Breakout Novel

The more I read and write, the more I understand a bit more what Donald Maass was saying in his book Writing the Breakout Novel.

Yesterday I wrote about how much I was enjoying Lion's Game. What a difference a day makes. It's become far more shallow in just that one day. I'm hoping that DeMille is able to change this, but it has since become quite narrow and focused instead of sweeping and expansive as I'd hoped when I began listening to it. Re-reading my next manuscript I see the same thing happening. This all got me thinking about the books I have read recently. All of them seem to be like watching a single character through a camera's view finder. They're all quite limited in scope and field.

Donald Maass' book was about broadening that field. Some of the books that come to mind when I think about Maass' book are Lonesome Dove, Shogun and (although he didn't mention this book, I think about it) A Deepness in the Sky. All of these are expansive books, almost overwhelming in their scope. The author may concentrate on character; Augustus, Laurie, Call, Jake in Lonesome Dove for example, but there is a far more sweeping theme and scope to the book.

I'm hoping that identifying this in my own writing, quite easy to do, will help me begin crafting my own breakout novel. What's the first step in the 12-Step program . . . acknowledging that you have the problem. Wonder when I'll hit step 2? Understanding that a Power greater than me will restore me to sanity. Better call my friend Bill.