The Successful Novelist ─ A Lifetime of Lessons About Writing and Publishing

Morrell, author of First Blood, the award-winning novel in which the character Rambo was created, offers advice, instruction, and encouragement for fiction writers. The sections of the book are arranged so that they lead the reader through the process Morrell follows when putting a novel or story together, from getting the idea to making choices among viewpoints and structures, and dealing with description and dialogue. There are also chapters getting published, the business of writing, and the novelist as marketer. He uses examples from his work to illustrate mistakes he's made or problems he solved. He also discusses Rambo and the challenge of dealing with Hollywood. This updated edition contains a new chapter on publicity and marketing. There is no subject index. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

David Morrell is the bestselling author of First Blood, The Brotherhood of the Rose and The Fifth Profession. He holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from the Pennsylvania State University and was a professor of English at the University of Iowa. He is now a full-time writer living in Santa Fe, New Mexico.