The secret miracle : the novelist's handbook /

Organized into a Q&A format, this book takes readers through the very idiosyncratic act of writing a novel. Over 50 contemporary novelists-including Stephen King, A.M. Holmes, Amy Tan, Roddy Doyle, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Haruki Murakami-reply to questions about their writing procedures. The questions are categorized and proceed from reading habits and influences through getting started; structure, plot, and character; to the actual writing and revision. The responses, as might be expected, vary significantly. When asked about outlining, Mehmet Murat Somer says he makes detailed plot outlines, while King and Susan Choi avoid them entirely. Concerning dialog, comments range from less is better to Choi's belief that "good dialog bears little resemblance to how people actually talk." Verdict This book will be valuable to beginning novelists or those contemplating writing someday. Reading it is almost like attending a writer's conference and will serve to motivate and challenge as well as to instruct.-Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.