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Revision And Self-Editing (Write Great Fiction) | 
 enlarge | Author: James Scott Bell
Publisher: Writers Digest Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $9.23
You Save: $7.76 (46%)
New (30) Used (8) from $9.23
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 23936
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2nd
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 1582975086
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.3
EAN: 9781582975085
ASIN: 1582975086
Publication Date: May 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
Don't let the revision process intimidate you any longer. Discover how to successfully transform your first draft into a polished final draft readers won't be able to forget.In Write Great Fiction: Revision & Self-Editing, James Scott Bell draws on his experience as a novelist and instructor to provide specific revision tips geared toward the first read-through, as well as targeted self-editing instruction focusing on the individual elements of a novel like plot, structure, characters, theme, voice, style, setting, and endings. You'll learn how to: - Write a cleaner first draft right out of the gate using Bell's plotting principles
- Get the most out of revision and self-editing techniques by honing your skills with detailed exercises
- Systematically revise a completed draft using the ultimate revision checklist that talks you through the core story elements
Whether you're in the process of writing a novel, have a finished draft you don't know what to do with, or have a rejected manuscript you don't know how to fix, Revision & Self-Editing gives you the guidance you need to write and revise like a pro.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Very good, get it! November 8, 2008
Martijn Van Heeringen (Oostburg Netherlands)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have bought the whole series of Write Great Fiction and also other titles. According to the buildup of the previous 4, this one finishes the series in a logical way: a brief summary of all the `how to write' elements, ended with a big checklist.
Some reviews say this is a good one (like me), others do not.
I give this book 4.5 stars, therefore 4 since Amazon doesn't do decimals. Not 5 stars since a perfect book on revision should have included the whole checklists of each individual Write Great Fiction as a summary, which would have made it more complete. Of course, the publisher obviously wants us to buy them all, but for quick checklist + completeness purposes, I would recommend the publisher to revise this book such. Probably the best way would have been to put the three authors of the series together and come up with their ideas.
Nevertheless, a well-done final of this by far best series on the `How to write' subject. I love the way these titles have handled their subjects: no vague blabla, but good examples, on how to and how not to, ended with a synopsis, and in the end a big checklist. They are conveniently arranged and that is what I was looking for, and probably all of us: after putting them down finally having some checkpoints on the wall! Writing and revising is intimidating enough, and the idea to have to keep in mind all the books and innumerable tips, is not possible. What is possible is to make a list yourself out of these books, and collect them on your own checklist on your wall, for every scene you rewrite. I did this for all titles, and it worked. I think no book on rewriting can be the perfect checklist but this series has helped tremendously to collect I think almost all you need to write a good book. The rest is just talent, and not giving up.
This book starts off with all the elements the previous titles have dwelled on themselves, so the plus is it is good to summarize and memorize again, the minus is the other titles were complete enough.
On the other hand, to just give a ten page checklist would also not have worked. I found also, that the way James Scott Bell handled all the basics again was a nice addition. He had some ideas and examples I had not read in the previous ones before, since three of them were done by other authors.
Finally he gets to the revision process itself, which is well covered.
I have not seen better titles on the subject yet. Take Stein on Writing, from Sol Stein. These titles are good too, but not as schematic as these ones (I like summaries, and bullet-points) and they are more interwoven with his experience as an editor. Nice, but sometimes too wordy, and not always handy for on the wall stuff. After all, it is about what we have left when we put it down. With Stein's books it was a nice read ,but nothing concrete. With this series, I have more than enough to go on!
Indispensable October 18, 2008
Jim Denney, "Timebenders" author
I'm currently doing a revision of a completed first draft while also structuring the plots for two new novels. Sitting next to my keyboard are two books by James Scott Bell, PLOT & STRUCTURE and REVISION & SELF-EDITING. My copies are underlined, annotated, dog-eared, and well-thumbed. I've learned that no matter how much I think I know about writing, I've always got a lot to learn, and Bell is the guy who teaches it best.
If you want to write a novel that grips your readers from the first line and holds 'em by the throat to the end, regardless of genre, then these books are indispensable. Bell's intro to REVISION & SELF-EDITING, "On Becoming a Writer," inspires you and makes your fingers itch to start writing. Chapters on Characters, Plot and Structure, POV, Scenes, and so forth are a content-packed course on the essentials of writing fiction. Bell gives you a checklist at the end that will help you to spot flaws and weaknesses in your manuscript at a glance--and he tells you exactly how to fix them. Suggestion: Read a couple of James Scott Bell's novels like TRY DYING or THE WHOLE TRUTH and marvel at how this guy writes, then read REVISION & SELF-EDITING and PLOT & STRUCTURE and find out exactly how he does it.
Revision & Self Editing. October 8, 2008
John D. Michael Phelps (Miami Shores, Florida)
Mr. Bell has written a book that any aspiring writer MUST have.
Reading and following his simple steps will save a writer a lot of time and money in getting their work fine-tuned and ready for public consumption.
I like his work and have found it to be priceless in helping me to re-write and revise my work to the point that I can say; "I LIKE IT!"
Mike Phelps,
Author of
DAVID JANSSEN - MY FUGITIVE
THE EXECUTION OF JUSTICE
DELAYED JUSTICE
Write Great Fiction Revision And Self-Editing August 25, 2008
Victoria Lea
This book is full of help for revision. It's easy to read and understand. The revision checklist is an essential tool for self-editing.
starting out August 18, 2008
Julie Anne Byers (australia)
Although this is a book largely about revision and self editing of an existing manuscript, I can heartily recomend this book by Bell for those who have just commenced writing their first novel. The tips and directions from Bell will improve your first draft. I have already got lots of ideas - it has completely changed the way I am approaching my writing. Thanks James Scott Bell for a very easy to read guide.
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