Flogging the Quill

Book excerpt: Flogging the Quill is a one-book remedy for a host of beginning novelist ailments, a tune-up for published authors, and a resource for editors. Rich with advice and coaching from editor/author Ray Rhamey, Flogging the Quill’s primary focus is to lift a novel manuscript to a publishable, professional level. The book’s sections cover storytelling, determining what drives a plot, the six vital story ingredients, and tools for spotting shortcomings in a narrative. Writers also learn experiential description, how to handle the tricky character-description hurdle, staging, and overwriting. The ""when to tell, how to show"" lesson has been praised by literary agents and college teachers. ""I’ve read many submissions that were near-misses. If the writers had had the benefit of this book, they’d be published right now."" —Editor and publisher, Laura Abbott ""[I]t’s a must-have for any novelist."" —Bestselling author, Tess Gerritsen