Colleen’s 2019 #Book #Reviews – “Take Off Your Pants! Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing” by Author, Libbie Hawker, @LibHawker

Featuring your next weekend read!

About “Take Off Your Pants!”

When it comes to writing books, are you a “plotter” or a “pantser?” Is one method really better than the other?

In this instructional ebook, 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 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 your 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 method.

Amazon.com

My Recommendation

I started out writing as pantser, believing that outlining my novels would stymie my creativity. Until the day I realized I didn’t know where my story was going. Sure, I had a great story idea, but I didn’t have enough of a framework from which to tell the story. I also recognized that I hadn’t thought out my characters in enough detail.

Now, my writing was at a complete stop. My confidence dropped to an all-time low. I almost gave up!

I knew I needed to learn how to outline in a way that increased my speed and confidence in writing my books. After reading six or seven different books about outlining, I grew more discouraged.

One day, I stumbled upon a blog post that led me to a link for Libby Hawker’s book, “Take Off Your Pants!”

I read this book in one day, and suddenly the veil lifted. I guess I had one of those aha moments! The plot, the story, the outline – it all became crystal clear!

Hawker teaches that every story must contain five things:

“A character, the character wants something, but something prevents him from getting what he wants easily, so he struggles against that force, and either succeeds or fails.”

Hawker, Libbie. Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing: Revised Edition (pp. 24-25). Running Rabbit Press. Kindle Edition.

Step by step, Hawker instructs the writer on each stage of the character arc in clear, concise language. What I seemed to be missing was the anatomy of the story, how that flowed into the plot, and finally into the outline.

Hawker also shares accessible examples from books we all know and love; such as E. B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web,” L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird, Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita,” along with J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” These examples helped me understand the mechanics of good plotting.

“Take Off Your Pants!” changed my thinking process along with my understanding of the aspects of storytelling. The book is as good as taking a class in creative writing. Read the reviews. This book is ranked:

• #5 in Authorship
• #19 in Creativity Self-Help
• #8 in Authorship Reference

Libby Hawker wants writers to succeed. You know how I know this? “Take Off Your Pants!” is sold for $.99 U.S. Most authors charge much more than that. I know, because I’ve invested in plenty of books and in the end, I still didn’t have a clear path to outlining.

Are you struggling with your characters, your plot, or your character arcs? How about your outline? Fret no more! Get this book. You’ll be glad you did.

My Rating

*I follow the Amazon Rating System*

About the Author

Libbie Hawker writes historical and literary fiction featuring complex characters and rich details of time and place. She lives in the San Juan Islands of Washington State, but has previously lived in Seattle; Bellingham, WA; Tacoma, WA; and Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Although the majority of her books are self-published, she also partners with Lake Union Publishing on select titles.

She has held a broad and bizarre range of “day jobs” while pursuing a career as a novelist. Included among these are zoo keeper, show dog handler, bookseller, and yarn dyer. 

Libbie’s writerly influences are varied, and include Hilary Mantel, Vladimir Nabokov, Annie Dillard, Michael Ondaatje, George R. R. Martin, songwriter Neko Case, and mixed-media storyteller Chris Onstad, among others.

Amazon Author Page: Libbie Hawker

How to Connect with the Author

Blog: Olivia Hawker/Libby Hawker: Hawkerbooks.com

Facebook Page: Libbie Hawker & L. M. Ironside

Twitter: @LibHawker

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