Your Book Starts Here: Create, Craft, and
Sell Your First Novel, Memoir, or Nonfiction Book
Mary
Carroll Moore shares her years of teaching her own “How to Plan, Write, and
Develop a Book” workshop in her book, Your
Book Starts Here: Create, Craft, and Sell Your First Novel, Memoir, or
Nonfiction Book. But don’t think that Your
Book Starts Here is simply a workbook of exercises. It is so complete,
detailed, and instructive, that I think it is a classroom in a book.
Moore’s
conversational style keeps the reader engaged and involved, much like a student
in a classroom. She asks questions and expects the reader to work out the
answers. She gives numerous examples from past students that touch on novels,
memoirs, and nonfiction writing. No one is left out, and when I read the book,
I felt like I was immersed with other writers eager to discover new tips,
tricks, and ways to make the story come alive on the page.
Your Book Starts Here isn’t a book you
read once and put on a shelf. It’s a reference book that offers insight,
exercises, and real-world examples for all stages of your book writing project.
One
particular tip I found riveting was how to change your Inner Critic into an
ally. A lot of writers deal with damaging self-talk, but Moore has suggestions
on how to turn the unhelpful voice into, at a minimum, a silent voice. One
method she used for her memoir and a particular memory that refused to get on
the page was to write a letter to her Inner Critic. In her writer’s notebook
(which she recommends all writers have), she thanked the Inner Critic for
keeping her safe over the years and described how she appreciated its role.
“Then I asked it kindly to step aside, to let me write this chapter. I
explained why I needed to write it…”
When
she finished the letter, she closed her notebook and went back to her desk. The
Inner Critic was silent and the chapter flowed onto the page with ease. The
inner voice is usually our subconscious trying to get us to face something.
Meeting the voice head on writing out what it is we’re feeling when trying to
write a particular scene that is fighting us, can help us move forward.
Moore’s
book is full of sharing. She not only speaks from experience, but she details
those experiences with the reader and that builds a bond. For instance, she
talks about the idea of writing for one person; since most writers tend to “begin
writing for themselves only.” She didn’t believe in this advice, which she
learned from reading Kurt Vonnegut’s work, but after publishing several books
she learned how true the advice was by seeing how it improved her own writing.
And I believe her, since I felt she was talking to me, one person, as I read
the book.
People
tend to be left- or right-brain focused, and Moore touches on this a few times.
She talks about writers needing to use both sides of the brain to produce the
best work and she includes reasoning, student examples, and exercises to help
you find your mind’s balance.
The
book has 25 chapters divided over 3 sections: planning, writing, and developing
and is meant to be read in whatever order applies to your current project.
Dedicate some reading time, because once you start reading the book, it’s hard
to put down. There are numerous exercises to try, questions to ponder, and
tools you can adapt to your own work.
It’s
worth repeating, Your Book Starts Here
is a writing class in a book. Whether or not you can ever attend Moore’s
workshop of a similar name or not, having a copy of Your Book Stops Here to refer back to and mark up can help you
continually improve your craft. The appendix alone can keep your muse
entertained and curious for months, if not more, because it includes Moore’s
favorite books covering writing skills, getting ideas, healing via writing,
editing and revision, publishing, the creative process, and more.
NH Writer, newsletter of the New Hampshire Writers' Project, was first publisher of this review.
