Phyllis Whitney reveals novelist's sleight of hand
A master of romantic suspense novels as well as books for young people, the late Phyllis Ayame Whitney was born in Yokohama in 1903. She died in Faber, Virginia at the age of 104, after publishing over 70 novels.
This writer's guide is clear and eminently readable. As well as going over the nuts and bolts of plot, theme, problem, conflict, purpose and more, the author talks of what she refers to as The Force, and explains how this author got the subconscious mind to help with problems that cropped up as she wrote.
Other delightful gems in this work include Whitney's discussion of reader reaction to writerly ploys, and the need for a writer to learn constantly, feeding the mind to encourage new inspiration.