Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level

A breakout novel is one that rises out of its category - such as romance, mystery or thriller - and hits the bestseller lists. All aspiring novelists dream of achieving this success as do many published novelists who remain stuck in what author Donald Maass calls "midlist hell." In Writing the Breakout Novel, Maass explains the elements that all breakout novels share and shows readers how to use these elements to write a novel that has a good chance of succeeding within the crowded marketplace. From creating a high-stakes premise to building larger-than-life characters to sustaining a high degree of conflict and tension, Maass covers all the key ingredients of this type of novel. Using several of his clients, including best-selling novelist Anne Perry, as case studies, Maass provides real-life, insider examples to show how this type of novel can generate agent and publisher interest, creating or enhancing a novelist's career.