The phrase "There are no great writers. There are great re-writers" is popular among authors, stressing how aware they are nowadays of the importance of editing prior to submission. This applies to fiction and nonfiction alike. Indeed, in this competitive world of publishing, now more than ever a manuscript has to be in top form in order to catch the eye of an editor or agent.
There are many books on writing out there, but what sets The First Five Pages apart is that it was written by Noah Lukeman, a top-notch New York agent. This brings a new light into the book because it comes from a different perspective. In the book, Lukeman clearly explains the reasons why manuscripts end up in the slush pile. He stresses the importance of the first five pages. If they're well written and professionally presented, the agent or editor may take a look at the rest of the manuscript. If they don't pass the test, the entire novel is dismissed and tossed to the bin.
The book is divided into three main parts: Preliminary Problems, Dialogue, and The Bigger Picture. Within these parts, the author discusses many aspects of good story writing:
- Presentation
- Adjectives and adverbs
- Sound
- Comparison
- Style
- Types of dialogues
- The importance of showing not telling
- Viewpoint
- Characterization
- Tone
- Setting
- Pacing
These topics have been discussed before in other writing books, but in this book, they're examined from the point of view of an agent who's had years of experienced in the field.
Lukeman tells the reader what agents and editors want, what they like and dislike--even what they hate.
The First Five Pages: A Must-have For Every Writer
Lukeman's book is written in an engaging, lucid, and highly entertaining style. His advice and observations are keen and right on the spot. The format follows a clear and well organized structure. But most important of all, the advice itself, which he supports with examples, is invaluable for the writer, whether beginner or experienced. Considering the length of the book, which isn't really so long at 197 pages, there's a lot of packed information. If there's one title a writer should have in his or her reference shelf, then this should be it.
Noah Lukeman's Biography
Noah Lukeman is author of the bestselling The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying out of the Rejection Pile, The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life, and A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation. Foreign editions of his books have been published in the UK and in Portugese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Indonesian.
He is also President of Lukeman Literary Management Ltd, a New York based literary agency, which he founded in 1996. His clients include winners of the Pulitzer Prize, American Book Award, Pushcart Prize and O. Henry Award, finalists for the National Book Award, Edgar Award, Pacific Rim Prize, multiple New York Times bestsellers, national journalists, major celebrities, and faculty of universities ranging from Harvard to Stanford. Prior to becoming an agent he worked on the editorial side of several major publishers, including William Morrow and Farrar, Straus, Giroux, and as editor of a literary magazine. He currently teaches a course online at Writers University. He earned his B.A. with High Honors in English and Creative Writing from Brandeis University, cum laude.
Purchase information:
The First Five Pages
by Noah Lukeman
Simon & Schuster
Copyright 2000
ISBN: 0-684-85743-X
Nonfiction/Writing
Paperback, 197 words, $13.00
Mayra Calvani - Multi-genre author and reviewer Mayra Calvani has penned 10 books for children and adults. She's a regular contributor to Blogcritics ...
