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I Love This Book
In my post The Best How-To Book for Fiction Writers, I said I loved Techniques of a Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain. I’d like to revise the title of that post to “One of the Two Best How-to Books for Fiction Writers.”
Donald Maass’ book Writing 21st Century Fiction: High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling is the other book. I think if a novelist could only own two books on writing, those would be Swain’s and Maass’ books. If that author could only own one book, I’d recommend Writing 21st Century Fiction
Writing 21st Century Fiction is the perfect companion book to Techniques, which was published in 1965 and reflects the marketplace of mid-century 20th century. Maass’ book reinforces much of what Dwight V. Swain says, but he takes his discussion of novel writing a step further: he analyzes and explores what bestselling novels in the 21st century have in common and what makes them high-impact books.
This is a common sense approach. Compare movies or TV shows from the 1960s through the 1990s to today’s movies and TV. It’s obvious that as enjoyable as some of those stories are, they are dated. Novels have also evolved, which is why some people find it difficult to read Moby Dick or War and Peace or even a short book like The Red Badge of Courage.
I’ve known Donal Maass by reputation as one of the most respected and knowledgeable agents in the business. Until now, I hadn’t read any of his books. If he had a fan club, I’d join it.
High-impact Novels
“High-impact comes from a combination of two factors: great stories and beautiful writing. . . . The publishing industry has a convenient term for these wonderful books: literary/commercial fiction.”(2-3)
Maass argues that successful 21st-century novels are high-impact novels. They appeal to the masses and cross over from genre or literary fiction to the bestseller lists.
What they have in common is that like genre fiction, they tell great stories, and like literary fiction, they are beautifully written and explore character.
He also says, “[High-impact] panders to no one. It speaks to everyone.” Sounds like good news for writers!
How the Book Is Organized
“Commercial and literary successes are the result of hard work, instinct, study, and the honing of the craft. They are not mutually exclusive. . . . strong storytelling and beautiful writing are the twin elements that make a big lasting impression on readers.” (208-09)
His chapters give writers the tools for hard work, study, and honing your craft.
Here’s a break down of the chapters:
- Chapters 1 & 2: Current trends and rising above a category.
- Chapters 3 & 4: The writer’s inner and outer journeys.
- Chapter 5: Standout Character; this is an excellent chapter.
- Chapter 6: Three levels of story; his breakdown of scene writing is impressive.
- Chapter 7: Beautiful Prose; this chapter highlights high-impact novels by showing the relationship between great plots and beautiful writing.
- Chapter 8: The writer and the process; he comes full circle and turns to earlier discussions to bring his points together.
- Chapter 9: Element of Awe; he inspires the reader “to make good art” as Neil Gaiman would say.
21st Century Tools
Each chapter ends with “21st Century Tools,” sets of questions related to the chapter and designed to guide a writer through the creative process. As I read, I worked my way through most of the questions, which is the primary reason this book took so long to finish.
If you’re the kind of person who is inclined to dismiss the questions and be satisfied with reading the chapter, I would advise against that strategy.
I found the questions invaluable. As I worked through the questions, I felt as if I were in a workshop. I’m in the middle of revising a novel and took the time to apply the questions to my project. The questions and suggestions were more than helpful. My plotting and writing improved substantially.
Because of my background in teaching, I realize the work and refining that goes into creating questions, which are helpful and practical. Maass’ questions are not busy work. If the results I’ve had working through these questions is any indication, they might be the most valuable part of the book.
Some General Comments
The central claim in Maass’s book is that 21st-century novels, those that are successful, have something in common: they are high-impact books.
“High-impact 21st-century fiction is built on unique voices, uncommon characters, and tales that can only be told by a particular author. They’re sui generis [unique] . . . Reaching millions requires reaching into yourself. It means finding your own truth and making it ours . . . High-impact novels define our times and may even change them.” (6-7)
The Usual Reminders
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