{"product_id":"the-last-draft-isbn-9780143131359","title":"The Last Draft","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe definitive handbook for the novelist who is ready to revise\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This wise and friendly guide shows writers how to turn first-draft manuscripts into the novels of their dreams. A critic, longtime teacher, and award-winning novelist, Sandra Scofield illustrates how to reread a work of fiction with a view of its subject and vision, and how to take it apart and put it back together again, stronger and deeper. Scofield builds her explanations around helpful concepts like narrative structure, character agency, and core scenes, using\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003emodels from classic and contemporary writers. The detailed, step-by-step plan laid out in \u003ci\u003eThe Last Draft\u003c\/i\u003e offers invaluable advice to both novice and experienced writers alike. In Scofield, they will find a seasoned, encouraging mentor to steer them through this emotional and intellectual journey.“Drawing deeply on her own teaching and writing and using a multitude of examples from classic and contemporary fiction, [Scofield] offers a meticulous guide to revising a novel... The lasting messages of this inspiring book are 'read, read, read,' 'write the best prose you can,' and 'love the process and what you learn.'\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e-- Publishers Weekly, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This title stands out from the crowd of others on the subject. For readers who are thinking about publishing their writing.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003e Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“An award-winning fiction writer and teacher shares hard-won advice. Novelist and memoirist Scofield…brings her experience as a writer and teacher to a practical, encouraging manual focused on revision. … Patience and commitment, this useful guide reveals, are a writer's strongest assets.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e-- Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sandra Scofield has written a needed book: not how to begin a novel, but how to get one into shape and on point. She is insightful on the importance of scene and ingenious on the value of summary and the role of interiority. She offers exercises for describing, evaluating, energizing, and enriching a draft in ways both minute and structural. For a novelist in that perplexing stage between a messy version and a viable manuscript, \u003ci\u003eThe Last Draft \u003c\/i\u003emay be a godsend.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e —Janet Burroway, author of \u003ci\u003eWriting Fiction\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eSandra Scofield\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of seven novels, including \u003ci\u003eBeyond Deserving\u003c\/i\u003e, a finalist for the National Book Award, and \u003ci\u003eA Chance to See Egypt\u003c\/i\u003e, winner of a Best Fiction Prize from the Texas Institute of Letters. She has written a memoir, \u003ci\u003eOccasions of Sin\u003c\/i\u003e, and a book of essays about her family, \u003ci\u003eMysteries of Love and Grief: Reflections on a Plainswoman’s Life\u003c\/i\u003e. She is also the author of a previous book on the craft of writing,\u003ci\u003e The Scene Book: A Primer for the Fiction Writer\u003c\/i\u003e. Scofield is on the faculty of the Solstice MFA Program in Creative Writing at Pine Manor College and has for many years taught in the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival.The Novel Continuum\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My students and workshop participants often refer to novels in a      binary way. They think of novels as being either popular      (commercial) or literary (artful). It's a false comparison that      sets you up to feel defensive. And it underestimates readers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I want to write a book that people read!\" I hear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'm not going to sell out quality!\" says someone else.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I like my genre,\" I hear from students, as if I'm going to say      there's something wrong with fantasy, crime, or romance. (In our      MFA program, we have a preponderance of fantasy and crime      novelists!)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But no one says, \"I'm going to write schlock.\" No one says, \"I'm      writing for forty readers.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Because what we all want is to write with intelligence,      imagination, and compassion. We want to be read and we want to be      good. We don't expect to be read by everyone, but we have a sense      of the readership we would like to have.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Back in the dark ages when I was in high school, lots of teachers      graded on something called the \"curve.\" The idea was that at one      end of an imaginary line were the idiots who didn't study and who      deserved F's. At the other end were the prissy nerds and natural      geniuses who of course got A's. Everyone else was somewhere on the      continuum between those ends, and the most common grade was right      in the middle, the C. I think that approach has fallen off—I hope      so—but it suggests something useful for our purposes, this idea of      a continuum.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Let's forget A and F, because on our continuum we aren't making      harsh judgments; we aren't going from bad to good. We're just      saying that there are fewer books at each end of the line, and      more as we move to the middle, which I think of as mainstream.      Where most of us want to be is in the middle of this bell curve,      where more books are sold. In that hump are books that have      qualities from both ends—from the likely-to-be-read and the      likely-to-be-respected categories. The agent Donald Maass talks      about the \"breakout novel\" as the one that has such a powerful      story that it appeals to a mass readership, while it also is      written so well that it is admired for its artistry. This may mean      a genre writer with a good audience writes something that a      broader audience appreciates. It might mean that a literary writer      with a small admiring audience writes something that appeals to      many more readers. Every season, there is almost always a writer      with a backlist of good books who, for whatever reason, suddenly      hits the sweet spot and earns a large audience. Hilary Mantel has      been turning out terrific novels for decades, but it's Thomas      Cromwell who brought her fame. And of course there are writers      with large audiences of readers who don't care about the issues      I'm raising—they just want a good story, and they don't care that      the same writers get critical attention. Anne Tyler is a prime      example, with consistent best sellers and lots of graduate papers      about her writing. Consider Jane Smiley (\u003ci\u003eA Thousand Acres\u003c\/i\u003e), Cormac      McCarthy (\u003ci\u003eAll the Pretty Horses\u003c\/i\u003e), and Ian McEwan (\u003ci\u003eAtonement\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That said, not everyone wants to be in the middle. Some writers      have a very nice niche, where they write book after book for      readers who seem to be lined up waiting. If that niche has a lot      of book buyers, we call the book popular. If that niche garners      awards and warm critical reviews, we call it literary. I think      there's no reason at all to worry about where you are on this      continuum, except to know what you do best, and do it. At the same      time, I think that many fine literary writers want very much to      enlarge their audience, and that it's a big day when they do.      Think of the British writer Kate Atkinson melding mainstream sales      and widespread critical praise with her novels \u003ci\u003eLife After Life\u003c\/i\u003e and      \u003ci\u003eA God in Ruins\u003c\/i\u003e. She was already well-known and respected. Her most      popular books were mysteries. Then she wrote two novels in which      the whole idea of one person living one life was tossed out the      window in favor of diced chronology and impossible history and a      whole new way of conceiving of a person's time and fate, and      suddenly she's both a literary star and a best seller on multiple      continents. She came up with something new, and she wrote it with      great craftsmanship. Justin Cronin came out of the gate with solid      literary novels—and then he wrote a spectacularly successful      vampire trilogy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Or consider Stephen King, as well-known as any writer in the      world, writing horror and suspense, year after year; and suddenly      I'm reading reviews about how innovative he is, how he's more than      a genre writer. (I think he would say he's fine with being a genre      writer. Who has had a better career?)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So I'm going to chance a description of two sorts of novels,      reminding you with full throat that either one is good if it's a      good story, well written. And I say again that what you want is to      be as good as you can be at what you do—which almost surely means      drawing on both ends of the continuum. (I'll go out on a limb: I      think writers of literary fiction have the most to learn from the      middle, and the most to gain, but any novel is enhanced by having      a resonant theme and a complex protagonist.) Think about the      novels you love; I'll bet you they can be described with phrases      from both categories. Which is why this common dichotomy is      ultimately a false one.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Popular\" novels are usually written with a comfortable,      unobtrusive voice. They are well plotted and present a question      that begs to be answered. The settings can be familiar, cozy,      domestic (like much women's fiction), or quite exotic. The reader      easily identifies with the main character. There is clear conflict      and rising action. There are surprises, but there is also a sense      of inexorability. The reader is engaged, maybe reading fast, but      never confused. If there is mystery, it is because it is a      mystery. The resolution is satisfying—it has some surprise in it,      but at the same time, it's just what ought to happen. There are      external forces at work, often including a powerful villain, but      the most interesting complications arise because of the      protagonist's choices—usually in response to heightened danger or      failure—which push the plot along. Memory and psychology often      explain or drive character problems, sometimes simplistically (the      woman abused as a child despises men; the impoverished child grows      up to be CEO of a multinational corporation), and there is usually      a big scene of revelation. Structure is clear, often schematic, so      that the reader can follow story complications. There is always a      sympathetic protagonist, but there are often alternating or      multiple points of view. Some novels have almost no interiority      (think of Elmore Leonard, with his rapid-fire dialogue); others      are drenched in it (Jodi Picoult), appealing to different tastes      in the readership. The voice of the novel may be dispassionate,      focused on the action; or the voice may be highly individual,      reflecting the protagonist (especially if in first person), or      reflecting the diction of the writer. Scenes take up most of the      real estate of the book. Read several books by a popular author      and you can probably write a blueprint for writing such a novel.      (Though that doesn't mean you will necessarily have the right      ideas! It takes talent to write a book that has mass appeal.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When does this kind of writing \"go too far,\" in my estimation?      When the characters are flat; they might have been lifted from      somebody else's story, or from an earlier book by the same author.      When the explanations for character behavior are obvious or corny      or not there at all. When it's all excitement and gore, sex and      burning swords, and I'm not made to care about anybody. When pop      psychology is milked for explanation. When I've seen it all      before. When the language is trite, dull, or, worst of all, full      of errors in diction and syntax.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To be fair, though, I see two exceptions to my reservations about      popular writing. One is that even though genres have apparent      rules, those rules can be broken. This is much more true now than      it used to be, when bodice rippers had shirtless Italian male      models on the cover. When someone talented and ambitious cracks      the genre with a fresh interpretation and a great voice—I'm      thinking of Jennifer Weiner here—it not only means success for      that writer, it means a whole new genre spreads like wildfire.      Likewise, when a writer writes an entertaining novel that is      totally out of his expected \"territory,\" it is fodder for      publicity: \u003ci\u003eRich and Pretty\u003c\/i\u003e is an entertaining story (a \"beach      read\") about childhood female best friends all grown up in New      York City—written by Rumaan Alam, a first-generation American son      of South Asian parents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The other exception to my basic description of popular fiction is      self-published books that may be riddled with glaring problems,      but drenched with the kind of story there is an audience for,      especially science fiction, fantasy, and romance. Hundreds of      thousands of readers don't give diddly whether participles dangle      or dialogue apes bad movies. They love the stories. Writers of      such books seem to write spontaneously, magically, but I bet even      they would be surprised at what they could do with a little more      craft and reflection. Alas, they may not have time for it, or      think the time worth investing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Literary\" novels spring from an artistic impulse. Story is      usually driven more by character than by plot. There is a      heightened attention to language, and often an innovative      structure. There is a powerful theme, sometimes disturbing, about      things that matter to the culture as well as the individual. There      is a sense of largeness; the story connects with the \"gift of      second meaning,\" by which I mean that you find yourself rereading      passages because you know there is something more there for you to      understand. You are willing to read the book again so you can      think about it more. You read a page several times because it's      just so darned beautiful. You lend it to a friend, but you want it      back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Think layers. The characters are complex. The voice is unique.      Memory and psychology may provide templates or motifs, but they      are used with subtlety. There is a powerful premise; the story      says something about the world as it is, as it could be, as it      will never be. There is a strong sense of the \"created world of      story\"; not that it isn't plausible, but somehow it's more elegant      than real life. It manages, all at once, to seem both compressed      and capacious. There may be a kind of authorial presence, casting      philosophical light on the story and on life in general.      Vocabulary is elevated. Sentence structure is varied, playful,      sophisticated, or maybe crisp and clear and spare. There's more      contemplation, more musing, than in a mainstream novel. Less snap.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When does this kind of novel \"go too far\"? When the play with      language gets in the way of following a story. When the construct      is too precious by far. When I get the feeling the writer didn't      really care whether I could follow his thought or not. When      there's so much narrator talk that I lose interest in the story,      if I can find it. When it seems to be merely emulating another      writer. When it's just not to my taste. Yet I could name writers      who made great careers with books I found impossibly dull and arch      and contrived. I have to believe that they knew what they were      doing and decided early on to take what they could get, following      their talents. Sure enough, they found their audience. There are      so many readers, so many tastes. So many possibilities.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThink about what kind of book you want to write. Set your bar      high.\u003c\/i\u003e Draw from these descriptions the characteristics you will      strive for. Really, I mean it: Make a list. Don't expect to get      everything right on the first pass. You can learn to write better.      I suggest as a starter list: clear, fluent, modestly adorned      diction—error free, without being a smarty-pants; an idea that      feels new and excites you; a well-constructed story line that      comes together satisfactorily but not too early and not with      tricks; someone to love; something to be afraid of; something to      learn; the warmth of a storyteller's voice. Build on your      strengths. If one of them isn't language, then learn to be      correct. That will suffice. Make time to practice sentence craft;      there are many books to help you. Find models, and practice      writing passages like them. Write with restraint. Stay out of your      own way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And try this: Pick a novel you admire a lot and describe what you      like. Is it reasonable to think you could write a book that had      similar qualities? Or is it more likely that your eclectic taste      includes books you would never write? If the second thing is true,      question your assumption. Dig deeper into your own response. Maybe      you are awed by the author's language and wit, but what really      reaches you is a quality of the story that you could indeed aim      for in your own writing. So you aren't Flaubert. That doesn't mean      that you can't tell a story about a sad, foolish, passionate,      deluded woman who somehow touches all of us who have impossible      dreams, if that's the story you have in you. You aren't Cormac      McCarthy. But maybe you believe that boys become men when they      survive harsh adventure, and you know an adventure that would make      a heck of a story. Maybe you are in love with the quotidian—you      think everyday life is full of muted drama and that's what      captures you emotionally. (Be patient, it takes some luck for that      kind of novel to rise to the top, but it happens. How about Anne      Tyler? Jane Hamilton? Meg Wolitzer? Kent Haruf? Tony Earley?      Richard Russo?) Maybe you love the way an author integrates      history into the story, or sets the protagonist in a sprawling      family. You could do those things—about your subject, with your      own sensibility.\u003ci\u003e Story is the key.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If plotting is hard for you, pick a fairly short novel with a      straightforward chronology, and take it apart. Think like an      architect. Study archetypal plots, the plots of classic novels;      practice by inventing your own versions in summary form. Then look      at your summaries and find a way to upend the archetype. Look      around you and keep asking questions—\u003ci\u003eWhat if? What else?\u003c\/i\u003e—because      the best stories aren't labored; they spring from basic human      needs and fears made new by imagination.","brand":"Penguin Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304631029989,"sku":"NP9780143131359","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780143131359.jpg?v=1767740123","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-last-draft-isbn-9780143131359","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}