I wrote the following review for the Amazon page for this book. Thought I would share it here since the book has so much to do with our topic of what to do before you write. Enjoy!
My novel isn’t finished, but I am far enough along to know that Your Novel: Day by Day is a great companion for anyone writing a novel. This book will march you right through the process.
It’s divided into 365 daily offerings. Each section is unique and is designed to move you forward and help you put your thoughts on paper. The theory is that if you follow the advice in each section, you’ll have a novel in a year. Of course, you can work your way through it faster if you want.
From choosing a topic and gathering your imaginary friends (your characters), to starting to think about your next book, the steps are all there. The first 36 entries are organizational and will get you started. Chapter 5 contains 270 entries that lead you through the process of writing the book. The writings on these 270 days are informative and inspirational. When consumed on a daily basis, you can’t help but make progress in writing your book. And if you write a page or so a day for 270 days, that’s a book. I’m not saying this book will write your book for you, but it will keep you on track, and you’ll find it much easier to reach your goals.
In addition, Chapter 6 takes you through the information you’ll need to read, revise, edit and prepare your book for publishing.
Your Novel: Day by Day is well written and concrete. I recommend this book without reservation.
Sounds like a great read for those who want to write a novel but do not know how to start or the flow of the process.