Review of The Successful Novelist
Exploring the Lessons of David Morrell's Writing Career
Feb 10, 2009
David Morrell, the creator of Rambo, wrote The Successful Novelist (ISBN: 1-4022-1055-8, Publication Date 2008)about his life as a writer. Both aspiring writers and published authors can learn from Morrell’s insights into the craft of writing, the publishing industry, the movie industry, and the writer’s life interweave the lessons in the book. Each chapter presents a different lesson from Morrell’s lifetime of writing.
Writing Craft
Morrell talks about his technique for focusing his attention on his current project questions he must answer to get the plot moving. It’s an interesting device for writers to try. His discussion of plot, character, and structure teach without making the writing process dull or stiff. Morrell illustrates use of viewpoint, description, and dialogue in easy to understand terms and examples. While sometimes tough, Morrell’s lessons on craft never insult writers.
Publishing Industry
A full lesson is dedicated to the business side of writing and another to marketing. Morrell interjects insights and knowledge into the other chapters where appropriate. He offers advice on money management to prepare for taxes and gives a telling example from his first book sale. He discusses working with agents and editors. He explores the reality of promotional tours and the shift in marketing responsibilities from the publisher to the author. He examines the changes in the industry that have taken place over the course of his career realistically without becoming discouraging.
The Movie Industry
The lesson on the movie industry demonstrates what happens to a book once it is optioned to be a movie. Morrell provides examples from his own works, some successful others not. He suggests caution with the contracts to option a book, so the writers interests are protected as well as possible. He encourages writers to remember an option does not mean there will actually be a movie, and the movie may not be the book on film because it will be interpreted for the screen. He refers to his experiences with the movie industry throughout The Successful Novelist.
The Writer’s Life
Each lesson in The Successful Novelist is infused with stories from Morrell’s life – both his personal life and his writing life. He encourages writers to examine their own lives to look for their personal motivation in writing. Lesson One, “Why Do You Want to be a Writer?”, pushes writers to go deep into their psyches and experiences to find their true and lasting motives for their written works. He details how his life experience always works its way into his books while encouraging writers to find similar connections to determine what themes permeate their writing. He discusses frustrations and triumphs writers face on their way to becoming authors. He shows how seeking out research opportunities to improve books can also further an individual’s interests and enhance one’s life.
Morrell is open about his writing career and his life in The Successful Novelist. He injects enough humor through his stories to keep the book from feeling too serious. He manages to be realistic and inspiring at the same time. The Successful Novelist provides something for all writers who are serious about their careers. Fans of Morrell’s novels may also find the insight into his psyche interesting.
The Successful Novelist was first published under a different name in 2002.
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