Eight Crafts of Writing

Jane was an aspiring writer, who, like everyone else before her, parachuted fearlessly into the writing jungle. And, like everybody else, she got hung up on a tree with her parachute. That tree was the sub craft How to Write in Limited POV. Looking around, she notices a hundred more trees on which other aspiring writers are hung up. She cuts the parachute lines, drops to the ground, makes a summersault forward, and jumps to her feet. Around her, writers of all ages are cutting paths through the thicket. "Help?" She calls out. Well-meant answers arrive from all directions. "Create an interesting character and give her a great goal." "Write what you want to read." "Create a sense of wonder." "The more conflict, the better." "Don't write to get published, grab the reader." "Be captivating. Or memorable." "Keep the reader turning pages." "Be unpredictable and keep the reader curious." Jane scans the area. She can't see more than ten meters into the thicket. How she wishes she had a map and a navigation system. Five years later, Jane is still cutting her way through the writing wilderness. She has climbed eighty-one writing skill trees, crossed the suspense valley, ascended the romance mountain, and walked the Hero's Journey track, but the storytelling jungle remains a tangle. How she wishes she had a map and a navigation system. Most books about writing specialize in one, two, or three crafts, but none focuses on the overview (yep, that's a paradox). Until now. The map and navs are finally here: The Eight Crafts of Writing and the supplementary book The Eight Crafts Navigation System.