Welcome to Tuesday...

On Tuesdays we're going to take a look at some if not all of the books on the craft of writing that I have stored in my little collection. Some of these books I have in paperback, some are located on my kindle, all are worthwhile looking at. Today we are going to start with this book...

179 ways to save a novel: matters of vital concern to fiction writers

by Peter Selgin
Writers Digest Books
1st Edition

First posted on Goodreads / Amazon 30th April 2018

Posted here with updates 07/05/24
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This novel, as it's title states has a collection of ideas for trouble shooting your work in progress (along with plenty of writing advice).

However for me, I don't think it succeeds in it's claims. While I could cheerfully throttle Mr. Selgin for some of his rather snobbish ideas about being an author and what we should be writing, and how we should do said writing, I did however enjoy the challenge of getting through this book and found to my delight a few good pieces of advice and interesting snippets of information, that will no doubt find it's way into my own work.

Now DON'T get the idea that you shouldn't read this book, I think you should, the amount of underlining and comments that I have inside this book (my own personal copy) signals to me that it's well worth the read. These are some of said underlining's...

'No artist should ever be ashamed to make mistakes. The only thing to be ashamed of is not learning from them' - The introduction

'These meditations aren't intended to add up to a how to book. Their purpose is to inspire, to provoke and occasionally to tickle or annoy but mainly to awaken a deeper awareness of the fiction writers many challenges and thorny choices.' - Introduction

'By slowing down and taking the time and trouble to imbue our stories with authentic, rich, specific moments and details we achieve real drama and avoid its floozy cousins, sentimentality and melodrama.' - No. 26, p35 Fisticuffs and Shipwrecks.

'Yes, but now due to you pointing that out, I have an idea for a character that can be in two places at once.' - me in response to an argument that the author puts forward against unrealistic characters, who the author, not paying attention has in two places. P89 No.57, Getting Jack home: walking in a characters shoes.

'Full of crap', 'Bull', 'I can't believe you wrote that' - me at various places within the book.

At one stage on P230 I have written 

'You sir, are not going to take this away from me, not when I have fought so long to see myself as a writer / author' - this was in connection to a piece on performance anxiety. 

The author Peter Selgin while greatly annoying me with the way he seems to look down on some writers, does however encourage me to think about what exactly I am writing as well as how I'm writing it. He also challenges me to think about the reasons why I am writing and if I am writing to make a fortune (not possible for a lot of writers), to be read (would love that), to be famous (only in so far as I have a fan base who might come to signings), to do book tours (might be nice), or just because I need to write (this one for defo), for the sheer pleasure of the work...

Well done Mr. Selgin, you have challenged me, and I've actually enjoyed it, even if I still want to throttle you. 

Even though I did argue with the author and what he wrote, I would however recommend this book to writers as there are defo some awesome, thought provoking sections within all 179.

TWW