There are, in fact, complete books on writing fiction (a few of which are referenced in the Reference section), on plotting, on characterisation, on scene setting, on dialogue, on thematics, on self-publishing in general, editing, on typesetting and manuscript creation, on promoting, on marketing and on selling books out there, many of which the would-be self-publisher will certainly need to access. Composition is simply too brief to be the only bible a would-be fiction writer needs, and it isn’t presented as such (though a more extensive bibliography of some of the best of those books would be a useful addition). Instead, for new writers in particular, it’s a terrific and inspiring overview that will assist in getting a person started on their way to having their own fiction book in print. Although brief, some of Lavid’s suggestions are not generally used elsewhere and are quite innovative, for example, using “Natural Readers” software to have your book read back to you (Acrobat does this now too) as part of the editing process, or using Emotion, Weather, Dialogue, Name and Time to do transitions. The book ends with a sample press release ready to be used as a template, and a guideline for writers groups.

While you might need a few more reference books on your journey from a person who dreams of being an author to someone who has a book of his or her own to sign and sell, Composition is nevertheless a useful starting point and a reference you’ll find yourself going back to along the way.

Composition: A Fiction Writer's Guide for the 21st Century
By Linda A Lavid
Aventine Press
Paperback: 108 pages, June 5, 2007, ISBN-13: 978-1593304768