Review: Made Me a Hybrid Plotter/Pantser
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2013
I've read so many writing craft books, I could open my own online store. That made me nervous about this book. Would it give me anything new? Would the information be applicable to my writing style? Did I have to learn a completely foreign way to write? Up front, I'll say the last two concerns would have sent Rock Your Plot by Cathy Yardley into my "to be read" file. I've read enough books that offer a solution to plots, characters, scenes, etc. Most require me to change 98-percent of myself to make it work. Rock Your Plot did not.Rock Your Plot gives you a way to organize your novel's major plot points. If you're not a plotter, this is where your brain freezes. Not to worry. It's the same as having the author sit across from you with a notepad, asking about your characters' goals, motivation, conflicts, etc. My favorite part was quickly nailing the actual plot points. Yardley gave such clear and concrete descriptions of what they are and how to pull mine out of my head.I finished Rock Your Plot with a fully realized plot to my story. I saw the weak areas immediately (thank God) and shored them up. I also noticed where the hero and heroine's romantic arc lacked tension. Again, a great thing to see and fix before I started writing.Is Rock Your Plot THE greatest craft book ever written? Hell no. That would make it a Bible, Koran, or Torah. I'd easily label it ONE OF THE BEST craft books for a non-plotter who recognizes elements of plotting can help their writing. Yardley's guide is fabulous for writers of all genres.