First Draft in 30 Days by Karen S. Wiesner (Review and Giveaway)

My bookshelves groan when they see me approach with a new craft book. I have so many that I hesitate to buy one in the bookstore for fear that I actually own a copy and it's just hidden behind a mountain of other books. I was given the opportunity to review Karen S. Wiesner's First Draft in 30 Days: A Novel Writer's System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript and I think I can probably unburden my bookshelves.

Wiesner's book is good with a solid and doable process. And, honestly, the book reads like a friend who is telling you how to write your draft . . . a good friend, not one who will leave you in the lurch.

I took the challenge of trying to write a first draft in 30 days following her method. I admit that I did OK keeping to her schedule and worksheets, but that's just because I had a week where I got off kilter (which is not Wiesner's fault, obviously! I blame that on my kids . . . ) But the process was easy to pick up again, even after a brief hiatus.

What makes First Draft in 30 Days so essential is that even when Wiesner is explaining the basics of structure, you can't help but learn something. With each element that she explains, she illustrates it with excerpts from fiction you've probably read or, if you haven't, it's been on your list to read. Also, even if you are doing some of what Wiesner suggests, such as keeping a project folder, Wiesner illustrated how to organize your system so that it works for—not against—you and your book.

Wiesner's days are grouped into six "crucial" areas, so chapter three, for example, includes days 7 to 13, when she suggests you research your idea. By day 30, you are revising the formatted outline that provides your novel with its solid frame helping you to, as Wiesner writes, "lay out the full course of the story as it flows from beginning to end." She recommends using this full outline to set the stage for your second draft. This outline keeps your plot more focused and helps to avoid any pitfalls.

What worked for me with Wiesner's approach is that she gives you the steps—even providing the worksheets and schedules in her appendices—and encouragement for setting writing goals. Both are incredible for getting started on a novel or even with revising a novel.

Even if you aren't sure that you want to follow an outline method, such as Wiesner proposes, First Draft in 30 Days gave me some insight I needed about writing fiction. In fact, I found myself making notes on how to revise a work-in-progress while drafting another manuscript!

A WOW! colleague told me she hoped Wiesner's book got my pen really moving. It did and much more.

It's not surprising; Karen Wiesner is an accomplished author who has penned over 98 books in the past 15 years, which have been nominated and/or won 125 awards. She currently has 38 more under contract, spanning a variety of genres. Talk about prolific! For more information about Karen and her work, visit her websites at www.KarenWiesner.com, www.FirstDraftin30Days.com, www.falconsbend.com, and www.JewelsoftheQuill.com. You can also sign up for Karen's free e-mail newsletter, Karen's Quill, and become eligible for her monthly book giveaways, by sending a blank e-mail to KarensQuill-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

In a couple weeks, I'll review Wiesner's From First Draft to Finished Novel: A Writer's Guide to Cohesive Story Building. I can't wait!

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in coastal North Carolina. She is now dividing her life into 30-day first draft segments to see how many books she can write for the rest of her life.

***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****

Writers, you're in luck! We are giving away a copy of First Draft in 30 Days by Karen Wiesner. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win!

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