Eat the Elephant by Jen Crosswhite

If you feel you have a novel inside of you and you don't know how to get it out, this is the book for you. Crosswhite, an author and editor, helps you with all of the elements of a novel, how to develop them, and even gives examples.

I like her suggestions for writing. She calls it blueprinting. It gives you the major components of a novel yet allows for individual creativity as you write. She includes a site where you can download a 5 page PDF of The Novel Blueprint so you can use it again and again. I did download it and am impressed with the amount of writing ideas it contains.

I like how Crosswhite freely uses and suggests the material from other writing mentors. She makes good use of The Snowflake Method and gives the appropriate sites to use Ingermanson's information. She also recommends books on the craft and includes an excellent resource list.

As you read through the book, you'll learn how to plot, how to develop characters, how to write scenes, how to do research, determining point of view, how to prewrite for scene structure, and much, much more. Crosswhite gives you opportunity to practice your craft with an “Apply It” section at the end of each instruction.

This book is a great resource for budding novelists and I highly recommend it.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Jen Crosswhite is an Amazon bestselling author, mother of two young adults and resident of California. She writes under three different names and owns a publishing services company, Tandem Services, helping writers learn the craft of fiction and navigate the world of publishing. You can find out more at https://www.jennifercrosswhite.com/ and www.TandemServicesInk.com

Tandem Services Press, 192 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.