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Thomas F. Monteleone
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel, 2nd Edition: Make Your Dream of Writing a Novel Come True 2nd Edition, Kindle Edition

by Tom Monteleone (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 108 ratings
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A completely updated guide for first-time novelists

Completely revised to include new interviews with best-selling authors; more detailed information on writing genre fiction from paranormal romance to cozy mysteries; and everything a writer needs to know about self-publishing and ebooks to get started. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Writing a Novel, Second Edition, is an indispensable reference on how to write and publish a first novel.

• Expert author with over thirty published novels
• Includes interviews with new best-selling novelists
• Features new material on writing genre fiction and self-publishing
Previous page
  1. ISBN-13
    978-1615640331
  2. Edition
    2nd
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    DK
  5. Publication date
    July 6, 2010
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    2006 KB
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Monteleone is the acclaimed author of over a dozen popular novels. He has also edited 14 science fiction and horror anthologies, including the successful Borderlands series. His novels have been translated into six languages.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AR19KCQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ DK; 2nd edition (July 6, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 6, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2006 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 538 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 108 ratings

About the author

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Thomas F. Monteleone

Thomas F. Monteleone

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
108 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Henry Eden
5.0 out of 5 stars Your Own Seasoned Mentor
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2011
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I don't usually purchase books in these sort of "Dummy" or "Idiot" series, so I was extremely surprised to learn that someone of Mr. Monteleone's caliber had written one. I suppose I should say that was only due to my own ignorance. This book was just what the doctor ordered at a time when I sorely needed advice from a proven industry professional, someone "ahead" of me, so to speak. Tom Monteleone has had decades of experience in the very genres I am pursuing. I have had some publishing success in short stories but am diving into the arena of novels for the first time, and am now faced with the daunting task of revising. Not only does this book act as a high quality checklist of essential qualities and structures any novel should possess, the author's tone is so genuine and down-to-earth that you feel your courage bolstered just by reading it. A good gauge of my own enjoyment is that although early parts of the book contain advice that I have already mastered, I am better for having read them anyway and reinforced them because of the author's clear approach. This edition also has a much needed breakdown of popular genres and interviews with successful authors in those areas. Since I am especially interested in that information it proved to be the right one for me. Don't let the naysayers reviewing here deter you. There is some good "self-evaluating" information in this book that only those who are already writing will appreciate fully, but Mr. Monteleone deftly handles the needs of the outright beginner just as often and just as well. I can't imagine a better balance of industry mechanics and personable, accessible advice, and I can't imagine anyone questioning their own confidence after spending time with this particular mentor!
2 people found this helpful
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Michael Bucy
5.0 out of 5 stars Specifically for the budding novelist
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2023
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This book was, in a word, useful. I learned what I believe to be an enormous cache of knowledge. Only time will tell.
It was well written and has readability, an important characteristic in my view.
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Rodrick Sharpe
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Info
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2010
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If you ever wondered what all is involved with writing a book, this book has many answers. There is much that people don't know about writing a book. For example, if you wanted to know the minimum education level required to successfully write a book that is acceptable enough to submit for editing, the answer is in this book. I'll go ahead and tell you that the author specifies that that age is actually 8th grade level English and grammar skills. If you're as smart as an 8th grader, then you're practically smart enough to write a book. This can be very comforting considering whether or not you graduated from college or earned a degree in creative writing for that matter. This book is not only filled with lots of interesting information, but the book also continuously motivates your embedded interest in writing the book. It feels like you have a coach sitting right next to you saying "GO GO GO!" As you read through this book which is purely informational and motivational, your dreams of writing that fantastic book will come true because it's all 100% positive!
One person found this helpful
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Ryan Neely
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well done Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2007
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I really enjoyed this book and felt that it gave me a lot of very interesting facts, tips, pointers, and ideas about writing. He was also very to-the-point, as one other reviewer said, and I think that is part of what made this book so good. There was no dancing around topics or points, and he helped to simplify a lot of the process that I had often understood to be much more difficult. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested writing, even if it is just a pipe dream. I also think that a lot of what he said can be applied to writing in general, and not just writing for the purpose of being published.
2 people found this helpful
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C. J. Paar
2.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Monteleone Needs a Chill Pill
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2016
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I generally adore the The Complete Idiot's Guide series, but this has been my least favorite so far. The author has a lot of great advice to offer, but the level to which he disparages against other authors and unpublished writers is incredibly off-putting. When I first started going through this book, I was mostly flipping through it to see some key points before I began reading it properly, because I have been reading a lot of novel-writing resources as of late and was curious about the points he covers that others don't.
Right away, I looked at his section on characterization and was almost immediately put off. The author dedicates sections of his Characters chapter to a lot of different ways to create and develop characters - and time and time again, these sections were nothing but insults to the authors and unpublished writers who use these techniques. Specifically modeling (basing a character's personality on a person in real life and extrapolating their reactions within the story) and allowing your characters to surprise you in your writing. From what I could see, this author spends more time disparaging others for not being creative enough or being too creative that it's hard to actually want to read more of what he has to say.
I will try to read through more, but I am not excited about it anymore. What I took from my first few peeks was that this author is very opinionated and rigid and if you don't do things the exact way he tells you to, you're wrong. What a creativity-kill.
7 people found this helpful
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Mike
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Info Here
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2009
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This book is full of all sorts of useful information. It is well written and funny. I did a lot of highlighting and refer to it often. It covers the basics, which I enjoyed brushing up on, and many things that a complete idiot, such as myself, had no idea about. This book is helpful and motivating. It has improved my story ten fold. If I knew that I was going to write a book some day, I would have paid more attention in english class, but with this guide I think I can pull it off. Thank you Tom Monteleone.
One person found this helpful
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Writer011
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay book with interesting interviews
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2011
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This is a decent read for aspiring novelists, but suffers from not having enough examples on the presentation of dialogue, description and action. I wanted something like the Screenwriters Bible which answered all my questions on script presentation. Once I have read this book I think I'll give it to Oxfam.
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Top reviews from other countries

Sugar-man
4.0 out of 5 stars Too basic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2017
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This is my first book on novel writing and very in the basics. Montleone posibly writes too much on the fild as most writres do . In contraast as i always was too short i cold prefer i he was more asbstracting. Anyway the book is quite informative on how soemone can start writng and for sure he needs more spscific books on the field
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars I wish I was an idiot
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2014
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I thought this was going to be easy to read and understand but no I seem to be lower then an idiot.
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