How To Write a Novel in 20 Pies: Sweet and Savory Tips for the Writing Life

So you think you have a novel in you just waiting to be written. This book may be just what you need to either help you get there or dissuade you from this madness. Author Amy Wallen is well-qualified to write this having written novels and memoirs and taught writing as well as perfected the art of baking pies. With chapters covering topics such as Wrangling Writers Groups; Revising, Rewriting, Reimagining; Oh, Agent, Where Art Thou?; and Now the Work Begins, she covers an awful lot of territory in the world of writing and publishing. The writing is conversational and imbued with lots of humor, but Wallen never strays from her purpose of teaching the business of writing. Her advice is specific and will keep budding writers on task and well-fed. Yeah, there are the pies. Sprinkled throughout are pie recipes — both sweet and savory — which seem to be Wallen’s way of dealing with all manner of writing issues. If this doesn’t already sound like a very fun way to learn to write a novel, there are also plenty of cute graphics by Emil Wilson to keep readers involved. This is a terrific introduction to novel writing.