Review: "From First Draft to Finished Novel" by Karen S. Wiesner

From First Draft To Finished Novel: A Writer's Guide To Cohesive Story Building by Karen S. Wiesner
Writers Digest Books, 2008
272 pages


My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I originally purchased this book first, and almost immediately ordered the one before it (First Draft in 30 Days), before I read either one - I'm glad I did. (They've been sitting on my shelf gathering dust for over a year and a half - if not two - now...shh ;)

My first impressions of First Draft in 30 Days were more positive than my first impressions of From First Draft to Finished Novel. I found this book more...clunkier; it didn't flow as well (though I thought the metaphor concerning house building as equal to writing was appropriate). I did like the story plan checklist and examples, as well as the proposal guidelines and examples.

Maybe I need to be in that certain position (of turning an outline into a manuscript) for this book to jive. At the moment, I'm sorry to say, it doesn't.


Also published at Goodreads