Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker

Paperback Edition

I've had fantasies of writing a novel off and on for years now... But have yet to write or even attempt to write a novel to date. 

Writing a novel seems, well, quite daunting to say the least! I'm an avid reader, but am I able to successfully write a decent novel? How does one even begin going about writing a novel anyway? I scare myself out of trying to write anything before I even start writing my first sentence!

Over the years, I've thought of some great ideas/stories/characters for writing a novel... Or at least I thought the ideas I've had for writing a novel were creative enough to make for interesting reading. But, there is so much more too writing a novel than a so called 'great idea'. Putting all the elements together to write a cohesive novel that is interesting, well written, and something people will want to read has left me from even trying to write a novel at all.

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and tons of people participate in this annual, month long writing event. And although, I am not even close to being prepared to begin writing a novel, I am very inspired by the idea of finding a way to write a novel in the future.

However, I did began looking for books online to help me move forward and think about writing that first novel. I came across Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker on Amazon. Libbie Hawker's book on writing has 450+ reviews on Amazon and also a 4+ star rating. 

After reading what Libbie Hawker's book was all about online, I took the leap and read Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing in three days! I like Ms. Hawker's clear writing style and the outline techniques she lays out for those wishing to write a novel. Ms. Hawker's outline techniques make sense and she gives plenty of examples in her book on how and why the outline works so successfully.

The holiday season is upon us, so I most likely won't even be ready to start writing a novel until the beginning of 2018 at the soonest.

Below is a more information about Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker from Amazon:

When it comes to writing books, are you a "plotter" or a "pantser"? Is one method really better than the other? In this instructional book, author Libbie Hawker explains the benefits and technique of planning a story before you begin to write. She'll show you how to develop a foolproof character arc and plot, how to pace any book for a can't-put-down reading experience, and how to ensure that your stories are complete and satisfying without wasting any time or words. Hawker's outlining technique works no matter what genre you write, and no matter the age of your audience. If you want to improve writing speed, increase your backlist, and ensure a quality book before you even write the first word, this is the how-to book for you. Take off your pants! It's time to start outlining. This revised edition includes answers to the most popular questions regarding Libbie Hawker's outlining process.

I am giving Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

If you are a a writer, which books/writing resources have you found to be helpful in your writing journey?  

Until my next post, happy reading!!