by Mike Klaassen

Created on: March 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 14, 2007

BOOK REVIEW OF
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS: A Novel Writer's System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript, by Karen Wiesner,
2005, Writer's Digest Books

BRIINGING ORDER TO THE PROCESS

First Draft in 30 Days, by Karen Wiesner, presents an orderly approach to the potentially messy process of creating a novel. Whether or not you ever actually write an entire first draft within thirty days, Wiesner's format provides a track to run on, to help get organized. It's an opportunity to satisfy the left brain's need for structure and organization, so the right brain can romp and play.

No doubt, some readers will cringe at the 30-day approach. As novelists, we often lack deadlines, self-imposed or not. This is a potential pitfall, as the time absorbed in the completion of any task tends to expand to the time available.

Some writers may worry that the resulting formatted outline may not really qualify as a first draft. Rather than be turned off by the whole concept of outlining and organization, use the portions that work for you and ignore the rest.

And if you're like me, you occasionally end up with a manuscript that "needs something." Wiesner outlines a process for using First Draft in 30 Days to troubleshoot a manuscript and get back on track. This by itself is worth the price of the book.

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