How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling

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How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling

by James N. Frey, Jaya Dayal (Designed by)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 755 ratings · 81 reviews

Written in a clear, crisp, accessible style, this book is perfect for beginners as well as professional writers who need a crash course in the down-to-earth basics of storytelling. Talent and inspiration can't be taught, but Frey does provide scores of helpful suggestions and sensible rules and principles.

An international bestseller, How to Write a Damn Good Novel will ena...more

Hardcover, 192 pages

Published December 15th 1987 by St. Martin's Press

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Sep 19, 2008 Taka rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: japan_jul07-aug10, writing_reference

Meh--

Having read a few books on writing (Stephen King's On Writing, Jerry Cleaver's Immediate Fiction, Renni Browne and Dave King's Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, and John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist), I found James Frey's How to Write a Damn Good Novel rather narrow-minded, lacking in detail, and even trite.

Every time Frey gives advice, he comes across as dogmatic; it's as though he thinks his method is THE right method and other methods are inferior in themselves. But that's just plain...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Jeanette marked it as to-read

Can someone tell me, please, why I feel compelled to read so many books like this one when I have no intention of ever writing a novel?

4 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2013 Bill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing-how-to

How-to for Beginners

Frey, James N. (1987). How to Write a Damn Good Novel. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

I’m cautious about any how-to book that bills itself as “no-nonsense,” implying that comparable books are full of nonsense. In fact this book has quite a bit of nonsense, from the author’s strained sense of humor, to the fact that it was written in 1987 (“Keep a thesaurus by your typewriter”). Nevertheless, it covers the basics of storytelling and its breezy style makes it an easy read, approp...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Krystal Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

How to Write a Damn Good Novel is an excellent read for novelists, especially beginners. Frey has packed this book with actionable information that will help writers craft, well,...a good novel.

The book addresses everything from character and conflict to storytelling and dialogue. If you’ve never completed a novel or if you’re trying to polish or rework one, this book is a vital and indispensable tool.

Frey is good at instructing the writer, not only on what to do, but on how to do it. He discu...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

James N. Frey's How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling is an excellent primer on the nuts and bolts of writing a novel.

The pros: Frey is a good teacher, and that comes through in his writing. He offers many excellent tips and techniques that many writers would do well to heed. He is great at describing the nuts and bolts of writing fiction.

The cons: He cites a few twentieth century books on writing so much that I was compelled to pick up one I'...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Robert rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Robert by: Craig Valentine

Shelves: writing, kindle, nonfiction, how-to

This book was recommended to me by a public speaker who I respect. I asked a clarifying question regarding this book. He stated that even though it is written for would-be novelists, speakers will gain much from this. He described it as a book that transformed his speaking. Given he won the World Championship, I took him up on it.

Yeah, it didn't work out so well. I couldn't shake two things with this book:
1. The book covered far too much quoting far more from other books than adding original tex...more

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Sep 02, 2010 Arthur Mills rated it 5 of 5 stars

How to Write a Damn Good Novel is a damn good book. Since the late 1990s, I attempted to write a novel but to no prevail. I had a great idea but I had no idea how to write a novel. In December 2008, I bought How to Write a Damn Good Novel and read the first page to the last page trying to soak up every word. I studied the book like a textbook. Months later, I bought Mr. Frey's follow-on book How to Write a Damn Good Novel II. I also studied this book like a textbook. My manuscript titled The Emp...more

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Jun 03, 2009 Sheila added it

Off to a good start: "Homo fictus has hotter passions and colder anger; he travels more, fights more, loves more, changes more, has more sex. Lots more sex."

Unfortunately, the book was disappointing. There were a few words of wisdom, but a lot of the advice felt rather dated. Of course, the book was published in 1987, which could explain a lot of it -- the "keep x by your typewriter" references, and the instructions to have the final manuscript professionally typed, for example. All of which can...more Off to a good start: "Homo fictus has hotter passions and colder anger; he travels more, fights more, loves more, changes more, has more sex. Lots more sex."

Unfortunately, the book was disappointing. There were a few words of wisdom, but a lot of the advice felt rather dated. Of course, the book was published in 1987, which could explain a lot of it -- the "keep x by your typewriter" references, and the instructions to have the final manuscript professionally typed, for example. All of which can probably be forgiven, since I doubt Mr. Frey was thinking personal computers and word processors and e-mail would become so widely available in such a short time.

But much of his other advice -- on writing, how to write, writing style -- also felt dated. If anyone out there thinks the kinds of books being published today are exactly the same as they were in 1987, they'd be wrong. Books now (at least in my opinion) are a little edgier, a little sharper. It's less common now to spend a chapter or two introducing the characters and their world. Instead, we're more likely to be plunged into the middle of the action, or at least less time is spent on establishing the backstory up front. Also, the section on editing and revising assumed typewritten or handwritten text, which often isn't the case. Writing on a computer screen is a whole different animal than writing on paper.

In addition, a lot of his examples were from A Christmas Carol and Madam Bovary. These are both classics, I'm sure, but let's be perfectly honest here -- if they came across an editor's desk today, they'd never get published. The style in which they are written is just too flowery and Victorian for today's market. They'd more likely go straight from the slush pile to the circular file. I felt that many of the style points he was trying to make were invalidated because of this.

I was also a bit annoyed by the author's tone -- the attitude of "there is one right way to do this, and that's my way." It got old fast. ("You must give up all of your friends and outside activities. You must write each and every day or else.") Since I know for a fact that the mere act of writing varies from person to person, every time I read something like that, I just wanted to throw the book against the nearest wall.

This might be a better reference for a brand-new author, one who needs someone to take them by the hand and give them some structure. However, I think I gleaned more useful information from No Plot No Problem.(less)

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Jun 27, 2010 Aerin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing, how-to, nonfiction

For Mother's Day I received my first digital SLR camera, with an extra zoom lens. I've had lots of fun relearning my SLR techniques, the various zooming and focusing and framing.

I was given Damn Good Novel as a gift when I started whinging about being unable to write. This quickly read, easily accessible book was almost like automatic focus. It wasn't that I have no skills, it's that I was focusing on things that were not helpful at the time. Who knows when I would have adjusted my vision on my...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Richard Stephenson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ahhh - delving into a field I love so much, but from the other side of the table. It's so interesting to see how much planning, work, and execution goes into creating a truly enjoyable read.

Mr. Frey does a good job of spelling out major tenants of creating a dramatic novel in a way that's enjoyable to read, useful, and quick to digest. Plenty of examples and questions to really get you to think about your plan to printed fiction.

Writing is good, but writing well is gooder... no wait... that can'...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Randolph O'Toole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Being a writer myself, this is probably one of the more read books in my collection. Its light breezy, but very informative style (using relevant timeless classics as examples), plus the fact that it's a short book makes it a fun and easy read. In fact, even if you don't intend to get into writing, I'd recommend it for anyone serious about his/her reading, as it takes you "behind the scenes" and opens your eyes to the inner workings of writers' minds. Small caveat: this is a good primer to get i...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Troy Storm rated it 5 of 5 stars

An excellent basic book on novel writing and one that I have often recommended to my writing friends. Sadly, I have to admit, though I consult it often, I find my writing self going off in my own direction. But Frey sets out to explain as best he can how to craft a book that will sell and he has the background to know what he's talking about. The writing business has changed so much since this book came out, that the business side of writing might be a little out of date, but the basics are as v...more

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May 25, 2012 Eustachio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-narrativa, ebook, statunitensi

Se dovessi consigliare a qualcuno un manuale di scrittura con cui cominciare consiglierei senza dubbio questo.
Come si evince dal titolo non si concentra su argomenti specifici ma tratta della scrittura in generale, dalla pianificazione della storia alla riscrittura — il che include anche lati a cui personalmente non avevo mai pensato (il concetto di premessa, primo su tutti, e l'insistence-resistence) o suggerimenti generali che ho sempre ignorato (come fare una scaletta anziché buttarsi a capof...more Se dovessi consigliare a qualcuno un manuale di scrittura con cui cominciare consiglierei senza dubbio questo.
Come si evince dal titolo non si concentra su argomenti specifici ma tratta della scrittura in generale, dalla pianificazione della storia alla riscrittura — il che include anche lati a cui personalmente non avevo mai pensato (il concetto di premessa, primo su tutti, e l'insistence-resistence) o suggerimenti generali che ho sempre ignorato (come fare una scaletta anziché buttarsi a capofitto senza una meta precisa).
Negli ultimi capitoli dà anche dei consigli su come affrontare le critiche (con una divisione tanto simpatica quanto vera dei gruppi di scrittori: puff, literary e destructive), i periodi di blocco e infine come cercare un agente.

È scritto bene, non annoia. Gli esempi sono calzanti — alcuni di suo pugno, altri ripresi da libri o film classici — e non si dilunga troppo su nessun argomento particolare, com'è giusto che sia vista la generalità del tema.

Su tre cose non sono molto convinto, però:
1) Insiste sul creare sempre dialoghi brillanti (indirect dialogue), ma il rischio è che un romanzo intero scritto così sia tutt'altro che credibile. Una via di mezzo?
2) Anziché parlare di show don't tell si esprime in termini di dramatic narrative, scene and half-scene (ovvero rispettivamente scene raccontate, scene mostrate e scene mostrate che sfumano nel raccontato). Mi chiedo se sia una scelta precisa o se l'abbia fatto tanto per. Anche perché poi conclude il capitolo sette dicendo: "Your prose should have time, color, and textural density (detailed and specific rather than generalized); convey a sense of motion; and appeal to the seven senses—hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, the psychic sense, and a sense of humor". Quasi tutte cose che rientrano nello show e che hanno poco a che fare con la dramatic narrative.
3) L'unico capitolo a sembrarmi un po' scarno è il sesto, quello sui punti di vista. Ma forse è perché ho come termine di paragone Characters & Viewpoint che su questo era molto più esaustivo.(less)

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Sep 19, 2009 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: someone who is interesting in writing a novel.

How to Write a Damn Good Novel is a quick read, and I enjoyed the author's sense of humor. Although I didn't come across anything earth-shattering, I did learn many concepts that were new to me (creating step sheets, the positives and negatives of various perspectives, what editors are looking for, etc.). Frey didn't answer some of my more technical questions, such as whether I can use the names of real places, TV shows, etc. (I'm guessing not), but I still think this book is worth reading if yo...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Jacqui rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: about-writing, writing

James Frey's How to Write a D*** Good Novel is a classic for writers. It's been around a long time (since 1987) because it is straightforward, easy to ready and prioritizes what's important in writing a great novel. If you're new to writing, it tells you what the most important elements are and if you're experienced, it reminds you where the problem areas lay. The fact that he relays all the details with a sense of humor makes everything digestible--as opposed to pedantic lecturers who write not...more James Frey's How to Write a D*** Good Novel is a classic for writers. It's been around a long time (since 1987) because it is straightforward, easy to ready and prioritizes what's important in writing a great novel. If you're new to writing, it tells you what the most important elements are and if you're experienced, it reminds you where the problem areas lay. The fact that he relays all the details with a sense of humor makes everything digestible--as opposed to pedantic lecturers who write not for the reader but to hear the sound of their own words.

Chapters include the Who of writing, conflict, the story's Premise, how to tell a story, climax-resolution and end, POV, dialogue, and editing. Among the chapters are topics that aren't covered well in other books such as how to get to know your character (maybe via an interview), how to avoid stereotyping your character, keeping characters in the crucible, genres, when/how to begin the story before the beginning, resolving conflict, objective viewpoint (have you ever heard of that one?), foreshadowing, symbols, dynamic prose, writers groups, and where to after you've finished the book.

The real plus of this book is it is readable, down-to-earth, speaks in language ordinary people understand and addresses problems we all face in our writing. When I get stuck in my story, I first identify what the problem might be, then I pull my writer's toolkits out and read what the experts tell me would solve it. Frey has more of those specific problems than most other books. Every writer's handbook will tell you about the dialogue but not many get into foreshadowing and flashbacks.

There are a few items missing, though. For example, I went through a phase in my current novel where I didn't believe I had a good handle on what my theme was. Frey doesn't have anything on theme (I found some good information in Bob Mayer's Novel Writer's Toolkit). Or story arc, for that matter. Frey tells me to begin the story at the beginning and add lots of conflict, but sometimes I need more specifics than that.

The other piece that's missing in his book is an index. I like a good index so I can quickly find a specific topic. In Frey's book, I have to scan the Table of Contents (which is pretty detailed) to find it.

The other thing he doesn't cover is how to write with inspiration and creativity. I don't hold that against him, though, because I think we writers have to bring that with us to the novelist table.

Overall, I recommend every writer include it in their library of How-to books and review it when you have a bit of free time. It will remind you of what's important in our trade.(less)

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Aug 09, 2011 D.w. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I can't think how many years I have had this book and only read up to the first chapter. I have several writerly books that tell you how to do it. This is just one, and the credentials of the author are not as great as some others on the craft.

That being said (written) does this book add to my path in becoming a better writer and working on my craft? Frey does give some solid guidelines that should not be ignored but he as so many want to do is tell a writer the formula that has been working for...more

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Jan 22, 2008 LeAnn rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Would-be novelists

Now I think I've gotten a pretty well-rounded introduction to novel writing for the novice. As a novelist and editor at a publishing house, Stein offered very pragmatic advice that I found I could apply to my writing immediately. Maass, a novelist and literary agent at a major agency, understood and wrote about what makes a novel stand out for agents and readers so that it sells well. What was missing perhaps was the perspective of the novelist who also teaches and trains writers. Frey fills thi...more

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May 09, 2010 Raven rated it 5 of 5 stars

How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey, a 41-year-old best selling American author with the goods on great storytelling. This step-by-step guild explains all the essentials to fictional writing desired by aspiring novelists. Frey covers novel basics such as creating well-rounded characters, successful premises, engaging rising conflicts, efficient viewpoints, productive dialogue, organized planning, and dealing with the agonies a writer may feel in his or her exhausting, yet rewarding,...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Dan Schwent rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nf

With National Novel Writing Month fast approaching, I look upon my shelves and see I own six books on writing. The ones by Lawrence Block and Stephen King are by far the ones I've gotten the most use out of. The others are by authors I've never heard of and are like asking a psychic for winning lottery numbers. If they already know the winning numbers, why are they giving them to you instead of using them themselves? Surely being a millionaire pays better than psychicing over the phone.

I'll be h...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Marjet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Stephen Frey - How to write a damn good novel

Dit is een van de betere schrijfboeken. Aan de hand van voorbeelden van grote schrijvers als Dickens, Flaubert, Nabokov en anderen beschrijft Frey hoe je karakters componeert, wat premissen zijn en het belang ervan. Conflict en climax, de soorten dialoog die je kan gebruiken, direct of indirect. Frey vertelt hoe je deze basisingrediënten toepast. De volgende stap is: even doen, een verdomd goede roman schrijven. In deel II gaat hij nog een stap verder...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Aubrey Tate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-non-fiction, writing

3.5/5.0

After having read so many books on writing (and I will read many more) much of the ideas and suggestions begin to overlap. So there was that. There were parts where I felt the author had a "this way or the highway" attitude, but it was also his fearless, no-nonsense, entertaining attitude that kept me reading.

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Feb 12, 2013 Betty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dieses Buch ist ein Muss für jeden Schreibanfänger. Kompakt zusammengefasst sind hier die wichtigsten Punkte zu finden, die man beim Schreiben eines guten Romans beachten sollte. Allerdings gibt es einen Stern Abzug, weil die meisten Fakten auch im Buch "Über das Schreiben" von Sol Stein angeführt sind.

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Apr 26, 2010 Alisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-writing, 2010

Good introduction to the basics of novel writing…easily read in a couple of hours. Good tips on how to create a stepsheet, discover the premise of your novel, and covers the ABC’s of storytelling. Frey has a great sense of humor and for the most part the examples given were helpful.

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Apr 29, 2012 K.C. Hilton rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoy reading reference books of all types, especially those about writing or photography. This is an older book, but all suggestions still hold true. I'm glad I read it and plan to read it again. I'll take a few notes next time. I tend to keep reminders on my desk :)

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Apr 13, 2013 Trudy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-madison-mega-marathon

Some good tips, but nothing earth-shattering...more don'ts than dos, really, and some of the examples seemed a bit far-fetched. All-in-all, though, it was worth reading.

Three stars is probably generous...I'd give it two-and-a-half if half stars were available.

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Dec 17, 2012 Nigel Cooper rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great book. Absolutely nails all the important key points of fiction writing. The title sounds a little cliché and doesn't do the book justice really as the contents are so much better than the cheesy title suggests.

If you are serious about being a professional novelist, you absolutely must get a copy of this book.

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Apr 03, 2008 Sandra rated it 1 of 5 stars

When I started this, I was impressed because I recognized the author and could remember him being in the news recently about writing, so he must be famous, right...yeah, that would be correct. Famous for exaggerating details in his best selling memoir.

So after making the connection, I was skeptical of this book. Besides, I'm not in a place right now to sit down and write a book, so I don't know how much information I gleaned from reading this.

When I looked at the resume of Frey I recalled pick...more

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May 03, 2010 Vannessagrace Vannessagrace rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I bought this book because I needed answers and answers I got. James N. Frey writes in a language that is clear and concise. How To Write A Damn Good Novel is one of the best books I've read on novel writing.

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Oct 22, 2012 Ole rated it 3 of 5 stars

So... Bought two books on writing.. This one, and Stephen King`s book on writing. Read the King version first. And i am glad i did.

This book isn`t that bad: quite scientific in its form.. Which dosn`t have to be a bad thing. The problem is, that litteratur - is not like science. There is no truth, no right way to write a story.. There is no perfect way to tell a story, and our flaws make the story better. To some extent.

Although there are some interesting parts in this book; it would have earne...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Eric James rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found it a little verbose in places, but it gave me a good overview of the process and it contains some useful check lists that I'm sure I'll end up referring to at a later date.

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“Writer's block is real. It happens. Some days you sit down at the
old typewriter, put your fingers on the keys, and nothing pops
into your head. Blanko. Nada. El nothingissimo. What you do
when this happens is what separates you from the one-of-thesedays-
I'm-gonna-write-a-book crowd.” — 27 people liked it

“To set a forest on fire, you light a match. To set a character on fire, you put him in conflict.” — 18 people liked it

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