely one of the ones who feels like very "structured" classes on writing take away from the creative process. I don't like being told HOW to do things. This is probably a character flaw of mine. I'm working on it (No I'm not). Anyway, this book takes the "suggestion" angle. The author is not telling you HOW to do anything. Instead she's offering you options and wisdom about what's worked for her and other writers.
It's very much a book that is saying "Just do this and see what happens!".
So, I guess what I'm saying is that the tone of this particular book is very chill and friendly. It's encouraging and leaves room for you to do exactly what you need to do to write your first draft, even if it doesn't fit entirely in with her worksheets and suggestions.
Here is a teacher who is giving you the freedom to have a personal and enjoyable experience that isn't full of stringent rules and very black and white boundaries. It's like the Montessori of writing reference books.
Highly recommend.
October 13, 2009
Wow. This book has actually been a quite useful time management tool for writing fiction, and I'm only 2/3 of the way through it. Great for those prone to procrastination and in need of encouragement. I managed to complete a 54 page rough draft in a month and a half.
August 23, 2011
BOOK IN A MONTH - Book in a Month by Victoria Lynn Schmidt is an excellent tool for writers. Out of the several dozen books I have on writing craft and promotion; it’s got to be one of the best. Why? All of the ideas aren’t necessarily new (examples – hero vs. villain; plot/ subplot; three act structure; short story arc; draft, edit and revise). What’s great about it: take your novel idea off the procrastination shelf, open this toolkit and sit down. Complete your first draft. No excuses! What’s included: goal setting, tracking time and research, focus on plot or character along with excellent reproducible worksheets. There’s something to be said about getting your butt in the chair. Do it for long enough to practice storytelling, integrate fiction mechanics, devote sufficient time, let the story unfold and establish a consistent routine. I really believe that once the schema is established, the spark of creativity will follow.
May 29, 2012
I love this book. I've written about three novels. Though some people might find it formulaic, I've got a good deal out of the structure. You can also pick and choose which exercises you'd like to do, but the great part about the book is that you WILL write that novel you've been putting off!
November 4, 2014
This is a great book. I own a copy and use it as a reference. It's great at helping you set goals and find plot holes. I learned some great writing techniques to help me get the story flowing.
Still, I feel compelled to mention, not all books can be written in a month. The BIAM process was written and is used by a career fiction writer who writes formulaic books. With that being said, if you are writing a romance novel there are certain rules you must follow.
When you follow all those rules, you can write a first draft in a week really. It's boy meets girl. Boy and girl hate each other. Something happens to make them realize they need each other. Then something happens to make them start to be romantically attracted to each other. Something drives a wedge between them, that they finally work through and then they live happily ever after. Oh, and don't forget the guy has to save the girl in some way.
Any book outside of a set formula, and there are tons of formulas, you need to give yourself some realistic goals, but set some. Even if you fail to meet them, keep showing up to the blank page because eventually you will finish.
I found this book to be extremely helpful, but I didn't finish my book in a month because I wasn't writing a formulaic book. It doesn't make me a failure, in fact, not finishing a book in a month is more normal than finishing one in a month.
Make sure you look up whatever genre you are writing in so you know the rules and reader expectations. It will help tons whenever you are lost.
Still, I feel compelled to mention, not all books can be written in a month. The BIAM process was written and is used by a career fiction writer who writes formulaic books. With that being said, if you are writing a romance novel there are certain rules you must follow.
When you follow all those rules, you can write a first draft in a week really. It's boy meets girl. Boy and girl hate each other. Something happens to make them realize they need each other. Then something happens to make them start to be romantically attracted to each other. Something drives a wedge between them, that they finally work through and then they live happily ever after. Oh, and don't forget the guy has to save the girl in some way.
Any book outside of a set formula, and there are tons of formulas, you need to give yourself some realistic goals, but set some. Even if you fail to meet them, keep showing up to the blank page because eventually you will finish.
I found this book to be extremely helpful, but I didn't finish my book in a month because I wasn't writing a formulaic book. It doesn't make me a failure, in fact, not finishing a book in a month is more normal than finishing one in a month.
Make sure you look up whatever genre you are writing in so you know the rules and reader expectations. It will help tons whenever you are lost.
July 9, 2015
Before I start my review, I'll be straight up: I did not end up writing a book successfully in 30 days, BUT! That's no fault of the BIAM system. Knowing how big demands at my work were, I wasn't expecting to finish a full out novel. I have done it in the past with Nanowrimo and it takes a lot of time, which I sadly don't have. Why use this book then? Well, I was hoping it would help me draft a novel idea I had and help me get some words on the paper. With that I'd say I was successful. My biggest fault as a writer is that I start strong and fizzle fast. I can't tell you how many half finished stories I have laying around on my computer, something needed to change!
What I liked about the structure of BIAM was it made me question my choices. It has you map out your plot, but as you read the 30 day section, it makes you write down alternatives to explore other options. I feel that by reading and doing that, I started with a plain jane plot, but ended up making it far more interesting by changing my original ideas. I also tried to write parts from the beginning, middle and end as I read the the 30 day section. It has left me with a novel that has ALOT of spaces to fill in, but I think it's better then having a really strong beginning and hitting a roadblock. In the end I don't think I will try to write a rough novel in 30 days with this system, but I would use it in the same way I just did to help me question plot and lay down the barest of skeleton to a novel idea. I think I got about 5% of my story on paper, but I got a lot to work with!
What I liked about the structure of BIAM was it made me question my choices. It has you map out your plot, but as you read the 30 day section, it makes you write down alternatives to explore other options. I feel that by reading and doing that, I started with a plain jane plot, but ended up making it far more interesting by changing my original ideas. I also tried to write parts from the beginning, middle and end as I read the the 30 day section. It has left me with a novel that has ALOT of spaces to fill in, but I think it's better then having a really strong beginning and hitting a roadblock. In the end I don't think I will try to write a rough novel in 30 days with this system, but I would use it in the same way I just did to help me question plot and lay down the barest of skeleton to a novel idea. I think I got about 5% of my story on paper, but I got a lot to work with!
October 15, 2015
The book is decent, but not entirely for me. Parts of it are ones I will snag for my plotting methods, but probably not the book as a whole. I don't like how the author suggests readers buy a new copy of the book for every project. I get where she's coming from, as this will make it a mobile writing system, but it's rather greedy and entirely unnecessary. You can make your own copies of the worksheets with pens, paper, and a notebook/binder (about $5, rather than $15 and up for physical book) and get the same benefit. Or, even download them from the internet for free and print them. Also, the version of this I read was the Kindle format and this was still in it, as well as the stickers you are supposed to use on and in the book. This is entirely lazy of the author to not alter this statement as you can't exactly take a pen to your Kindle book without destroying the screen. Or make use of the stickers either. I also would have liked examples in the book of the worksheets filled out. The way this is done, you are basically told "do this, but you're on your own as to exactly how" with her instructions. While others may not have a problem on this, but I like examples as a semi-guide of what the heck I'm supposed to be doing. One big question I do have: she states she put aside her fiction writing to write her dream nonfiction books; where are those fiction books exactly? I've come across not one iota of them existing anywhere.
August 27, 2018
Has a very good set up to help you develop your novel in just one month. It has lots of exercises for you to do while you are writing your draft to help you get through the process. It will involve a lot of writing that will never end up in the actual book though, so this method may not be for everyone. It would actually probably work very well if you already had a rough draft of your novel and then used the exercises to make sure you're on the right track.
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June 15, 2012
This gave me everything I needed to tackle (and WIN!) my first Nanowrimo, with a story that has since been developed into a full novel. Worked for me!
February 7, 2018
I'm going to rate this a 4 with the caveat that if I really write a book from 01Mar-30Mar, then I come back and give it a 5, but if I don't... it will lose a star to 3. :P
I was surprised by how much of this book dwelt on self-esteem, and the resistance that writers give themselves in self-sabotage. So... I was impressed. This isn't a tick off the box, you have to write exactly this much daily, it was a take care of yourself, but also realize that you need to take some baby steps before you change your life. Again, refreshingly surprised!
I was surprised by how much of this book dwelt on self-esteem, and the resistance that writers give themselves in self-sabotage. So... I was impressed. This isn't a tick off the box, you have to write exactly this much daily, it was a take care of yourself, but also realize that you need to take some baby steps before you change your life. Again, refreshingly surprised!
October 29, 2022
This was...okay. There were definitely some helpful quotes and snippets to take from here, and I like that the author included worksheets throughout. However, I found the Book in a Month system itself to feel a bit off. Once you get into the day-by-day and week-by-week steps, there's hardly any mention of the actual writing at all, which feels really odd. I'd only recommend this one if you really want your hand held while writing a book and don't mind following a set of pretty prescriptive steps to do so.
October 6, 2020
It's an excellent book if you have no idea where to start and merely have an inkling of an idea. The work is thorough and includes many worksheets that are ideal for someone that doesn't have what they want to write already planned. That said, if you've already planned out your work and are looking for something to help with the literal writing (not the planning portion), this probably isn't the book for you.
August 16, 2020
I thought this book was excellent for those that like to plan out their novels in great detail as they start their novel. The worksheets and prompts were an excellent way to flesh out plot and characters.
July 15, 2017
Interesting and perhaps helpful to some, but it didn't do anything for me.
August 11, 2019
Checked out this book from the library and I loved it so much, I've purchased it for my home collection. Love this book and how it help inspire you to write a book in a month!
August 25, 2022
A fantastic guide for NaNoWriMo or anytime "you" want to quickly write a comprehensive rough draft.
November 25, 2016
There are some really helpful nuggets of information in this book. I enjoyed reading it and made lots of notes, which to me is always a good sign that its content is useful.
I then tried to put its advice into practice during NaNoWriMo, and realised that there were a few sections where the author listed actions that you should do on a particular day (or gave headings to fill in on a worksheet) but then didn't actually explain what those activities meant, or suggest any examples. So sometimes it felt like I'd been led down a bit of a dead end.
Having said that though, there were plenty of other sections where the advice was detailed, practical and relevant. As well as advice on how to structure a story, there was also discussion of how to write a good story, and suggestions of basic elements to include in several popular genres. Unfortunately for me, none of these suggestions included sci-fi or fantasy, so if you're writing in those genres then you're on your own.
On the whole though, I got a lot out of the book and enjoyed the ordered, logical 'step by step' feeling it gave me (even though of course that all went out of the window when I was actualy writing). It will definitely be a reference resource that I use again in future.
I then tried to put its advice into practice during NaNoWriMo, and realised that there were a few sections where the author listed actions that you should do on a particular day (or gave headings to fill in on a worksheet) but then didn't actually explain what those activities meant, or suggest any examples. So sometimes it felt like I'd been led down a bit of a dead end.
Having said that though, there were plenty of other sections where the advice was detailed, practical and relevant. As well as advice on how to structure a story, there was also discussion of how to write a good story, and suggestions of basic elements to include in several popular genres. Unfortunately for me, none of these suggestions included sci-fi or fantasy, so if you're writing in those genres then you're on your own.
On the whole though, I got a lot out of the book and enjoyed the ordered, logical 'step by step' feeling it gave me (even though of course that all went out of the window when I was actualy writing). It will definitely be a reference resource that I use again in future.
February 8, 2015
A friend of mine picked this book up and handed it to me to look at after I told her I had read a similar 30 day novel writing book so that I could compare them. There is no direct comparison, though. While they both deal with outlining in some fashion, I think the approach in this book is much more usable, especially to a writer who is new to outlining or who prefers to be a "pantser". And, of course, you really only need to use whichever items make sense for you, even though the daily exercises given do encourage the use of the worksheets provided, so if you are a more advanced outline writer, I think you could still glean some good advice from this book.
I enjoyed the way the sections were laid out by week, and then by day. And each section was full of good tips as well as encouragement to just keep writing and get it done. I am looking forward to using this system on a future project and I'm really glad she loaned it to me, even though that means I need to buy my own copy!
I enjoyed the way the sections were laid out by week, and then by day. And each section was full of good tips as well as encouragement to just keep writing and get it done. I am looking forward to using this system on a future project and I'm really glad she loaned it to me, even though that means I need to buy my own copy!
October 2, 2011
As an aspiring writer, I have been looking for resources that will help me organize my time and my ideas in order to produce a finished manuscript. I think I have finally found it in this book. While not every single exercise fits my book idea, the overall structure of how to get from the first page to the last page will be very useful.
I was most impressed by the first third of the book that aims to eliminate the resistance that I know I, as a first time novel writer, deal with every day. After reading through this book, I am excited to get started on my own story. I would recommend this book to newbie writers like me who have the desire, but find ourselves sitting a keyboard saying "Now what do I do?"
I was most impressed by the first third of the book that aims to eliminate the resistance that I know I, as a first time novel writer, deal with every day. After reading through this book, I am excited to get started on my own story. I would recommend this book to newbie writers like me who have the desire, but find ourselves sitting a keyboard saying "Now what do I do?"
November 10, 2013
This was an easy-to-follow, step by step guide to writing fast, which brings to mind NaNoWriMo and could be used for that purpose. Although it’s designed to be followed as you’re writing, I think it’s just as helpful to read it before the month you decide to write your novel. I did notice that she mentions ‘foreshadowing’ events in your work quite a bit, which I feel can be double-edged sword depending on the kind of writing you want to do. In some ways you may want to drop hints, but I’ve also read books where too much foreshadowing could easily ruin a storyline (so perhaps it’s a good idea to keep an eye on its frequency). Quick read that comes with charts to help you keep track of your progress, characters, etc.
May 16, 2020
Really helps to structure you in writing your first book. Lots of cool features. Definitely worth the buy even if you take longer than a month.
January 6, 2025
I feel that this book will help me with editing or making the outline of a book that I've written to help fix it then it would to actually write it in 30 days. I'm a seat of the pants writer.
second reading: I finished what I was working on faster than the book. Yeah I left it in limbo for a long time and by faster than the time in the book I mean faster than 30 days but I didn't do it in consecutive days. Life and all that. I finished with it months ago but just didn't remember to come on here and do this. I am embarrassed that I didn't stay with it and kind of just flew off the rails and finished the book on my own.
second reading: I finished what I was working on faster than the book. Yeah I left it in limbo for a long time and by faster than the time in the book I mean faster than 30 days but I didn't do it in consecutive days. Life and all that. I finished with it months ago but just didn't remember to come on here and do this. I am embarrassed that I didn't stay with it and kind of just flew off the rails and finished the book on my own.
January 8, 2017
If you are a Polly Planner, BIAM has a plethora of worksheets to satisfy your obsession. The first portion of the book was full of "you can do it!" platitudes (I bought the book, already. I obviously think I can do it.) The remainder is an exercise extravaganza to brainstorm outlines. Great reminders/advice of what makes a story great from an experienced writer.
PDF's of the worksheets are available online, but thorough explanations are in the book.
PDF's of the worksheets are available online, but thorough explanations are in the book.
March 23, 2013
2.5 Stars
I liked No Plot, No Problem better. This one is not as motivational and the pages you are supposed to write your progress and ideals on are very small. I may or may not use it in the future. This book is for when you're ready to write. You have all three ACTS written out to give you a guideline and you know which genre you are writing in and in which voice you are going to write.
I liked No Plot, No Problem better. This one is not as motivational and the pages you are supposed to write your progress and ideals on are very small. I may or may not use it in the future. This book is for when you're ready to write. You have all three ACTS written out to give you a guideline and you know which genre you are writing in and in which voice you are going to write.
December 6, 2014
I think this is a fabulous book with valuable information and worksheets. However, I wouldn't use it to complete a book in a month. So much time is spent reading and completing the worksheets that it really isn't feasible to write unless you have completely ditched all of your other responsibilities for the month. But the information alone was exceptionally useful.
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