THE POWER OF PROMOTIONAL GROUPS
FROM FIRST DRAFT TO FINISHED NOVEL {A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building}
|
|
|
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS Enter the FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS Website, with bonus extras! Order FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS Reviews Submit a Review or Request a Review Copy Q&A with Karen About the Author Upcoming Author Appearances Defective Copies AOL Users FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS Website Map
(with a Microsoft Internet Explorer, click on View --> Text Size --> Smaller). If you're using another type of browser or an unusual size screen, the pages may not look ideal. Click here to learn more about Karen Wiesner, the author of FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS.
Karen's second Writer’s Digest Books release is FROM FIRST DRAFT TO FINISHED NOVEL {A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building}, available now.
Read an article called "Authors Exemplify Good Blogger Relations", dealing with effective marketing and featuring Karen here:
Read an article called "Online Pre-Launch Book Promotion Tools Right From Your Book", dealing with the tools Karen used for online book promotion during the pre-launch phase of FROM FIRST DRAFT TO FINISHED NOVEL, here:
Read Karen's blog post on the novel outline process contained in her book FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS and an article called "Karen Wiesner on the Novel Outline Process" about this here: AOL users: Please be aware that mail sent to me at any of my e-mail addresses from an AOL e-mail address, as well as any response I send to an AOL e-mail address based on your letter, is likely to be rejected. AOL and my ISP are not compatible. Whenever you write to me, please include an alternate e-mail address to your AOL address. I answer all the e-mail I received. If you don't receive a reply, this is the likely reason for it. Interested in what Karen is working on? Click here for Karen's WIP, along with information on new and/or unsold projects, through 2009! Article: The Four Myths Your Muse Desperately Wants You to Believe by Karen Wiesner (presented in PDF format). The FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS bonus website is available! All the goodies, extras and supplementals to the book mentioned in FIRST DRAFT OF 30 DAYS are here: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/FD2.html. Be sure to check out the Frequently Asked Questions--and submit one yourself!
Subscribe to receive Karen's newsletter and become eligible for her monthly book giveaways!
 FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS
by Karen S. Wiesner
Finish an outline so complete it reads like a first draft—in just 30 days!
Say goodbye to writing and rewriting with no results. Starting—and finishing—your novel has never been easier!
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS provides you with a sure-fire system to reduce time-intensive rewrites and avoid writing detours. Award-winning author Karen S. Wiesner’s 30-day method shows you how to create an outline so detailed and complete that it actually doubles as your first draft. Flexible and customizable, this revolutionary system can be modified to fit any writer’s approach and style. Plus, comprehensive and interactive worksheets make the process seem less like work and more like a game. This invaluable resource also includes:
Many aspiring and experienced novelists toss out hundreds of pages (and waste valuable time) before they have a workable first draft of a novel. You don’t have to fall into this category anymore. With FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS, you’ll have the tools you need to write your masterpiece!
Order by phone: 1-800-289-0963
Order from Writer's Digest Books' website: http://www.fwbookstore.com/product/110/23
Order from Amazon.com
Order from BarnesandNoble.com: BN.com
Order from BooksAMillion.com: BooksAMillion.com
"At this letter's writing, I have completed the third draft to a book I had been working on for years. The plot was very complex and I didn't have the tools to put it together. I came across FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS in my desperate search for an outlining system. Up to then I worked with very little structure, believing that it would stymie my creativity. I wrote a book before on this principal and, all told, it took me years and dozens and dozens of rewrites to finally get the book in shape. Needless to say I didn't sell a "million" copies as so many fresh writers are prone to think. I could only afford to promote it locally, but when venues to do this ran out I was faced with two dilemnas: come up with more money to promote it and writing another book. Then reality set in--it had taken six years to write that book!
"You can't make any money writing at that rate. Let's face it, everyone wants to be Stephen King or J.K Rowling, or Grisham or Sheldon but most of us aren't. But with a system like Mrs. Wiesner's it is possible to be more productive and that's what I was looking for, got, and all I expect from it. My book may not be a million-dollar nuclear bomb, but I can write a string of firecrackers, or maybe even a stick of dynamite here and there. The key here is PRODUCTIVITY. I wanted to be prolific and that's all anyone could ask for. By the way, when I got her system it took a while to clean up my WIP (work in progress) because of how messy it was. But her system enabled me to see all that I had done wrong. It had guts and a soul, but it was just too fat and we started there, trimming it down and laying everything out on the table. We took out all the defective parts and fixed the ones that were absolutely essential, built a skeleton and slowly put them back in. Now it wasn't easy by a long-shot but after a while I could see how this baby, the one I'd been feeding and carrying for so many years would look like. When I finished it I allowed it to sit, as she recommended, and started another Idea, this time using her system from scratch. I couldn't believe it, I finished this Idea completely, from brainstorming, through research, preliminary and finally, the formatted outline in FOUR WEEKS! Two weeks following this I went back to my previous project and as suggested in her book, looked it over again and the perspective of six weeks away showed me even more than I saw when I left it.
"The moment of truth came and I started writing from her FORMATTED OUTLINE format. It was baby steps at first but soon I discovered that this system of ORGANIZATION didn't stymie creativity, in fact I felt liberated. Free from worrying about what to say or how to describe scenes, point-of-views, all those little things that can obscure the real truth of the story itself. Really it was like fitting puzzle pieces together, each scene locking perfectly and tightly with the next. I couldn't believe it, my wife couldn't believe it. Things in my life had gone from being impossible to 'here and now'. My biggest regret in life is that I didn't come across this system sooner. There are some good books on writing out there, from THE FICTION WRITER'S HANDBOOK by Hallie and Whit Burnett, THE WRITING HABIT by David Huddle and even Stephen King's ON WRITING. FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS is far, far superior in the same way as the computer is over the old IBM typewriters I used in school years ago. Stephen King's a great writer, some would argue a genius, but try to write as he suggested in his book and you'll find yourself rewriting every draft and ultimately discouraged altogether. ON WRITING is a great book with a lot of invaluable insight and info but if you want to survive in this game and write more than one book every ten years and write something you can be proud of, get Mrs. Wiesner's system." ~~Unpublished Author
"As a perpetual dieter and unorganized fiction writer, there are two things of which I am most skeptical: quick weight-loss schemes and programs that claim to help scattered writing souls like myself compose fiction from an outline. While I still haven't found anything to help my waistline more than following the good, old-fashioned adage of eat-less-exercise-more, I dare say Karen Wiesner's FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS has me reconsidering--and almost excited about--the value of outlining prior to writing.
Like diet programs, I've tried every plotting/structure/organizing plan for writers known to mankind. From books to index cards to computer programs and everything in between, I accepted long ago that I'm a pantser (as opposed to the neat and orderly plotter) and that to try and organize my fiction writing process was an exercise in futility. While I write from outline in my nonfiction pieces, the impulsive, dynamic nature of fiction made me believe it almost impossible to reign in on the direction of my stories in advance.
Until Wiesner's book. Though I read with an open mind, the skeptic in the back of my mind continued reminding me of the similarities between the first few worksheets in the book and other methods that haven't worked for me. I've done the character, setting and plot sketches before only to leave them behind (Days 1-6). I've composed lengthy lists of information I need to research for inclusion in my second drafts (Days 7-13). I've even tried writing fiction from an elaborately created outline nearly half the length of the final book (Days 16-30). What I hadn't done is consider my story sections (beginning, middle and end) with the 30 Days' Story Evolution Worksheet and information (Days 14-15).
Part Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey, part your own application, the Story Evolution information was just what my non-structured brain needed to take those necessary baby steps to get me from the point of idea/concept/writing to a solid, workable, sensible outline I could use to get me to my final draft. In fact, after reading the story evolution chapters, I proceeded to head to bed after a long day of teaching, but the impact of those chapters, the possibilities of their being able to truly change the way I approached my writing excited me so much I had to get up and try for myself. In a matter of minutes, I recreated the worksheets on my laptop, printed them off and in an hour had the entire first third of my story outlined. I don't recall being so excited by brainstorming and outlining in a long time. Ok, quite possibly never--which illustrates my point.
In addition to the schedules, worksheets and goal sheets in the book, there are also sections on how to use the 30 Day Method if you have a work in progress, how to keep track of romance, mystery and suspense/thriller plotlines if that's your genre and even suggestions and plans on how to outline your career path as a writer.
While it's true each writer approaches their craft in a unique way, there is a great deal of information to be learned from Karen Wiesner's FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS. Even if you don't use her structure, thinking of the elements of story before you're knee-deep in plot, scene and structure couldn't hurt. Then again, neither would an extra jog on the treadmill…." ~Beth Morrow for Writer2Writer.com http://www.writer2writer.com/draft.htm
5 stars! "Nicely laid out plan! Definition of First Draft = extended outline of your novel
4 stars! "Don't let Karen Wiesner's romance background scare you away. This woman is a professional, and she's got some sensible suggestions. According to her bio, she's written over twenty books, including such diverse genres as romance, mystery/police procedural, suspense, thriller, paranormal, and action/ adventure. Perhaps even more impressive is her planning acumen. Wiesner is always two, three novels ahead of the game, thanks to her formatted outline. Many writers either can't or don't want to outline their novels in advance (See Tony Hillerman, for instance). Wiesner couldn't either at first until she developed the formatted outline. Wiesner refers to the formatted outline as the first draft of the book. When she revises, she revises the outline rather than suffer through countless drafts of the manuscript. This woman is a real left-brainer. She plans virtually everything, including time to let the manuscript marinate. The appendices include character, setting, plot, and research outlines as well as a place to write potential interview questions for possible experts and your characters. Her story evolution worksheet is almost as helpful as the formatted outline. And--oh,yes--I almost forgot Chapter eight. It's for us poor shleps who already have a completed manuscript with all kinds of holes. She shows us how to use her system to salvage the mess. As one who has endured twenty-three drafts on his first effort, Wiesner's FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS is a godsend." ~Dave Schwinghammer on Amazon.com
5 stars! "This is a great book if you're the type of writer who is organized and needs to have structure. The book is very detailed and thorough. Series writers might enjoy this. I've used a plot outline before that was about 14 pages, this method builds a 60-paged or over outline! You'd include every detail so that you can sit down and do the creative work on your novel. I'd highly recommend this for the writer who needs lots and lots of structure to do the creative work. I never realized that I was missing so much until I began to use this method." ~Comfortably Sisterlocked on Amazon.com
"I have been at this for a number of years but frustration and disorganization almost did me in. I needed a system and [FIRST DRAFT] is it! I have made a commitment and have submitted to it entirely. [FIRST DRAFT] clarifies that working hard isn't the only thing; working smart is the edge and [this] system is that. I admire what [Karen Wiesner] is doing for writers like me and--I'm not religious--but I believe this book is very significant in my development. Disorganization has been like a disease in my life, and this book has enabled me to see a lot of things more clearly. Putting everything in a format (like [Karen] points out) demystifies the process. I wish a lot more writers were as unselfish as [Karen is] in passing along concrete advice. I've scanned a lot of books proposing what [FIRST DRAFT] delivers and none of them comes close. Going in, I had no illusions that I would actually complete my book in 30 days right off, but I can see measurable progress and, with practice, I can see myself actually reaching goals I could only dream of. Now I understand how the seasoned writers can be so productive. It's all in the outline, which I've never respected up until this time, until [FIRST DRAFT] opened my eyes. Underachievers like me are going to benefit tremendously off [this] book ,and some of us will actually realize our dreams. Thank you." ~~Unpublished Author Johnny Booker
"I have officially put two novels through [the FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS] process. The first was already in progress, the second was comprised of just a few random scene cards. Normally, I'm an obsessive organizer. My first novel has been hindered by my habit of trying to get things in some order. I was almost to a point of good organization having adopted yWriter, Keynote and Autorelm to help me out. FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS finally got me situated.
"FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS is a method of outlining. I can hear the shrieks from the anti-outliners out there, but if you need organization focused on the elements that make a good novel then this is for you. This book will not write a novel for you. If you cannot write, it will not help. There are three major parts: The method itself, applying the method to a work in progress and organizing career goals. I did not feel a need for the last part as I follow my own goal system already, but this could come in handy for someone who has not thought this through. Though one of my novels was a work in progress, I did not use the second part.... I found it easier and much more worthwhile just to go through the whole method regardless of what I had already accomplished.
"The method itself is a layering of elements. There are six stages, which are spread out over 30 days. Wiesner includes the worksheets in the back of the book for each part of her method. I found it easier to get them into the computer as Wiesner suggests, then work from them there. Using Keynote, I created a template, which put the whole method and associated worksheets in a treepad-like file that I can check off as I do each step. The first stage is the Preliminary Outline, which consists of the most important steps in, in my opinion, of creating a novel.... Again, in Keynote, I created a treepad to list all my characters, and important things I need to know about them. Wiesner's worksheet is very broad on this. You can get much more detailed if you need to. For the setting sketches, you outline your novel based on location. For a fantasy novelist this was a godsend method. You can get down to the exact times if it is required. However, I found listing the town or area, then using Wiesner's worksheets to list what should happen here very useful. Again, I used the treepad function of Keynote, which allowed me to nest setting sketches that were happening at the same time to other characters. This is necessary for working with multiple POVs. I did preliminary maps at this stage as well to give me a visually representation of location. The plot sketch is a single worksheet where you lay out motives, plots and subplots. This was handy and something I would constantly refer to in my novels. Here I used the plain note function of Keynote, as I just needed one page.
"Days 4 through 6 solidified my novels for me. This is where I switched to yWriter. For these three days, you are to lay out your novel scene by scene. Since yWriter lets you create chapters (I created the number chapters based on my estimate in the setting sketches) then create scenes with notes within each of the chapters, I was able to lay out the entire novel within yWriter with all my scenes in the appropriate places. I did a lot of editing at this stage. I moved scenes around when I realized that they would suit better other places, and then edited my setting sketches to match. I added chapters as I realized what I needed to add and again revised my sketches. By the end, I had a good set of estimated chapters.
"Stage 2 is the Research Stage, which comprise days 7-13. This is the time for interviews, reading and anything else you might need to research. This might take some more time for some novels. In the case I fantasy I would also recommend this time to be used for timelining, mapping and any extra world building. Stage 3 is for the Story Evolution Worksheet. For this I templated the worksheet in yWriter. I found that if part of the work sheet does not apply, say so and move on, don't dwell on it. In yWriter I created a chapter called story evolution. I put the worksheet elements in a scene note for each element. I filled out the worksheet in the section where I would normally write the scene. Then I printed it out for the next stage. At this point, I compared what I had done in my scene, setting and plot sketches. I then fixed any variances.
"Stage 4 is the Formatted Outline stage. You take everything you have done so far and put it in a single form. For me, I could not fathom why. This part seemed redundant to me. I liked having things separated out. I did not do this for any of my novels. I probably never will. If you need to have everything in one place then I suggest using this stage, but for myself, I skipped it. Stages 5 was the time trace out your plots, subplots and fix any weak elements. I had covered this as I compared each stage. Stage 6 is a revision stages. You fill in holes and add anything you feel is needed. I did this already as I compared each stage. I did go through the questions asked for day 30, in re-evaluation.
"Overall I was a very pleased with the product. Thanks to Wiesner I finally have an organizational method that works for me. The parts that I felt were overkill I had no problem stripping away. I've begun applying this to short stories and other fiction that I write as well. I've recommend this book to all my writer friends. It has truly been helpful.
"A note on FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS and Nanowrimo: I would fully recommend using this method to outline for Nanowrimo. It does depend on what your goal for Nano is but if you want a working draft, I believe this is a solid way to start. My second novel is a Nano novel, and I used this method to outline. So far, my output is much better than the previous 4 years that I have participated." ~Author Michelle Norton
"Writers are always at their most productive when their work has gathered momentum, when they know where they are going and are able to drive their material forward to achieve the end result they want. Giving your novel the desired momentum is what Karen Wiesner’s book is all about. She sets up a 30-day programme which takes you from starting your story through to having the first draft completed. They are 30 full working days: by the end of day six you should have completed your character sketches, your setting sketches and your plot sketches and should have brought all these together into a preliminary outline. However, you don’t even get to day one until you have brainstormed your story, which means until you have a good idea in your mind of the story you want to write. For the Karen Wiesner programme to work, you need to have thoughts and ideas in your brain that you are simply bursting to get down on paper. The preliminary outline you should have by end of day six gets driven towards what Karen Wiesner calls a formatted outline by the end of day 24. The last six days are spent fleshing out the formatted outline into a first draft" ~Writers' News Writing Magazine http://www.writingmagazine.co.uk/bookshelf/default.asp?genre=&search=First+Draft+in+30+Da&submit=Search
"Writers need a productive way to funnel ideas and Karen Wiesner's FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS offers novices and veterans such a program. Many books about writing present inept opinions or convoluted theories. A prolific novelist, Wiesner focuses on the nuts-and-bolts system for outlining works in progress [as well as for brand-new projects--Karen Wiesner]. Her method simplifies complex steps into achievable daily goals. For instance, on Day 1, you discover your characters. By Day 28, you strengthen weak elements in an outline extensive enough to count as a first draft. Worksheets included in the book make accomplishing these goals a joy. Sourpusses may bear stiff upper lips sneering at what they see as factory fiction. Let them! Wiesner never tells anyone what to write. She simply explains one way to marshal yours ideas. That's all, but that's everything. Her systems organizes the chaos of creation. Order clarifies, and clarity removes self-doubt. Confidence--the trait every writer needs--flowers in just a month's time with FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS." ~Writer's Digest Book Club Member Lawrence McGuire
5 stars! "A must-have for any writer's book shelf! Karen S. Wiesner's book gives you the tools you'll need to successfully organize and outline your novel in a month. Rendered in an easy-to-read style, the author provides readers with instructions on how to finally get the book idea that's stuck in their heads OUT on paper and into a form that assists in efficiently delivering the first-draft of a manuscript quicker than they ever thought possible. Do yourself a favor: buy this book!" ~B. Walton-Porter, editor of Scribe & Quill Newsletter
"I’m so excited and happy to share this book with everyone at Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. Like many authors I’m a “fly by your seat” writer. I let the characters pull me along. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Oftimes inconsistencies arise and plot problems overwhelm a writer; this leads to extensive revisions, dismay, and another unfinished manuscript. In today’s fast paced world, time is valuable. What author wants to spend months revising a book? Many of us hope to become a multi-seller like Wiesner. To do that we need a plan that will help us work quickly and more efficiently.
"FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS is crafted to help you build a cohesive story through outlining. The author has provided the reader with worksheets, day pages and goal pages. Wiesner never says it’s easy and on page two, she defines her first draft concept as being a comprehensive outline, the foundation on which your entire book will rest. She also states plainly that at first it might take you longer to produce that first drafted outline. However, once you’ve done it several times it will become easier, you will be writing faster, and most importantly, have a saleable plot. That statement prompted me to try her method.
"First, I typed out all the worksheets given at the back of the book and saved them in a file on my computer. This way they will be ready for any novel that bursts forth, as Wiesner states, from my “creative coffee pot."
"Next, I started with three stories that have been percolating for years but have not developed into the richly flavored story that I had hoped they would become. I began with Worksheet 1 (The Character Sketch) and found out a lot of interesting things about my characters. I liked the worksheet because it was short but yet it let me envision my characters more clearly. I see changes that I need to incorporate already. (I’m sure glad these are not completed manuscripts.)
"I was pleasantly shocked when I got to the Plot sketch worksheet and ended up writing down ideas that I didn’t even know existed in my head. The research worksheet helped me target important details that I needed for a historical I am working on. The summary sketch painted an entire picture of the beginning of my book. In less than a week, I completed the first basic steps for my three overdue stories and saw them bubble to life.
"This method has worked for her, it’s working for me, and it can work for you too if you are willing to give it a try. Wiesner also has a website, which has a sample work sheets for one of her published novel, SWEET DREAMS, a bonus article on Preparing a Killer Fiction Proposal and much more. Don’t take my word for it though, check out her website and FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS." ~Tamara Fairchild for Celtic Hearts Romance Writers "Call of the Clans" Newsletter
"Saying Karen Wiesner's FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS is about outlining is like saying that 'Titanic' is about a boat! This detailed yet easy-to-follow approach gives me hope that the next time I tackle my long-postponed novel, I might actually manage to finish it!" ~Moira Allen, author of "Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer" http://www.writing-world.com
"This book reminds me of an income tax form: It may be a headache to fill out, but it will get you there. If you have no idea how to write your novel, this will practically do it for you, with a good deal of good advice along the way." ~Piers Anthony, best-selling author of CUBE ROUTE and SKELETON KEY
"An outstanding resource! As both a fiction author and a writing instructor, I’ve pored through more than my fair share of “how to” books, many of which deal with the problems of organizing and outlining. Most are not only boring, but prove exceptionally unhelpful. FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS is different. Author Karen S. Wiesner–an outstanding fiction writer, herself–provides an easy to follow method that not only guides any writer through the novel-creation maze, but does so in a compelling, fun-to-read manner. Wiesner covers all the bases, from scheduling writing time to researching to making (through the use of superbly crafted worksheets) the dreaded outlining process a breeze. Highly recommended for beginners and pros alike!" ~Elizabeth Dearl, author of the Taylor Madison mystery series http://www.elizabethdearl.com/
"All the Tools -- A Swiss Army Knife for First Drafts: I pre-ordered Karen Wiesner's FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS and it showed up last week. I've read about half of it, and find a lot to like in the book -- the 30 day schedule seems a bit daunting, but there is so much organizational stuff in her book that I know I'll find ways to adapt many of her strategies to the way I research, outline, write, procrastinate (oops, strike that one!) and rewrite. The author clearly invested a lot of herself in making the book a highly-usable tool. The book is head-and-shoulders above the typical craft how-to guide." ~Charles Entwistle, author of THE PROMISE
"Plotting Simplified!: If you've ever had trouble plotting a book, then FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS will definitely give you the boost you need. The day by day instructions lead you through every step of the process, from character sketches on Day 1 to creating a formatted outline on the last two days.
"I've never done much plotting before. I'd just get a vague idea in my head and sit down to write. No wonder most of my stories fizzled out somewhere in the middle. Karen Wiesner's book has shown me the way. I've been following her plan and I'm amazed at how smoothly everything's going. I'm working on a story I've started before, but never finished because I'd become lost in the middle. I didn't know my characters or my setting well enough. I had no subplots so the one plot had to carry the entire story.
"This time I know the people much better. I can see my settings. And things are already happening that I hadn't planned, like a heart attack I hadn't known about before. If plotting's always been difficult, or if you thought you didn't need to plot, give Karen's book a try. It's easier than you thought, and gives you a formatted outline that takes you by the hand and leads you from chapter to chapter as you write your story." ~Florence Cardinal http://www.florencecardinal.com/index.html
"The review should never be about the reviewer, but it’s only fair to issue a caveat before I start. I have just taken three years to write a novel. That’s approximately 1100 days, which is about 980 more days than Karen promises to get you through a novel. (I did construct an outline—about halfway through the rough draft—and then promptly departed from it.)
"This is the guy reviewing a book on outlining and organizing to such an extent, you can actually create a first draft novel in a month. And even a congenitally untidy novelist such as myself can appreciate this marvelous guide.
"Karen’s book is as much about structuring your writing life as structuring your novel. Here you’ll fine timelines, worksheets, and formats, all designed to help you put the creative coffeepot on to perk (brewing is 75% of the process, Karen says), get your research done, organize your plot and keep it moving forward, and—perhaps most importantly, to finish the darn thing!
"Here’s a bonus: whether you want to buy into Karen’s superstructure or not, reading this book will help you understand and appreciate the anatomy of a novel—yours or anybody else’s—no matter how long it takes you to write it.
"When she gets you through your novel, Karen goes ahead and helps you outline your entire career! For the organizationally impaired, this is a must!
"Karen obviously practices what’s she’s preaching here, by the way. She’s published more than 20 books, including her Wounded Warrior Series and novels in virtually all genres. For more info on Karen and 30 Days, visit her website at www.karenwiesner.com." ~Marshall J. Cook, author of YOUR NOVEL PROPOSAL FROM CREATION TO CONTRACT
"A wonderful resource for writers! This book guides fiction writers through a method for building a detailed outline of a manuscript. Ms. Wiesner makes it clear in her introduction that the outline itself is NOT a first draft, but that if her method has been followed, the resulting first draft will be more polished than one written without it.
"Beginning with brainstorming, Ms Wiesner leads the novelist through the various components required to create a work of fiction--from characters and research to plot and setting, she covers it all. Detailed worksheets are provided to record the results of the brainstorming and questions posed throughout the chapters.
For those who have completed an ms., but are a little stuck, she includes a chapter adapting her method that will help jumpstart the ms. By analysing what you've done, what works and what doesn't, you can move forward.
"So far what has impressed me the most about the book is the emphasis by the author on the fact this is a method that can be adapted to an individual writer's needs. NOTHING is set in stone. She's giving you tools to work with, not a set of iron-clad rules on how to write a first draft. Its very flexibility is what makes it so appealing.
"I can see myself using it and making it work. Once I've had a chance to apply it to my upcoming new ms, I'll update my review. But overall, I'm EXTREMELY impressed. This book has inspired and energized me like no other how-to book for writers I've read before." ~Teresa Basinski Eckford http://thoughtsonbooks.myblogsite.com/blog/_archives/2005/4/9/567262.html
"I wish I’d read a book like [FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS] when I started out. Karen Wiesner reveals step-by-step in a friendly yet authoritative style how to save time and brain “explosions” when writing a novel from scratch. "Both eager beginning writers who want sure-fire advice and more advanced published writers who work against deadlines can learn valuable insights by studying this author’s personal methods. "Karen Wiesner shows how the “plan” for a book goes way beyond pounding out a static outline. For Wiesner, the outline is a flexible, creative extension to the way we set goals for every part of our productive lives. Her method brings a sense of “can do” mastery to writers, making them so eager to fill in the blanks of their story that the actual novel evolves almost magically, completing itself before we realize all the work writing entails. "The only problem with this book on writing? You have no excuse any more for not finishing your novel in a timely fashion." ~Christine DeSmet, author of SPIRIT LAKE http://www.hardshell.com/SpiritL.asp and writing teacher and director at the Writers Institute at University of Wisconsin-Madison http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing/
"The adjective “productive” has many synonyms: creative, prolific, fruitful, dynamic—isn’t that exactly what every writer wants to be? "Karen Wiesner’s offer that I read and test [FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS] was a godsend. I had roughly outlined my third Inspector Terry Mystery and had drafted only a quarter of it—-in five months. Not exactly something to write home about. I was procrastinating extensively, I allowed myself to get side-tracked by other projects, and—-worst of all—-I was totally disorganized. Now that I use her method, I write at a steady pace and enjoy it more than ever. Can her book do the same for other writers? I am convinced that it can. "Karen speaks to you directly, frankly, cheerfully. She shares all her secrets and lets you look over her shoulder as she plots, outlines and edits a novel from start to finish at breakneck speed. She never sounds patronizing. Instead, she points out that there is no wrong way to write a book, but that some ways are too ineffective for a writer who wants to write salable books on a regular basis. She doesn’t bore you with theories. This how-to book is a wonderful proof that every fiction writer’s prime directive, “show, don’t tell”, applies to non-fiction as well. Karen is like a dance instructor who knows how to make people tango with grace even when they have two left feet. "With the help of her worksheets I found it easy and satisfying to put her method into practice. I profited immensely from reading this book, and I highly recommend it to every writer who is tired of doing endless rewrites. After testing Karen’s method once, you’ll never suffer from writers’ block again." ~award-winning mystery author Christine Spindler http://www.christinespindler.com
"Fiction Writing Demystified: Unpublished? Suffering from sagging middles and burn out? Losing track of parallel plots? Overwhelmed? "Karen Wiesner gives wonderfully specific tips and examples to help any novelist become [a productive writer]. This is a user-friendly how-to book. While muses are scintillating, Wiesner assures us that goals, timelines, and an outline, which keeps track of plot threads, are the tools that ensure success. "Her outlining technique demonstrates how to “tag and trace” plot threads which will cut the need for rewrites. She explains [her] technique, then demonstrates it with examples from her own writing. "In specific, direct prose she shares her process. She demystifies the process of keeping track of several plots at once. When she looks at her outline, she knows exactly what she will be writing on any given day. Wiesner’s career is living proof that her method works, and her specific tools give hope to those of us who have not published a novel. "If you rely on the muse for inspiration and get bogged down in the midst of projects, find practical tips for organization and outlining in [FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS]. Use the techniques described here to keep writer’s block at bay." ~unpublished fiction author B. Lynn Goodwin, editor of WriterAdvice Newsletter http://hometown.aol.com/lgood67334/myhomepage/index.html
"...objective analysis of Karen Wiesner's First Draft In 30 Days from the standpoint of content--it is first rate. There is nothing arbitrary or random about her call for a tightly-disciplined approach to book creation. Dispersing learned counsel in rapid-fire bursts, she lays out a good sequence for outlining your book. Preliminary thoughts, research, story evolution, formatted outline, evaluate strength, a revistation, and, importantly, putting it on a shelf for a quiet period of rest and final reflection before proceeding into the first draft. A good pecking order." ~author Jack Payne on Amazon.com
Would you like to submit a reader review of FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS? Professional reviewers may also send requests for a review copy of FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS to the address above. Thank you!
Read Karen's full bio here. Karen is an accomplished author with 62 titles published in the past 11 years, which have been nominated/won 92 awards, and 15 more contracted for spanning many categories and formats. Named a "leading romance writer" in The Writer Magazine, Karen's novels include suspense, paranormal, contemporary, inspirational, horror, thriller, futuristic, gothic, romance, and mainstream women's titles. Her fiction releases have won or been nominated for Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award, the Dream Realm Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, eCataromance Reviewer's Choice Award, The Romance Studio's CAPA Award and Sweetheart Award, FTHRW's The Lories Award, the Frankfurt Award, many L-Edit Slip contest awards, and multiple EPPIE Awards. Find out more about Karen's fiction here. Karen's award-winning Incognito Series (action/adventure romantic suspenses) is published by Whiskey Creek Press.
Karen is also the multi-award-winning author of writing reference, poetry, and children's books. Karen's first writing reference with Writer's Digest Books, FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS, is available wherever writing reference titles are sold. It was a Writer's Digest Book Club Main Selection in March 2005. For more information, visit the FIRST DRAFT website at http://www.firstdraftin30days.com. Karen's second release from Writer’s Digest Books is FROM FIRST DRAFT TO FINISHED NOVEL {A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building}, available now. Check here for more information. THE POWER OF PROMOTIONAL GROUPS is also available now from Twilight Times Books, detailing how to set up a promotional group (like her own, Jewels of the Quill).
Karen's complete book list can be found here: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/jewelsbooklists11.html.
Interested in what Karen is working on? Click here for Karen's WIP, along with information on new and/or unsold projects!
Find out more about Karen by visiting her websites at http://www.karenwiesner.com and http://www.JewelsoftheQuill.com. If you would like to receive Karen's free e-mail newsletter, Karen's Quill, and become eligible for her monthly book giveaways, type your e-mail address in the subscription box below:
Click to sign Karen's guestbook.
|
Header and button design by Karen Wiesner.
If you experience technical problems with this site, please contact the Webmistress.