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Beth Revis
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Paper Hearts, Volume 1: Some Writing Advice Kindle Edition

by Beth Revis (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 72 ratings
See all formats and editions
Bird by Bird meets Save the Cat in this new writing advice book by NY Times bestselling author Beth Revis. With more than 100000 reads on Wattpad, this newly expanded and rewritten edition features 350 pages of content, including charts and a detailed appendix.
~~~
Fight the blank page.

When it comes to writing, there's no wrong way to get words on paper. But it's not always easy to make the ink flow. Paper Hearts: Some Writing Advice won't make writing any simpler, but it may help spark your imagination and get your hands back on the keyboard.

Practical Advice Meets Real Experience

With information that takes you from common mistakes in grammar to detailed charts on story structure, Paper Hearts describes:

-How to Develop Character, Plot, & World

-What Common Advice You Should Ignore

-What Advice Actually Helps

-How to Develop a Novel

-The Basics of Grammar, Style, & Tone

-Four Practical Methods of Charting Story Structure

-How to Get Critiques and Revise Your Novel

-How to Deal with Failure

...And much more!

BONUS! More than 25 "What to do if..." scenarios to help writers navigate problems in writing from a NY Times Bestselling author who's written more than 2 million words of fiction.
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  1. Part of series
    Paper Hearts
  2. Print length
    343 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    November 1, 2015
  6. File size
    6337 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Each book [in the Paper Hearts series] is refreshingly well organized and accessible. ...Revis gets straight to the heart of matters such as story structure, offering tools and sample outlines. The books are very much focused more on the 'how' to write than the 'why.'" --Joanne O'Sullivan, Asheville Citizen Times

"Revis's book should find its way to the keeper shelf of both aspiring and accomplished writers." --Publisher's Weekly

From the Author

I used to be a teacher.
 
When I say this, I do not mean that it was my job. I mean that it was a part of my identity. Of course, there were some bits of the job I didn't like (grading, politics, more grading), but the part I did like--teaching--was something that I loved so wholly that it became an ingrained part of who I was. 

Or perhaps it was who I always was, and I just didn't know it. 

Whenever there was a concept or theory or problem that I couldn't quite grasp, I taught myself by breaking it down into its elements and thinking of how I was learning, not just what I was learning. My notes when I was a student were always a mess of charts and arrows and connections between ideas (and short stories and poems scribbled in the margins). 

Everyone has a different way of thinking, and my way of thinking tends to be an analysis of how an idea develops. I do not at all believe in muses, although I do believe in inspiration. I don't get writer's block--I discover bad story structure. Stories themselves are layers--not just in history and symbolism, but also in structure and plot and character development. Just like when I was a teacher and would find lesson plans in the oddest places, now I read stories and tend to see beyond the words, Matrix-like, into the scaffolding.

I say this now so that you understand any advice I give is merely what has worked for me, and this all comes from my own self analysis. I am not at all an expert, and you should never entirely trust anyone that tells you "how to write." Write the way you write--if it gets words down on paper, it's more than good enough. But this book is the sort of thing that would have helped me when I was starting out, so I thought I'd share it with you. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B016FRZ1JQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scripturient Books; 1st edition (November 1, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6337 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 343 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 72 ratings

About the author

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Beth Revis

Beth Revis

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Beth Revis is a NY Times bestselling author with books available in more than 20 languages. Her works include young adult science fiction and fantasy titles, as well as nonfiction books on writing and publishing. A native of North Carolina, Beth is currently working on a new novel for teens and adults. She lives in rural NC with her husband, son, and puppy.

Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @bethrevis, or on Facebook at fb.com/authorbethrevis.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
72 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

A Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars I have been searching for this book and didn't know it
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
I am a novice writer trying to write my first novel. I have read over 20 books on different aspects of novel writing. I have hunted down rare out-of-print books by famous authors. I have also taken online courses and watched hours of youtube videos. However, I still had questions and areas of confusion and have been finding it quite discouraging.

I almost did not buy this book, because what could this author tell me that I didn't find in all that other material? But thank God that I did. This book is a gem.

One of my problems was that there is so much standard writing advice out there that is not explained well. Beth Revis explains when you can safely ignore the "rules" and when you shouldn't. These sections of the book really cleared away a lot of confusion for me.

Probably the biggest area of confusion I had was conflicting advice on how to begin a novel. Where to begin and where not to begin. Beth also cleared that up, explaining it in a way that made so much sense to me.

Many of the other books on writing that I've read were written a long time ago or written by people who started writing before the internet. These books are missing topics of interest to modern writers. For example, Revis includes a whole chapter on critiques - how to find a critique partner, online resources, how to give a critique, how to read a critique. I have just started participating in an online critique forum, so this is timely advice for me.

I could go on, but just buy the book and see for yourself.
One person found this helpful
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katherine stapp
5.0 out of 5 stars If you are or want to be a writer, buy this book now
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2015
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Okay, here's the deal. If you buy a single book on writing, and have some hopes for commercial success (whatever that may mean to you), make it this one. It is, by a very large margin, the most practical, engaging, and genuinely helpful advice I have ever seen on what it takes to write something other people want to read, all gathered into one neat package. I have one book out and I've completed a few other manuscripts, one of which I've been struggling with big-time. Spending the last several hours with Beth's book has crystallized my plot and character elements, showed me the holes I didn't even realize were there, and helped me separate the wheat from the chaff: in her words, to find the beating heart of the story. I think it's useful for anyone in any stage of their career, published or not. If you want razor sharp advice served up with a sense of humor, look no further. I've been writing pages of notes and expect to go back to this one again and again. She has two more coming up, on publishing and marketing, I will definitely pick those up.

Thank you, Beth! Also for sharing your own path-to-publishing travails, and how to stay motivated.

Kitty Stapp/Kat Ross
4 people found this helpful
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Ren White
4.0 out of 5 stars I like the way she presents everything
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2016
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I adore Beth Revis' writing. Her fiction is entertaining as heck, and so is this. While not all of her methods work for me in my writing, I like the way she presents everything: simple, straightforward, no-nonsense. It's easy to read, easy to understand, and does a wonderful job explaining that it's okay if some advice just doesn't work for you. I also very much enjoyed the commentary on diversity and feminism--that alone would make me recommend this book to my writer friends. Overall, a wonderful book, and one I highly recommend, especially to anyone wanting to write YA. That being said, it's not just for YA writers, so if you're looking for good advice, consider checking this one out.
One person found this helpful
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kateran
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear nuts-and-bolts advice
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2017
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I'm a fan of craft books, but I rarely rate them this highly. Partly because I pick and choose the useful bits from them, partly because they often come with a subtle (or not-so-subtle) implication that this is THE ONE WAY to write.

Not so with Paper Hearts. Beth Revis is pretty clear that there's no one way--while providing a heap of tools to help with structure, worldbuilding, character, pacing, and more. And she clearly knows her stuff. She's even got a bunch of chapters at the end that go through specifics of what a critique might mean. (For example, if your CP isn't connecting to the main character, it could be the stakes aren't high enough.) This book already has me thinking in whole new ways about my WIP. I bought a Kindle copy, and now I'd like one in print, too.

It's clear nuts-and-bolts advice, combined with pep talk and real talk about the truth of writing and publishing.

This is truly a fantastic resource. Geared to YA, but I imagine it applies to a lot of genres.
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Tyrean
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on writing
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022
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Beth Revis includes hard-won wisdom, writing craft tips, and some kick in the pants reflections in this excellent book on writing. There are short chapters, there are medium chapters, light chapters, and information -packed chapters.
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Laurie MacDiarmid
5.0 out of 5 stars Practical advice with friendly humor
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2020
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Revis addresses her readers as working writers with a wide variety of goals and stories to tell. She is never condescending, her humor lightens the inevitable truth of suffering and failure in store for all of us, and she knows when to be direct. I particularly enjoyed her examples, taken from her own experience and her wealth of reading.
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Christina
5.0 out of 5 stars and loved it so much that I bought it as an ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2018
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In general, I find craft books a little hard to stomach. They all sound preachy, condescending, or are dry. NOT THIS ONE. This is my most beloved reference book--I got it as a gift in paperback for Christmas, and loved it so much that I bought it as an eBook so I could have it on my phone and Kindle wherever I go. Huge kudos to Beth Revis, who gives practical advice and makes the journey of writing and seeking publication so much less lonely. I've bought the other books in the series as well and would gladly recommend them all.
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Karyne Norton
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic resource for writers intending to publish
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2018
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This is a fantastic book that walks you through all aspects of writing a novel from story idea to finish. It's written like an experienced friend giving advice, and it covers a variety of issues that aren't often covered in writing books like critique partners, good/bad writing advice, and handling failure. I loved reading Beth Revis' blog when she was first published, and this is like an extension of all the gold nuggets she had in her blog.

I highly recommend this whole series for anyone writing with intent to publish.
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy craft book to read
Reviewed in Canada on June 29, 2019
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Great common sense advice - some things were new to me, others were nice to have confirmed.
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Sarah (whispering words)
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Writers Help book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2016
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As an aspiring writer, I found this book incredibly helpful in every way. It boosted my morale, gave some insightful advice and offered a level of comfort that I have yet to find in other “how to write” books.

Rather than just jumping straight in with Do’s and Don’ts, the first thing Beth Revis shares is her own road to publication. She explains how it was her DREAM to be traditionally published, and no matter how bleak the future sometimes seemed, she stuck to her goal. It took her ten years, ten manuscripts, lots of money in classes and critiques, not to mention bucket loads of time and dedication—but she made this dream happen. If that’s not inspiration for you, I don't know what is.

However what I really liked about this book is how Beth Revis repeatedly emphasises that there is no right or wrong way to write. Paper Hearts just shares the methods of writing that worked for her—and she stresses that every writer must find their own path/style. Also she admits that not every book she writes is the same, and often her own styles and methods change, so it’s important to experiment.

Also while this book does cover grammar, characterisation, and has picture charts that can help with developing plot, everything is written in a very friendly way. Never once did I feel like I was being told what to do, but rather everything was put forward in a suggestive, “you should give this a try” kind of way.

In terms of content, I thought the advice itself was pretty invaluable. If I had this book when I first started writing I know it would have made my life a whole lot easier. Even now, it reassured me that I am doing many things right, although it also made me see there is still much of my writing that can be improved upon.

What also grabbed was the the depth the book went into. Ways in which you can find critiques partners, how to give and receive feedback, as well as many frequently asked questions in regards to ideas, pacing, resources…. this book really did have it all.

The only thing that may be an issue for some writers, is that Beth Revis writes YA and often the examples she uses are geared for those audiences. However I really think this book would be useful regardless of what genre or age band your writing for. This is definitely a book all aspiring writers need on their shelves!
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Samantha Jayne
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2016
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Some great advice and very light hearted and funny.
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Gordon W Miller
4.0 out of 5 stars Sound advice
Reviewed in Canada on March 18, 2019
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Sound advice but so many typos and editing errors....ironic right?
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