How to Grow a Novel: The Most Common Mistakes Writers Make and How to Overcome Them

by Sol Stein

Each year thousands of fiction writers, from beginners to bestselling author, benefit from Sol Stein's sold-out workshops, featured appearances at writers' conferences, software for writers, on-line columns, and his popular first book for writers, Stein on Writing. Stein practices what he teaches: He is the author of nine novels, including the million-copy bestseller The Magician, as well as editor of such major writers as James Baldwin, Jack Higgins, Elia Kazan, Budd Schulberg, W. H. Auden, and Jacques Barzun, and the teacher and editor of several current bestselling authors. What sets Stein apart is his practical approach. He provides specific techniques that speed writers to successful publication.

How to Grow a Novel is not just a book, but an invaluable workshop in print. It includes details and examples from Stein's editorial work with a #1 bestselling novelist as well as talented newcomers. Stein takes the reader backstage in the development of memorable characters and fascinating plots. The chapter on dialogue overflows with solutions for short-story writers, novelists, screenwriters, and playwrights. Stein shows what readers are looking for-- and what they avoid-- in the experience of reading fiction. The book offers guidelines-- and warnings-- of special value for nonfiction writers who want to move into fiction. Stein points to the little, often overlooked things that damage the writer's authority without the writer knowing it. And this book, like no other writing book, takes the reader behind the scenes of the publishing business as it affects writers of every level of experience, revealing the hard truths that are kept behind shut doors.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Self Help, How To, Books About Books

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Sol Stein was a best-selling novelist and the publisher of works by James Baldwin and Che Guevara. He also worked with David Frost, Jack Higgins, Elia Kazan, Dylan Thomas, and W.H. Auden.

Stein and Baldwin met as students at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, where they worked on the literary magazine.

Stein served in the Army during World War II. In 1949 he received a master’s degree in English literature from Columbia University.

In the 1950s Stein worked at Voice of America, wrote plays, and moved into publishing. He established his own publishing company, Stein & Day, in 1962 with his then-wife. Stein used other publishers for his own novels so he would not be competing with the authors that Stein & Day published.

Stein & Day closed after 27 years, and Stein wrote the nonfiction A Feast for Lawyers as a result of the bankruptcy.

Stein went on to write books about writing, and he taught in colleges. He also helped create WritePro, software to teach fiction writing to its users.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far as I can tell books on writing fiction break down into three genres: 1) Books by writers passing on what they've learned along the way (King) 2) Books by writers/teachers geared toward students (Burroway), and 3) Books by editors/agents that give an inside peek at the publishing industry.

Stein's How to Grow a Novel is a hybrid of all three. Before he became an editor he wrote a bestseller called The Magician and few other novels. In form and function this book reminds me very much of Donald Maas's Writing the Breakout Novel. There's plenty of banter about six figure advances and million-copy sellers, the kind I find horrid and depressing and ultimately self-defeating for any beginning author. I don't entirely buy the idea that just because a book sells a gazillion copies it automatically has value or even that it has lasting power.

So what's valuable here? I like Stein's practicality. I like how he puts a writer's emphasis exactly where it should be, on the reader. Steins reminds us that readers pick up our books hoping for an experience. They want to be transported and if we're going to do this there's a few things we should keep in mind. The essence of such stories has to do with characters who readers who form an immediate emotional bond with. It has to do with manipulation and "never taking the reader where they want to go." The whole first chapter on breaking down scene creation for the purpose of considering emotional resonance and forward momentum was great. "In fiction the supreme function is not to convey emotions but to create them in the reader" he says at one point reminding us of the importance of details and the objects in our characters' lives.

I even picked up some ideas for teaching. "If you're finding it difficult to give a character color, pick up a children's book, preferably at a library or a bookstore where lots of children's books are at hand. If there's one that affected your emotions as a child steep yourself in it again. If not just browse. You'll meet characters more extravagent than those you usually find in adult fiction." Stein advices replacing dull characters with those that are "fresh and wild." I'd love to try this in one of my fiction classes, by bringing in a collection of children's books, classic and contemporary, and breaking up my students in small groups and have them take turns reading from them aloud. Then they could journal about the "characters" they met and later imagine the first page of a story of such a character in the adult world. It's worth a shot. At the very least it might just remind my students of the childlike wonder everyone of us hopes to discover when we pick up a book, or when we start writing a story.

We authors need such reminders, too. It can be lonely business, especially since novels are such a long haul. Every once in a while it's nice to have a book like this come along to refresh us for the road ahead.

[Louise Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came upon this book when I was trying to find the answer to a technical question about the novel I am writing. I feel like this book gave me a complete writing workshop just when I could use it the most.

Some of the most important points:
Conflict is a necessary element for dramatic action.
You have to capture the reader from the beginning or they will never love the book.
Generalities are blurry; success lies in details that enable the reader to experience the scenes.
One plus one equals one half. Conveying the same matter more than one in different words diminishes the effect of what is said.
Story is the concept; plot is ideas put into scenes that can be changed, shifted about, added to or deleted from.
Dialogue should be terse, tense, adversarial, illogical and oblique. What counts is not what is said but what is meant.
Point of view is an opportunity to get intimate with the reader.
To find your own voice- cut out cliches, keep things visual, get rid of formality and posturing. Voice is saying what you think without the restraint of what someone else will think about it.
The less work the reader has to do, the more she will appreciate what the writer has done.
Typeface matters. He recommends Courier because it is easy on the eye and moves them through the page.

[Quinn Irwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stein writes a few gems of advice here and there, but he also lays just as many eggs; some of his advice is arbitrary, sometimes he rambles on points which could have taken half as long to make (the editor needs an editor), and his suggestions for further reading include his own book--On Writing--which he references throughout the entire text, all the while making it sound better than How to Grow a Novel, and he suggests other books written by friends, a strategy that basically undermines the author's authority and any trust that the reader may have felt toward the writer comes into question(something he warns us about in his book). The most interesting and helpful advice comes near the end when he gives us a glimpse of the publishing world, the contents of which still have been voiced better in other books. Afterward he expresses worry about new technology, suggesting that technology makes us less intelligent while also busier, a good point--but then he has no problem shamelessly and immediately promoting his own software, which supposedly makes writing much easier and, I'm tempted to guess, much more formulaic and less intelligent. Perhaps this book is wonderful for the neophyte writer who has only a passing interest in writing and who wants to be told exactly what to do; perhaps, if you are this writer, this book will help your novel grow. But if you already know a bit about craft, you should probably look elsewhere. His advice may seem constricting to you.

[carlageek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing - doesn't say much that isn't covered in more depth in the excellent Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies, to which this book refers constantly. In Stein on Writing, Stein's occasional self-absorption and arrogance is easy to ignore because the advice is so clear and actionable as to be downright inspiring. In this book, the advice is thin and the arrogance takes center stage. And even if it doesn't annoy you -- there's really no point in reading both this book and Stein on Writing, and if you're only going to read one, Stein on Writing is better by a country mile.

[Adam Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful book, though Stein is a hopeless snob ever sneering down his nose at "genre fiction."

[Justin K. Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, sometimes rambling off into name-dropping tangents. It contains some useful insight but is perhaps unfocused. Part of it is how to write, part of it is general analysis of writing and publishing from the viewpoint of someone who has worked as a writer, editor, and publisher.

If you are looking for a manual or guide on how to write well, this is not it. But if you've already gotten prose under your belt, and want some insight into how an editor or publisher views a novel, this might help you. Just ignore all the out-of-date stuff.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit dated in parts, but the craft advice is still solid.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)]

There's some extremely valuable info here that I've not found in other books on the craft, including some useful insider info on the publishing biz. Unfortunately, you have to wade through a lot of examples and self-promotional, self-congratulatory b.s. to find the good stuff. It wouldn't be ungenerous to say the book could have been half the length. Already outdated in some ways, but still highly useful for serious people.

[Sohail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a companion book for Stein's other book on writing, which is aptly named 'Stein on Writing'. Despite being shorter, it contains additional material, including more advanced writing techniques and editing, as well as informative on proper methods of dealing with agents, editors and publishers. While not as useful as the previous book, it has its benefits, especially for aspiring writers in the US.

[Delvin Chatterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide for writing a first, or better, novel.

[Darcy Schock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful, easy to read and understand book on writing. There are many pages I dogeared that I will reference as I edit my novel!

[Abhishek Tripathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. But Stein on Writing is better.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and hoping to get more out of his earlier book, Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies. He is a bit full of himself, but there's good information here. Probably worth buying.

[K.L. Small · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing craft books generally fall into one of three categories. The first group consists of books that I keep and refer to regularly when drafting and editing a story. The second group is for books that are of little help to a writer. The final group includes books that confirm what I already know about writing. These are fine books, but don’t add much that’s new or inventive. HOW TO GROW A NOVEL fell into this last category for me. It’s a fine book but isn’t one I would return to in the future.

[Kevin Albrecht]

(Recommended in "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" for being an anecdotal guide on the common pitfals of writing a novel.)

[Marrije · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books that start out really strong & helpful, and then sort of ... fizzles towards the end, as the author pads out his material to Proper Book Length.

[Emma Bannenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Good foundation but I found it hard to get around some of the dated attitudes to gender floating around in this manual. They come out particularly into his advice on dialogue and characterisation.

He generalises that ‘all dialogue is conflict’ and likens it to a tennis match, with characters smashing the ball at each other in an effort to outwit or mislead. Stein makes it clear this is the basic level of dialogue that best-seller readers are after and does explain the subtlety that dialogue can have, but I would love to hear more about that complex level, not the slamming style.

I felt Stein dismissed some subtleties of language, outside it’s use by men. I found myself worrying that he had some great novels cross his desk that never saw the light of day because they had no appeal to him. Normal for any editor I suppose. It’s just that his views seem so gendered now and he doesn’t seem aware to have been aware of that at all. Put it down to the times but feminism and women writers had been around for a long time before this book arrived. I’d love to read a book on writing by a woman editor of similar stature. I’m going to seek one out.

Also, a lot of chat about Stein’s publishing successes which were no doubt great but we don’t need them here.

The most useful parts are chapters 1 to 4 - an introduction to the job of the writer. Then flip to Ch.14. It has a handy list of questions to ask oneself, which are a summary of all the discussion that has come before. Useful but more as a starter and pointer rather than a bible.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of helpful advice and good support for aspiring writers. I definitely appreciated Stein’s perspective as a writer, editor, and publisher, so you get the benefit of his experience from all sides of the process. I haven’t read his other book Stein on Writing, not sure if I need to, although it sounds like that book might go a little more in depth on certain aspects of writing. [Edited to add: after reading a few more reviews, it sounds like the general consensus is that Stein on Writing is the better book. I kind of doubt I’ll seek it out any time soon though. Too many other resources to seek out… too little time.]

The copy I have of How to Grow A Novel is from 1999, and I don’t know if it’s been updated or not, so some of the advice on the publishing industry/process may not be really applicable anymore. I suspect the rise of independent/self publishing has probably changed the game quite a bit, so his advice there could be less relevant than it once was.

Like I said, there was a lot of really useful stuff here for a first-time novelist. That said, there were a few things I found a little self-indulgent, like one chapter that was ostensibly about the responsibilities of the publisher but was instead a rambling story about Stein heroically bringing some random book back into print in the 1950s. The last chapter or two had overtones of Grandpa Simpson shaking his fist at the sky. So I’d say 80-85% of the book was great, the rest I could take or leave.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book will help me write novels better. It is a short book of advice collected in chapters that each cover a different part of writing, editing, or publishing. The author, Sol Stein, has edited many manuscripts I’ve heard of, including the screenplays for Elia Kazan movies, Elia Kazan being an Oscar-winning director.

Fittingly, much of Sol Stein’s advice comes from the movies. He wants your novels to be visual, showing not telling, much like movies. He wants the dialogue to be like the dialogue I’ve noticed in old movies like “On the Waterfront,” not saying anything directly until a big emotional moment happens. This works for me, but it might not work for other aspiring authors.

Sol Stein also seems to want authors to write in a modernist literary style. He makes a distinction between literary and transient fiction, transient fiction being that which is read quickly and forgotten. Although he does say that the most successful thrillers and whatnot are written in a more literary style than the rest.

I am glad that the author has provided advice on revising your drafts so that the editor is not overworked, and on getting published. Although Sol Stein wrote this in the nineties, he did predict trends in publishing, like more bad novels. However, a lot of this book is outdated, so while I liked a lot of the advice, I will be taking the advice I need and leaving the rest.

[Stan James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for "how to write a novel" books and when How to Grow a Novel was on sale, I picked it up as I was interested in Stein's perspective not just as a writer but also as an editor and publisher.

There's some good stuff here and the advice is practical and precise, if sometimes contradictory. Stein both advises writers to read their own work aloud--and to not do so (because novels are read, not heard). He offers some genuinely interesting glimpses into how the book publishing business works (or at least worked, as the book was originally published in 1999, predating the rise of self-publishing through e-books).

I enjoyed the use of specific excerpts to underline the points being made but was less enthused with the self-promotion. The book Stein recommends the most is his own. At times he makes Stein On Writing sound better than this book, perhaps hoping to net a few more sales.

By the end, I found How to Grow a Novel more interesting as a reflection on the book publishing industry and less on the actual writing of a novel. A beginning writer could do worse (the stories of six-figure advances may be depressing in a way Stein didn't anticipate) but could also do better, especially if looking for help that more readily mixes nuts and bolts advice with inspiration.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the feeling that Sol Stein had a lot of great writing advice . . . but also that he'd explained most of it in Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies, and that he wasn't willing to repeat it. (In fact, in this book he gives several references like, "Just read chapter umpty-ump of Stein on Writing."

Having not read Stein on Writing, I was adrift through parts of this book. And not being interested in the incredibly self-aggrandizing name dropping that Stein lovingly engages in time after time after time, I was rolling my eyes through other parts of this book.

Then there were the chapters that gave honest-to-god great writing advice, and that's why I gave this book three stars. Because there is some gold among the dross, but you wish it were a lot more concentrated.

[Bill FromPA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t plan to write a novel. Sol Stein defines a writer as “someone who cannot not write”. Other than an occasional logorrheic Goodreads review, I am fairly accomplished at not writing.

I bought this because I picked it up at a book sale, opened it at random, and read a passage that horrified me. I bought the book because I was hoping for more such passages but was disappointed; this is pretty much a middling but occasionally helpful guide to writing.

As a reader, I think most of the advice Stein gives is good: I want novels that evoke emotion in me, not describe emotions experienced by the characters; I like writing that shows rather than tells; I want characters to be memorable. Stein has worked as an author, editor, and publisher (he is evidently the “Stein” of “Stein & Day”) and draws almost all his examples from the first two roles. This is something of a problem: we get a lot of stories about Elia Kazan, who seems to be Stein’s biggest editing success, and many examples from Stein’s own novels. This sometimes turns into more self-congratulation than instruction, a tendency which reaches its nadir in the chapter on point-of-view, where all Stein really talks about is one of his own novels with multiple first person narrators. He also has a tendency to refer the reader to his earlier book, Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies, for a number of issues. Because he uses his own experience as a source, his advice deals almost exclusively with writers of mainstream fiction; there’s not much here for writers of historical fiction, mystery, SF, or fantasy.

So, would-be writers can probably read this without harm, but I’m sure there are better and more comprehensive books available, and, for advice about getting published, more recent ones that deal with the brave new world of digital publishing.

Here’s the horrifying passage that originally sold me on this book:

Jerry B. Jenkins coauthored a good many celebrity nonfiction books. The concept of Jenkins’s novel, ‘Twas the Night Before, is timely in an age when belief in angels is widespread and there is a tidal wave of concern with spiritual matters. This short novel was marked by a sale to a major book-publishing firm for a several-hundred-thousand-dollar advance.

The story of Jenkins’s novel is elemental. Noella, a journalism professor at Northwestern University, and Tom, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, are engaged to be married. When Noella insists that a medallion she received as a child is actually from Santa Claus, Tom’s disbelief convinces Noella that they are just too dissimilar to marry. Tom, devastated by the breakup, flies to Germany to write a piece about the Father Christmas tradition. In Europe, a light plane he is in with five others crashes. The others are killed. Tom, injured, loses consciousness on and off, and has a mystical experience, with elves taking him to Santa Claus’s workshop. He wakes up in a Swiss hospital and cannot answer how he got there to the satisfaction of the authorities. As a result of the accident, the lovers are reunited, but Tom, who now believes in Santa Claus and has a medallion to prove it, finds that Noella has lost her belief. Finally, when Noella’s faith is restored, she and Tom are married.

The plot is a morality tale expressing belief in the unprovable, a fairy tale for adults. That’s exactly the point of its inclusion here. Jerry Jenkins is a devout Christian, and this tale derives from his belief in the unprovable. His novel, ‘Twas the Night Before , subtitled A Love Story, has been compared to O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi and Dickens’s Christmas Carol. (82-3)

[Rachael Ashdown · Rating 3 out of 5]

About halfway through Stein's book, he gives us a chapter on dialogue, using the metaphor of a baseball game to explain his points. I think that metaphor fits well with my feelings on this book: overly long and self-indulgent. While Stein certainly shows his experience and knowledge with useful points, he draws them out far too long for my short attention span. I found myself thinking more about what I was going to say in this review than how his wisdom would translate to my current work-in-progress. He talks about grabbing the reader and making them want to continue reading, but the only thing that kept me going was a library due date. For those with literary aspirations it likely has more merit, but I am more on the "transient fiction" side that he mentions with mild disdain, so I didn't find it worth the read. Most of his points are made better in other books on writing.

[Brock Meier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on other readers' reviews, I thought this book could be a useful addition to my toolkit of writing helps, to be tucked away in the dark recesses of my mind as I write my own works.
I tried valiantly to read and absorb Stein's decades of worthy experience in editing (and writing) good literature, but I kept finding myself arguing with him as I read, and discounting his words as formulaic. After three or so chapters, I couldn't take anymore and put the book on a high, back shelf. Perhaps I would give it away at my critique group's annual Christmas party and "white-elephant" book exchange.
But months later, for some reason or other, I picked it up again, determined to get something of value out of it. This time, someone turned on the light switch and I found myself eagerly devouring Stein's words of wisdom. I'm not sure what caused the change, but I have found this book to be very useful, not so much in strictly following his cautions, but it has helped me hold my own work more loosely—to press forward into looking for what's best, not merely settling for the good.

[trishajennreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars... While there are some good tidbits in here and some great writing advice, the author is an arrogant book snob who constantly talks down to genre and commercial fiction as lazy or not quality while espousing the grand qualities of his own literary works and those of his friends or clients. Rather than give information on various topics that he brings up, he simply (and constantly) points readers to his other book on writing. He also laments computers and the internet as having detrimental effects on the craft and art of writing. So, while I have a few pages of notes filled with nuggets, overall I'm very disappointed in the attitude of this author.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so refreshing to read a HowTo book where every piece of advice is actionable. Too many writing skills books are just a memoir by an author who really doesn't seem to know why they have been so successful. Sol Stein knows what works and tells you step by step how to write, rewrite, edit, rewrite and publish your texts. After reading any chapter you will be able to sit down and apply the lesson to your last, current and next text. If pressed for advice on reading order, I'd recommend reading "Stein On Writing" first, and then this one, even if you are not planning to be a novellist any time soon.

[Ari Carver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because I found his previous book, Stein On Writing, very helpful and enjoyable to read. Unfortunately, I found that most of the worthwhile material in this book was covered far better with wonderful concrete examples in On Writing. Quite frankly, if he didn't reference his previous work so often in How to Grow a Novel, I would have assumed that this came first and that On Writing was the follow up. I still found How to Grow a Novel to be interesting, particularly his experiences as a publisher, but it's far from the resource Stein on Writing is.

[Jean Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've ever read on the literary fiction writer's craft. There just isn't that much out there on how to write literary fiction. Most of the popular craft books I've encountered are for genre writers of sci-fi, romance, mystery, thriller, etc. While I have learned a lot from reading these types of books that are heavy on techniques, I was really aching for someone from the literary tradition to give their approach to novel writing. Thankfully I found such advice in Sol Stein's book!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stein gives thoughtful and concrete guidance in how to be a better writer. He discusses some of the business end details, but also explores the craft and ways to be a better writer. At times, he references his own work quite a bit, which is sometimes helpful, and sometimes feels as if his own thoughts about his work are biased (as of course they are). Still, very helpful to hear from someone so experienced.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A competent overview of the topic that accomplishes its goal.

It may have benefited a bit from some more specific examples; by far the best section was near the very end when Stein takes you through editing the work of two clients and the type of feedback he gave. But in general I see why this was recommended to me and will be picking up his other book that he references quite a bit in this one.