Fundamentals of World Building by Jessie Verino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I like instructional books that get to the point; plain and simple, no frills, no lengthy deconstruction of a scene in another book that I may or may not have read. This book did just that. It gave me what I needed in as few words as possible. Thanks for that. So many times in the past I have started books on writing only to stop because they never gave any really instruction on writing. I have been looking for a long time to find a book that covers just this subject. For novice speculative fiction writers the prospect of building a fantasy world can be daunting, but this book breaks the effort down to manageable pieces using architecture as a backdrop. This technique resonated with me, being that I work within that field, giving me a reference point for understanding.

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Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading this book, Outlining Your Novel, I am impressed with the author's keen insight on novel construction. Her book has given me great insight into my currant manuscript. I have been a pantser for years, but when I started working on my current project, at the beginning of this year’s National Novel Writing Month, I soon realized that the idea was just too BIG.

I have had this idea playing around the back of my head for going on ten years now. I thought I had a good sense of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to write. Though by the end of November, and over 90,000 words later, I felt I really had gone nowhere with the story/characters. This manuscript required a thorough plotting before I could really understand what I was writing and the statement I wanted to get across to the reader.

The author's clear and concise book has helped to settle my muddy lake of creativity; in fact, the dam that blocked my creative river has a gaping hole down the middle. Had I not stumbled across Outlining Your Novel while searching for help to get out of the quagmire I had written myself into, I would still be floundering in the murky depths.

So I can’t thank the author enough for writing this book. I want her to know that I plan to follow the insights of her book to the letter. I don’t expect them to make me the next great author, but book has given me the tools to map out a clear path to what I truly want to write. I thank K. M. Weiland, sincerely, for that. Though it still remains to be seen, I believe she has made me a better writer.


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