Includes index.

Machine generated contents note: Introduction 5 -- You Have the Power to Break Out; How to Use This Book -- CHAPTER ONE -- Why Write the Breakout Novel?-- The Truth About Book Publishing; The Truth About Authors; The Myths of Success; -- The E-Revolution; Where to Go From Here -- CHAPTER TWO -- Premise33 -- The Stories That You Love; Four Facets of Three Great Novels; The Little -- Components of Big Ideas; Build It and the Breakout Premise Will Come; Brainstorming -- the Breakout Premise -- CHAPTER THREE -- Stakes59 -- Creating High Human Worth; Public Stakes; Personal Stakes; Escalating Stakes; Your -- Own Stakes -- CHAPTER FOUR -- Time and Place8 -- The Psychology of Place; Keeping Up With the Times; Working With Historical Forces -- and Social Trends; God at Work in the World; The Secret Ingredient -- CHAPTER FIVE -- C haracters103 -- Real People vs. Larger-Than-Life Figures; What Makes a Character Larger-Than- -- Life?; Dark Protagonists; The Highest Character Qualities; Building a Cast; Advanced -- Character Relationships; Sidekicks and Narrators; Depth and Differentiation of -- Character -- CHAPTER SIX -- P lo t 133 -- Conflict; The Five Basic Plot Elements; Bridging Conflict; What is the Worst That -- Can Happen?; High Moments, Turning Corners, Killing Characters; Structuring Plot; -- Larger Plot Structures -- CHAPTER SEVEN -- Contemporary Plot Techniques163 -- The New Shape of the Novel; The Character-Driven Story; Self-Discovery in the Plot- -- Driven Novel; Nonlinear Narrative; Tension on Every Page -- CHAPTER EIGHT -- Multiple Viewpoints, Subplots, -- Pace, Voice, Endings181 -- Multiple Points of View; Successful Subplots; Narrative Pace; Voice; Endings -- CHAPTER NINE -- Advanced Plot Structures199 -- Families, Groups, Generations; Thrillers; Crossover Fiction; Whole Life; Historicals; -- Out-of-Category Romance; Linked Short Stories; Inventing Your Own Advanced Plot -- Structure -- CHAPTER TEN -- T h e m e229 -- Having Something to Say; Step-by-Step Theme Building; Symbols; Becoming -- Passionate; Right and Wrong in the Novel; The Protagonist's Declaration of Purpose; -- What Makes a Theme Universal?; Discovering Theme -- CHAPTER ELEVEN -- B reaking O ut 247 -- Agent and Editor; The Pitch; Outlines; Breakout Publishing, Breakout Living; -- Success, Sequels, Series and Beyond -- In d e x261.

Take your fiction to the next level!Maybe you're a first-time novelist looking for practical guidance. Maybe you've already been published, but your latest effort is stuck in mid-list limbo. Whatever the case may be, author and literary agent Donald Maass can show you how to take your prose to the next level and write a breakout novel - one that rises out of obscurity and hits the best-seller lists. Maass details the elements that all breakout novels share - regardless of genre - then shows you writing techniques that can make your own books stand out and succeed in a crowded marketplace. You'll.