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Monday 22 September 2014

Favourite Writing Craft Books - Rita Stella Galieh

(Taken from Amazon's site)
The very name of this book drew me in. I wanted write great fiction and that's what was promised if I followed James Scott Bell's guidelines. That is, how to follow techniques for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish..

I was really inspired to purchase this book when I realized  I couldn't simply meander and write every single thing I thought relevant. What I needed was STRUCTURE and clear plot lines.


Plot and Structure opened me up to techniques I have found invaluable to my whole writing experience. Now I had a guide, almost a mentor, if you like, pointing out the way ahead, and how to avoid mistakes on the way!


I heartily recommend Plot and Structure for writers, especially if you have a story in mind but are struggling not only with a gripping beginning, but a sagging middle. MIDDLES have always been the most challenging parts to a writer. And definitely if you are a 'Pantser'. It will help in organizing yourself to have a plan and know where you're going. I actually picked out the relevant points I needed to follow and printed them on four large cards which I pinned up in my line of sight. It saved me from reading the manual every time I needed help.


*  Singer/songwriter, Rita Stella Galieh is a scriptwriter and co-presenter on Vantage Point, a 5 minute program broadcast throughout Australia. Having graduated from Emmaus Bible College and Sydney's National Art School, she is now with the Living Word Literary Agency, waiting for a publisher to accept her latest novel. As a contributor to several US Anthologies by Adams Media, she has two Historical Romances published by Ark House Press. Each year she and her husband minister in Buddhist Government schools, prisons, hospitals, shopping malls, and churches in Thailand. Her weekly blog, http://inspirational romance.blogspot.com shares fascinating stories.

You can follow her on Twitter: @RitaSGalieh

10 comments:

  1. HI Rita
    Thanks for this. I have recently read James Scott Bell's Write Your Novel From the Middle and have also read a lot of K M Wieland's posts on structure, both of which I've found helpful. Much of their ideas flows from James Campbell's The Hero with A Thousand Faces and Christopher Volger's The Writer's Journey. I agree, it is very helpful to understand how plot structures work though I do think that the Hero's Journey is not the only approach to take, it is obviously a very popular one and done properly can make for a gripping, fast-paced read.

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    1. Yes, Jeanette, Write Your Novel from the Middle has a similar take on the structure but it's the focal point in the story in which the rest revolves. I also like to make it from both the hero and heroine's POVs.

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  2. Good review, Rita. This is one of Bell's I haven't read. But I keep meaning to grab a copy. I might just do that now.

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  3. I've loved his 'Art of War for Writers'. I'm sure just from what I know of JSB that 'Plot and Structure' will be a good read too. Thanks for the recommendation, Rita.

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  4. You're welcome, Paula. I'd like to have a peek at Art of War For Writers - sounds intriguing.

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  5. Thanks Rita - I've looked at this before but not brought, great to hear it's a worthwhile read.

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  6. One of the greats on my shelf, too, Rita. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. I've recently purchased this, and it's next on my list of writing books to read. I was lucky enough to get it autographed when James Scott Bell spoke at the recent Romance Writers of New Zealand conference.

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  8. Rita, great review! I bought Plot and Structure many years ago, and it's a book I return to when I'm brainstorming and writing proposals. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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