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How to Write Best-Selling Fiction
When it comes to solving the mystery of what makes a best-selling novel, no one has cracked the code better than James Scott Bell. A best-selling author himself, winner of the International Thriller Writers Award and the Christy Award for Suspense, plus the author of the number-one best seller for writers, Mr. Bell has been teaching the principles of best-selling fiction for over 20 years, principles that apply to any genre or style.
In the 24 lectures of How to Write Best-Selling Fiction, Mr. Bell provides a comprehensive, eye-opening, and illuminating survey of the entire writing process, as well as a full breakdown of how dozens of best-selling authors have implemented these best practices in their own writing. Any aspiring author will gain a wealth of tools that that will not only improve their ability to write, but will also increase their enjoyment of the craft.
Great Expectations
Do you have a best seller in you? Mr. Bell believes you do. But tapping into your creativity isn’t always easy. When best-selling authors such as Stephen King, Michael Crichton, or Janet Evanovich deliver success after success, it can appear as if creating worlds where ghost-infested hotels drive people mad is something that some writers can just … do. We all have creativity in us, but sometimes we need help getting in touch with it. Mr. Bell gets you started by offering several fun, challenging, and mind-expanding exercises that help you flex and develop your creative muscle. Grab a pen and give these a try:
What-If Moments: We all have crazy what-if thoughts that cross our minds from time to time. Likely, most of us simply just laugh them off. Try making the most of what-if moments. The next time you wonder, “What if this plant I’m looking at suddenly started talking to me?”—roll with it. What would it say? Would you talk back or run away? There is a story here.
Weird Job Situations: Giving people insight into the daily life that only a few select people could provide can be a fascinating read. And putting your characters in jobs with tremendous tension helps keep your reader on edge. What does a day in the life of a bomb disposal technician look like? How does this person deal with facing death on a regular basis? Would she try to find love and start a family? There is a story here.
Hear the Headlines: But don’t go much further than the headlines. Work with just a limited amount of information and use your imagination to fill in the details. “Scientists Discover New Fish That Walks on Land.” What would that look like? Do you go fishing or hunting? There is a story here.
The First-Line Game. As Mr. Bell points out throughout the course, the first sentence of a novel is one of the most important. One good line can not only hook your reader into buying the book, it can hook you into a story you never imagined. Experiment with fun, funny, weird, cool, intriguing first lines and see where they take you. “Today I learned you should never travel to Jupiter without an extra pair of underpants.” Who is going to Jupiter? Why underpants? Wait, WHAT? There is a story here.
Don’t get caught up in the realities of our world, the illogic of your ideas, or the fear that someone might laugh. Audiences are eager to suspend their disbelief for a world that captures their imagination. It’s just like Field of Dreams claimed: “If you build it, they will come.” Remember, at some point, Michael Crichton wondered, “What if a mosquito that was stuck in a rock resulted in an amusement park full of real-life dinosaurs? There is a story here…”
LOCK and Key
So, now you’ve got an idea—or a couple dozen. What next?
Mr. Bell demonstrates how famous writers such as Harper Lee, Michael Connelly, Jim Butcher, Margaret Mitchell, David Baldacci, John Grisham, Suzanne Collins, and dozens more apply time-tested best practices to their writing. But even more valuable, he reveals his own secrets and methods for developing page-turning books that readers can’t get enough of.
His helpful LOCK system provides the structure you need to create an engaging story:
L - Lead: Your protagonist can be:
positive—the hero, someone who embodies moral codes of a community, someone who readers root for;
negative—does not adhere to the moral code, we root for them to change or to get their just desserts; or an
anti-hero—has own morals, usually dragged into a community kicking and screaming. You want to bond your reader to your lead by putting them in a terrible situation, a hardship, or inner conflict to evoke sympathy or empathy.
O - Objective: Your lead has a mission: to get something or get away from something.
C - Confrontation: Ramp up engagement by pitting opposition and/or outside forces against the lead accomplishing his or her objective.
K - Knockout: Give your reader a satisfying conclusion that resonates. There are five fundamental endings to best sellers. You will probably recognize them from movies and television s...
In the 24 lectures of How to Write Best-Selling Fiction, Mr. Bell provides a comprehensive, eye-opening, and illuminating survey of the entire writing process, as well as a full breakdown of how dozens of best-selling authors have implemented these best practices in their own writing. Any aspiring author will gain a wealth of tools that that will not only improve their ability to write, but will also increase their enjoyment of the craft.
Great Expectations
Do you have a best seller in you? Mr. Bell believes you do. But tapping into your creativity isn’t always easy. When best-selling authors such as Stephen King, Michael Crichton, or Janet Evanovich deliver success after success, it can appear as if creating worlds where ghost-infested hotels drive people mad is something that some writers can just … do. We all have creativity in us, but sometimes we need help getting in touch with it. Mr. Bell gets you started by offering several fun, challenging, and mind-expanding exercises that help you flex and develop your creative muscle. Grab a pen and give these a try:
What-If Moments: We all have crazy what-if thoughts that cross our minds from time to time. Likely, most of us simply just laugh them off. Try making the most of what-if moments. The next time you wonder, “What if this plant I’m looking at suddenly started talking to me?”—roll with it. What would it say? Would you talk back or run away? There is a story here.
Weird Job Situations: Giving people insight into the daily life that only a few select people could provide can be a fascinating read. And putting your characters in jobs with tremendous tension helps keep your reader on edge. What does a day in the life of a bomb disposal technician look like? How does this person deal with facing death on a regular basis? Would she try to find love and start a family? There is a story here.
Hear the Headlines: But don’t go much further than the headlines. Work with just a limited amount of information and use your imagination to fill in the details. “Scientists Discover New Fish That Walks on Land.” What would that look like? Do you go fishing or hunting? There is a story here.
The First-Line Game. As Mr. Bell points out throughout the course, the first sentence of a novel is one of the most important. One good line can not only hook your reader into buying the book, it can hook you into a story you never imagined. Experiment with fun, funny, weird, cool, intriguing first lines and see where they take you. “Today I learned you should never travel to Jupiter without an extra pair of underpants.” Who is going to Jupiter? Why underpants? Wait, WHAT? There is a story here.
Don’t get caught up in the realities of our world, the illogic of your ideas, or the fear that someone might laugh. Audiences are eager to suspend their disbelief for a world that captures their imagination. It’s just like Field of Dreams claimed: “If you build it, they will come.” Remember, at some point, Michael Crichton wondered, “What if a mosquito that was stuck in a rock resulted in an amusement park full of real-life dinosaurs? There is a story here…”
LOCK and Key
So, now you’ve got an idea—or a couple dozen. What next?
Mr. Bell demonstrates how famous writers such as Harper Lee, Michael Connelly, Jim Butcher, Margaret Mitchell, David Baldacci, John Grisham, Suzanne Collins, and dozens more apply time-tested best practices to their writing. But even more valuable, he reveals his own secrets and methods for developing page-turning books that readers can’t get enough of.
His helpful LOCK system provides the structure you need to create an engaging story:
L - Lead: Your protagonist can be:
positive—the hero, someone who embodies moral codes of a community, someone who readers root for;
negative—does not adhere to the moral code, we root for them to change or to get their just desserts; or an
anti-hero—has own morals, usually dragged into a community kicking and screaming. You want to bond your reader to your lead by putting them in a terrible situation, a hardship, or inner conflict to evoke sympathy or empathy.
O - Objective: Your lead has a mission: to get something or get away from something.
C - Confrontation: Ramp up engagement by pitting opposition and/or outside forces against the lead accomplishing his or her objective.
K - Knockout: Give your reader a satisfying conclusion that resonates. There are five fundamental endings to best sellers. You will probably recognize them from movies and television s...
13 pages, Audible Audio
Published March 1, 2019
48 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
James Scott Bell
132 books1,036 followersJim is a former trial lawyer who now writes and speaks full time. He is the bestselling author of Try Dying, No Legal Grounds, Presumed Guilty, Glimpses of Paradise, Breach of Promise and several other thrillers. He is a winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction, and was a fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine. He has written two books in the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing.
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
February 2, 2023
It has some useful information, and good advice for new writers.
December 31, 2019
Although I admit there are a few points I disagree on, overall this is a fantastic introduction to the fundamentals of writing highly commercial fiction.
March 4, 2022
"It was amazing." - 5 out of 5 star rating.
I have gone through quite a few how-to guides on writing (this is probably my fourth at this point) and this by far hands down the very best of them all. James Scott Bell did a beyond incredible job in both content and as a performer speaking.
I probably took close to three (3) pages of notes reading this and that was short hand/bullet style. I could have easily written more, as this is just a pure gold mine for an aspiring writer.
If I were to copy/paste my bullets, this review would become quite the scroller, so I shall omit that. I will say though, that this is so good I plan on doing a re-listen in the future for sure.
From the book, there's Five (5) Levels of writers:
1. Want to write.
2. Start to write and never finish.
3. Finish your first book.
4. Write more than one.
5. You hit it big have a best seller, movie/TV show deal, videogames, book deals, etc.
Most people will never crawl out of levels 1-2, at the time of this review myself included. I am literally on my last project, for my last class, for my Masters Degree. Maybe in the near future I can actually start leveling up towards 2... we shall see.
I have gone through quite a few how-to guides on writing (this is probably my fourth at this point) and this by far hands down the very best of them all. James Scott Bell did a beyond incredible job in both content and as a performer speaking.
I probably took close to three (3) pages of notes reading this and that was short hand/bullet style. I could have easily written more, as this is just a pure gold mine for an aspiring writer.
If I were to copy/paste my bullets, this review would become quite the scroller, so I shall omit that. I will say though, that this is so good I plan on doing a re-listen in the future for sure.
From the book, there's Five (5) Levels of writers:
1. Want to write.
2. Start to write and never finish.
3. Finish your first book.
4. Write more than one.
5. You hit it big have a best seller, movie/TV show deal, videogames, book deals, etc.
Most people will never crawl out of levels 1-2, at the time of this review myself included. I am literally on my last project, for my last class, for my Masters Degree. Maybe in the near future I can actually start leveling up towards 2... we shall see.
April 24, 2021
Pretty basic but it's always good to review the basics. Appreciated the clarity and parsed out info, as well as the good-naturedness of the author.
October 27, 2019
☆☆☆☆☆ – listening to this audiobook is probably the best thing I have ever done for my writing
You can watch my video on this audiobook at https://youtu.be/4mmxBeTchOU
I was really blown away by this one and I genuinely believe it has made me a better writer. It’s crazy how much James covered in this, from coming up with an idea all the way to marketing the finished product.
These were framed as lectures (worthy of a college course) and had the very real risk of being dense and boring, but James did a great job narrating and kept it entertaining with a ton of real-life examples. He had examples for almost every point he made, and it makes what would be complex and valuable info really easily digestible.
I can’t recommend this audiobook enough, in fact I would say it’s a must listen if you’re serious about being a career author. You also get the entire ‘course’ as a PDF via Audible, which is great because now I can go back and refresh myself on everything quickly, rather than having to relisten.
You can watch my video on this audiobook at https://youtu.be/4mmxBeTchOU
I was really blown away by this one and I genuinely believe it has made me a better writer. It’s crazy how much James covered in this, from coming up with an idea all the way to marketing the finished product.
These were framed as lectures (worthy of a college course) and had the very real risk of being dense and boring, but James did a great job narrating and kept it entertaining with a ton of real-life examples. He had examples for almost every point he made, and it makes what would be complex and valuable info really easily digestible.
I can’t recommend this audiobook enough, in fact I would say it’s a must listen if you’re serious about being a career author. You also get the entire ‘course’ as a PDF via Audible, which is great because now I can go back and refresh myself on everything quickly, rather than having to relisten.
October 13, 2020
Really enjoyed this and James Scott Bell managed to cover every aspect of writing & publishing. The advice is hardly going to get you writing War & Peace but if you're a wannabe Lee Child or wannabe John Grisham then Bell gives a very effective and simple formula in the book industry.
November 10, 2022
A great course for any beginner writer, or anyone who is seasoned and needs a reminder of the basics. James Scott Bell goes over the fundamentals and offers options for panters, planners, those who want to go trade and those who want to go indie. I found many of the lessons to be familiar, but I also learned new concepts that will help elevate my craft.
The narration is uplifting and simple to follow, and offers new writers some challenges to maintain a good work ethic. It works as a source of enthusiasm, encouragement, and offers plenty of quotes to prove that the challenge of writing full time can be achieved. It covers all aspects of publishing, from conception to editing, to querying and marketing. Definitely a recommended listen for new and intermediate authors everywhere.
The narration is uplifting and simple to follow, and offers new writers some challenges to maintain a good work ethic. It works as a source of enthusiasm, encouragement, and offers plenty of quotes to prove that the challenge of writing full time can be achieved. It covers all aspects of publishing, from conception to editing, to querying and marketing. Definitely a recommended listen for new and intermediate authors everywhere.
December 10, 2024
This course goes over the ins and outs of writing successful commercial best-selling fiction. The exercises and resources provided in the course are invaluable for anyone looking to write fiction for future (hopeful!) publication.
October 1, 2020
I have read numerous books that bored me to death, or I just chose not to finish. Every time I thought "I would have gone this direction with the plot or character” or “I would have done this". I started to wonder if I should dip my toe into the pool of writing.
This successfully convinced me I do not want to be a writer.
Why would I give it 5 stars? I will give you 3 reasons:
1) It is a well written, well presented book.
2) I learned a ton from this book and will likely read it again. There are principles in this book that will improve the skills and techniques of people in professions other than writing. I have already found numerous applications of principles that I learned.
3) With high ratings, I hope that the authors of some of those crappy books I have read, will buy this book and improve their skills.
Great book for aspiring writers, and non-writers with other aspirations.
This successfully convinced me I do not want to be a writer.
Why would I give it 5 stars? I will give you 3 reasons:
1) It is a well written, well presented book.
2) I learned a ton from this book and will likely read it again. There are principles in this book that will improve the skills and techniques of people in professions other than writing. I have already found numerous applications of principles that I learned.
3) With high ratings, I hope that the authors of some of those crappy books I have read, will buy this book and improve their skills.
Great book for aspiring writers, and non-writers with other aspirations.
August 8, 2020
This is a great source for either learning from the beginning, or for gathering areas for experimentation to perfect how you work and get books in front of readers. While not prescriptive in many senses, for beginners, this could be considered temporarily prescriptive (until you figure out what works for you). For experienced writers, it could be beneficial to learn areas in which you could experiment, but it may offer less value. Bell covers a great number of areas, drawing from his experience, other authors, movies and more. It's one of the better sources for "large umbrella" guidance, touching on most aspects of writing and publishing. Don't forget to take advantage of the PDF available on Audible.com. (You can bookmark as you read, then look those phrases up in the PDF.)
June 23, 2025
James Scott Bell offers a practical guide to writing fiction that connects with readers and sells. The book covers essential elements like strong story structure, character-driven plots, and emotional stakes — all framed through the “LOCK” system: Lead, Objective, Confrontation, and Knockout. Bell walks writers through planning, writing, and editing a novel with clear examples, actionable checklists, and advice from a commercial fiction perspective. He also dives into the habits of professional writers, the psychology of the reader, and how to make your writing market-ready without losing your unique voice. It's a toolbox for serious fiction writers who want to turn ideas into compelling, publishable novels.
June 12, 2021
Can someone please fix the page count on the book? It doesn't have 13 pages, it has like over 240 pages. Otherwise, it's a really professional course and a well written book. Anyone who needs an introduction to writing books should check it out. As James Scott Bell says, although writers shouldn't think of these methods as rules, they should consider them fundamentals, because no one likes to be told what to do, everyone wants to feel completely free when writing, but it's this complete freedom that lacks understanding of where exactly to put it down. You might have an amazing idea for a novel, but you wouldn't know how to put it down. Once you know the fundamentals that are written and taught in this book, you will come closer to expressing yourself more freely.
June 30, 2021
James Scott Bell presents in 24-chapters a framework for writing, structuring, editing, publishing, and promoting a "best selling" genre type book. He makes liberal use of examples from numerous best sellers including GONE WITH THE WIND, CASABLANCA, THE HUNGER GAMES, and books by Mickey Spillane, James Patterson, and Stephen King. I rate this as a good, basic HOW TO book for writers in the early stages of learning their craft.
November 22, 2022
Exceptional writing advice book. The content in the first part is pretty basic, and mostly nothing you won't find in your writing 101. But two things stand out: the chapter on voice really clicked for me (and that's the first time, because voice is really hard to describe and to learn), and the second part of the book is just full of really well formulated advice on really important parts.
I'll give the interesting chapters another read (listened to the audiobook) as I need to make notes.
I'll give the interesting chapters another read (listened to the audiobook) as I need to make notes.
May 10, 2024
This was so good I may buy the course.
I was able to watch this through a library app on my phone. THis was the second writing course I have watched, mainly using these courses to help my D&D games have better material.
This course was sensational! I especially enjoyed the parts about making scenes about conflict, subtle or openly, and how to make characters more interesting.
Overall a great find! I may watch it again!
I was able to watch this through a library app on my phone. THis was the second writing course I have watched, mainly using these courses to help my D&D games have better material.
This course was sensational! I especially enjoyed the parts about making scenes about conflict, subtle or openly, and how to make characters more interesting.
Overall a great find! I may watch it again!
December 27, 2019
This is one of the ‘great courses’ version s uploaded to Audible. And it is read by the author which makes sense; he has done acting in his past.
But it is also an excellent writing course. One of the best
And being Bell, bless him, it includes the 300 page e-book free.
This is one I am going to be lsitening to again , and this time… taking all the notes.
5 stars
But it is also an excellent writing course. One of the best
And being Bell, bless him, it includes the 300 page e-book free.
This is one I am going to be lsitening to again , and this time… taking all the notes.
5 stars
February 19, 2020
I've read couple of books on how to write and I could say that this one is probably the best. It goes over all the bits which the other books discuss: point of view, plot development, characters, dialogs. On top of everything, there are chapters at the end sharing how to publish and market your books. Definitely worth reading/listening.
May 16, 2020
After I've finished a rough draft and before I start editing, I take a break and read up on craft. This is a new find for me, but one I will be including in my rotation. Lots of how to and tips on what you should be looking to accomplish. Good reminders right before you head back into semi-charted territory.
October 29, 2022
Great writing inspiration! I've been struggling with plot and the basics but this covered all of them in an effective way. Unfortunately, in the audio format it can be difficult to follow and really absorb, so here's a pdf version of the text I found that made it all much clearer!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11EDr...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11EDr...
September 29, 2020
I listened to this. And definitely will listen to parts again. A comprehensive guide filled with great examples. Bell does a wonderful job with instruction and inspiration. The latter the lifeblood to any would be author.
April 6, 2021
This is a great book for beginners. It is straightforward advice without the fluff. It's also very current to what's going on in publishing at the moment and has information for indy/traditional/hybrid authors.
April 29, 2021
One of the better writing books. Stein on writing remains top of the list for me. But this one is certainly better than Stephen King's On Writing which while being a feel-good and encouraging book is too abstract to be of much practical use to anyone except Mr King himself.
May 3, 2021
I especially liked the last few chapters. There were chapters/lectures that were redundant to his novels, even to the same examples, which was disappointing. He also references movies a lot—that’s disappointing because this isn’t a book about screenplay writing.
July 19, 2021
Bell does a great job detailing all of the elements of what makes for a commercially viable story. I incorporated his advice on my first novel, Georgia Rolling, which later went on to become a bestseller on Audible!
November 9, 2021
For beginning fiction writers, this is likely a great resource. Some of the advice was too pedestrian or based more on the most popular of pop fiction. The sections on publishing are great, and there are some good writing games/tools for you to get started.
November 11, 2021
Really useful and structured course. It got me started writing again consistently after a long hiatus. For this and this alone it worth's its money. Even if you are not writing, the structured analysis will give you a new appreciation of the craft.
January 10, 2024
Practical. Bell teaches you how to write best sellers, not literary novels. There is a difference, but if that's what you're looking for, you will find it quite helpful.
Help with characters, conflict, organization etc etc etc...
Age 18+
Help with characters, conflict, organization etc etc etc...
Age 18+
February 1, 2025
I learned a lot from this book! I especially appreciated the last chapters on publishing and the pros and cons of self publishing! I plan to self publish so it was good to know that you can get your book out like that!
February 4, 2025
A straightforward guide for new writers that covers the basics for writing and getting published. Some good examples from popular fiction and movies to help you get the points being made, but an over use of the phrase ‘hard-boiled’.
July 31, 2019
3.5. Read (listened to) not as an aspiring writer, but with goal of becoming a more reflective reader.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews