Summary
Writing a book can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.
Are you struggling to finish, or even start your novel? Are you overwhelmed by the many steps in the writing process, drowning in endless drafts, or creatively blocked?
Shut Up and Write the Book is a step-by-step guide to crafting a novel from your first spark of an idea to the final edit. Whether you’re brand new to writing or wanting to hone your skills, this action plan provides straightforward advice while demystifying the art of storytelling.
In Shut Up and Write the Book, you’ll learn:
- Ways to select an exciting, marketable concept that incites your passion and intrigues readers
- Techniques for creating multi-dimensional characters your audience will love (or love to hate)
- How to navigate the dreaded first draft with confidence
- Tips for writing an impactful first chapter that hooks readers
- The key to eliminating sagging middle syndrome so your story is engaging from start to finish
- The best way to craft a plot twist that wows your audience
- How to write a climax that takes your story to a new, thrilling level
- And much more
Enjoy bestselling author Jenna Moreci’s no-nonsense guidance and saucy sarcasm as she walks you through every step of the writing process. If you want to finally hunker down and finish your novel, read Shut Up and Write the Book today.
My Thoughts
Jenna Moreci is one of if not my favorite YouTubers to follow. She is a successful self-published author, who gives no nonsense writing advice on her YouTube channel. When I heard she was coming out with a writing craft book I of course had to pick it up. Shut Up and Write the Book is the best book out there to help you through the process of writing your book.
I love how her humor translates to the book fantastically. For example the chapter covering the climax, she jokes about the number of orgasm jokes there are she could make but was going to keep things professional. This is enough to bring just a little bit of humor to a nonfiction book. Something which isn’t often found in nonfiction. Nonfiction is known for being boring, and very factual. Jenna makes this stuff fun.
She covers everything with enough detail to help you find your way, and all steps of the process. This isn’t just a plot book or a character development book; this is a here are some tips for outlining, drafting, editing, and publishing your book. The writing process is subjective to each individual, but she covers the certain truths of the process such as how you probably should do an outline.
In the chapter on outlining, in Shut Up and Write the Book, Jenna talks about a few of the different kinds of outlining. She briefly covers The Skeletal, The Flashlight, and The Topic Outlines. I found this chapter helpful since I struggle to connect dots when I’m writing, and do need to develop a process for outlining my stories. I’ve tried a few different outlines over the years, and this gave me a few other options to try. She also goes over the benefits of outlining, like being able to identify holes in your story, or just organizing your thoughts so your story isn’t scrambled to the point where your readers can’t follow what is happening.
If you are getting ready for NaNoWriMo, or just looking to try writing a book of your own, I recommend this book to you.