Mastering the Process: From Idea to Novel

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 126 ratings

Price: 18

Last update: 01-30-2025


About this item

As the author of 24 novels, Elizabeth George is one of the most successful - and prolific - novelists today. In Mastering the Process, George offers listeners a master class in the art and science of crafting a novel. This is a subject she knows well, having taught creative writing both nationally and internationally for over 30 years.

"I have never before read a book about writing that is so thorough, thoughtful, and most of all, helpful." (Lisa See, New York Times best-selling author of The Island of Sea Women)

For many writers, the biggest challenge is figuring out how to take that earliest glimmer of inspiration and shape it into a full-length novel. How do you even begin to transform a single idea into a complete book?

In this audiobook, award-winning, number one New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth George takes us behind the scenes through each step of her writing process, revealing exactly what it takes to craft a novel.

Drawing from her personal photos, early notes, character analyses, and rough drafts, George shows us every stage of how she wrote her novel Careless in Red, from researching location to imagining plot to creating characters to the actual writing and revision processes themselves. George offers us an intimate look at the procedures she follows, while also providing invaluable advice for writers about what has worked for her - and what hasn't. Mastering the Process gives writers practical, prescriptive, and achievable tools for creating a novel, editing a novel, and problem-solving when in the midst of a novel, from a master storyteller writing at the top of her game.

Includes a PDF of research images, a character prompt sheet, and recommended reading.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Stephan Pepper
    5.0 out of 5 stars As advertised
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2024
    Wife needed this for her writing group. Exactly what she was looking for. Thank you.
  • Multifarious Interests
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on writing fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2022
    It is one the best books on writing I have read in a long time and I will likely reread it frequently. E. George as a clear writing style, an honesty about her approach, and a touch of humor tossed in. She gives explicit examples throughout the book from one her recently published Lindley books that shows exactly how she achieved the goal. It’s a masterclass study on one approach that rings true even though it isn’t my approach to writing. So much packed in here that I had to go and by her previous book on writing too!
  • Jenny
    5.0 out of 5 stars An inside peek at the craft of fiction-writing
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2020
    For those who enjoy going behind-the-scenes into a favorite author's writing process, this is the kind of book to be read with pen in hand, ready to take notes. I loved reading about the kinds of things that go through an accomplished author's mind as she chooses one detail over another, this setting over that one, etc. For some, this sort of inside look might spoil the magic, to see that writing is, after all, the craft of cobbling together words and sentences to provide an experience for the reader. If you just want to enjoy the stories and don't care to know "how the sausage is made," this book might not be for you. But for the inquisitive storytellers and language-lovers among us, it's a treat. Highly recommended.
  • Joni M Fisher
    4.0 out of 5 stars Practical Advice from a Masterful Storyteller
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2020
    Practical advice on creating mood and diving deep into longer stories from a beloved storyteller.
  • David Crow
    5.0 out of 5 stars How to write a novel
    Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2020
    There are many excellent books on the writing process. But Elizabeth George stands out for me because she uses one of her own works to show what it really takes to write a page turning work of fiction. The running plot, the plot kernel, the use of all five senses, character development, creating scenes and plots are well explained. The all important Talking Head Avoidance Device shows a writer how to move forward instead of being repetitive or flat. There is so much to this book that is helpful. I think any writer will glean lots of tips from Elizabeth George. I will look for her other works.
  • Judy Nedry
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great teacher!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2022
    Elizabeth George is more than a great mystery writer, she is a natural teacher. This book is for anyone who has struggled with the process of novel writing. Very thorough in every respect. Kudos!
  • JS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very practical and useful book about the writing process!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2021
    Really useful, practical book about writing. Kudos to the author for letting us in to her process. So glad I bought the book.
  • Jennifer K. Unruh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Written clearly and with plenty ideas relate to how George does her stories
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2021
    Still in middle of both Careless in Re and this Process book

  • Best Sellers in

     
     

    Critical Thinking: MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series

    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 528
    15.04
     
     

    Working

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 247
    18
     
     

    Novelist as a Vocation

    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 851
    18
     
     

    Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writin

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,201
    18
     
     

    ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Second Edition: Strategies That Work from an Acclaimed Professional Organizer and a

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 446
    24.06
     
     

    Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication

    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 978
    15.75
     
     

    Skyrocket Your Conversational Spanish, Christian Edition: For Any Christian Who Desires to Know How to Share the Good News of

    1 1 out of 5 stars 1
    17.46
     
     

    Lawless: The Miseducation of America’s Elites

    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 13
    22.04