Are you a seat of the pants writer like me? Then read at your own risk. This book is the anti-pantser and it might just change the way you write a novel. It did me. I've completely abandoned pantsing.

What is pantsing you ask? It's when a writer sits down and starts writing without really knowing the details of their story. Usually just the beginning and the ending and a few key things. They let the story unfold as they write it. There is nothing wrong with that, and this book admits it's a longer version of the same as story engineering and with the same final result.

What got me about the guidelines for this book is it just doesn't explain what they are, it explains why they are the way they are. Why no matter how you write the novel, it will have to include all of the six points of storytelling. This book breaks them all down in extreme detail and includes examples of some pretty successful writers. Namely Dan Brown. I used to write notes and a very vague outline when I started something, but I used the guidelines in this book to rewrite my first novel and it completely changed it. It made it far better than I ever could imagine I could make it. I am now a Story Engineer all the way. I break it down in detail before I ever type the opening scene. I already know everything that will happen. This doesn't mean I won't veer off the plan while I write. I did three times, but each time I went back to the system to make sure it was going to keep the pace.

You want to learn to write? This book is for you. It won't make you as talented as Stephen King, but it will teach how King does it. Talent still requires practice and perseverance.