Last Christmas brought an abundance of books on writing novels. First off the shelf was "The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction and Nonfiction: And Getting It Published" (2nd Edition). The book pairs author Patricia Kubis with editor Robert Howland to present not just what makes a good book, but what makes a book appeal to publishers. Topics are split roughly into thirds, following the order and content of the title.

Dr. Kubis discusses different plot structures and story viewpoints, giving lots of examples from literature, along with many pitfalls. The authors go to great lengths to emphasize that a strong opening is critical to getting readers (and publishers) interested in a story. They made me decide to open my own novel in the present and flash-back to the start of the story line. In my book there is a fair amount of build-up required to make a believable "future" in America. Opening with a taste of the climax should pique the reader's interest.

The authors argue the introduction of a character must include lots of details: physical, emotional, etc. The reader needs to quickly develop a particular image in their mind. Setting descriptions that reflect on the character and actions they take (or took) are useful too. Certainly more nuance can be introduced along the way, but an author cannot afford to start with vague characters that slowly define.

Other chapters include creating good dialogue, managing transitions in time, developing a strong theme, and selecting titles. Apparently a book's title almost always gets changed, so don't get too attached to your "perfect" choice.

The nonfiction chapters cover a lot of material particular to writing for magazines. Articles are usually written only after a successful query to a magazine editor, as opposed to novels that are complete or mostly written at the time of contact. Other topics include analyzing the kind of articles a particular magazine wants, writing interviews, and some interesting tricks to get those interviews.

Novel submissions have a fairly standard form: a one-page query letter selling your idea, the complete story condensed into a dozen or so pages, and the first three chapters. This allows the editor to classify the book, determine if anything interesting happens in the story, and to get an idea of the talent in the writer. While Kubis and Howland recommend the "Writers Market" publication for information about publishers and editors, they make a good argument for finding an agent. An agent already has a network of editor contacts that you would otherwise be creating from scratch. (Unsolicited manuscripts addressed to a publisher and not a specific editor are always returned unread). As for finding a good agent, they recommend contacting local writing professors and other authors. As for convincing the agent to take on an unproven author, that comes down to strong writing and charisma. A first-time writer should complete his or her novel before approaching an agent. No one is going to risk that you might not finish the work after they invest time in your project.

After fifteen years, a few aspects of the book are dated, but only those related to preparing material. Comments about onion paper no longer apply, and questions about submitting electronic copies of a manuscript are left unanswered. But the core topics on character development and plot are just as valid today.

The book reassured me that I was on track with some of my story ideas and gave me food for thought on some mistakes I might make. Discussions about the business end of publishing were very valuable. The authors also convinced me to use more symbolism and foreshadowing, rather than avoiding them as an artificial tool.