title: The Best Of Novel Advice
author: Jeanne Marie Childe
description: The Best Of Novel Advice, edited by Jeanne Marie Childe, is just about the best book I've read on the nature of writing. I plan to use it for my graduate students. It's a delight for would-be writers, seasoned writers, and for people who love literature. Unlike most books that deal with the written word, this is not a mere how-to, but a collection of essays by many different writers on the subject of writing, putting it into a very different class from a how-to book. Tucked into this marvelous collection of essays are wonderfully helpful kernels of advice to the writer, combining sophisticated writing techniques with sensible, down-to-earth, suggestions. Every writer would-be writer, and committed reader should get a copy.<br />- Barbara Probst Solomon
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  This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife, Jacquie. She’s smarter, more
  thoughtful, kinder, and more persevering than I
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  …and she loves me just the right amount
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  whereas I love her too much.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It’s also dedicated to my late parents, Dorothy and Tom Sr., who took me to
  the library to get my first library card and instilled in me the importance of
  learning and reasoned thought.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Orlando, Florida
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Present Day
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  She gasps for air. Her legs sprint along the fairway, her bare feet
  splattering water with every stride. She’s afraid; she’s very afraid. Each
  clap of thunder is closer than the previous. She tries to run faster but her
  lungs and legs won’t allow it. Torrential rain blurs her vision but up ahead
  she perceives the shadow of her father racing toward her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Daddy!” She screams into the rain. T