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Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts

by Matt Bell

A three-draft framework for novel writing

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A three-draft framework for novel writing

Matt Bell organizes the work of writing a novel into three stages: getting an initial draft onto the page, reshaping its narrative through outlining and rewriting, then refining it through a sequence of revision tasks. The emphasis is on concrete activities and techniques, with a checklist helping break final revisions into smaller operations. That structure makes the book as much a guide to managing the process of revision as to beginning a novel, carrying the work from early conception through a tighter final draft.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • First-time novelists seeking a structured writing process
  • Experienced writers looking for fresh revision strategies

Themes

Novel writingRevision and rewritingOutlining and narrative developmentEditing and final-draft refinement

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

They say writing is rewriting. So why does the second part get such short shrift? Refuse To Be Done will guide you through every step of the novel writing process, from getting started on those first pages to the last tips for making your final draft even tighter and stronger.

From lauded writer and teacher Matt Bell, Refuse to Be Done is encouraging and intensely practical, focusing always on specific rewriting tasks, techniques, and activities for every stage of the process. You won't find bromides here about the "the writing Muse." Instead, Bell breaks down the writing process in three sections. In the first, Bell shares a bounty of tactics, all meant to push you through the initial conception and get words on the page. The second focuses on reworking the narrative through outlining, modeling, and rewriting. The third and final section offers a layered approach to polishing through a checklist of operations, breaking the daunting project of final revisions into many small, achievable tasks.

Whether you are a first time novelist or a veteran writer, you will find an abundance of strategies here to help motivate you and shake up your revision process, allowing you to approach your work, day after day and month after month, with fresh eyes and sharp new tools.
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