Book Reviews › Career › Writing the Breakout Novel
Honest review · Career
Writing the Breakout Novel
by Donald Maass
A literary agent on what separates mid-list novels from breakouts: stakes, larger-than-life characters, layered plots, theme. Ambitious and clear.
Read it if…
you want to raise the stakes of your novel.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you write short fiction.
Try instead: The Fire in Fiction →
Three things you will actually use
- Raise the stakes.
- Deepen the character.
- Theme is the point.
Do this first
Read the chapter on stakes and raise yours.
Our verdict
How novels break out.
See the book →
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