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A New Tool For Writers
On July 10th, Brad Pauquette released a new writing craft book to the public called The Novel Matrix.
And as someone who was on the production team and is very familiar with the content of the book, I want to talk about it and what it means for you as a writer and/or future author.
What is The Novel Matrix?
I’ll put the description here so you can see for yourself:
Spoiler: There’s no secret code for writing a bestselling novel.
But there are fundamental principles of story structure that will make your novel work. Once you understand these fundamentals, writing a novel transforms from a chaotic, enigmatic roller coaster into a succinct and sensible process. If you’re not yet achieving what you’d like to achieve with your writing-The Novel Matrix is for you.
Hundreds of authors just like you have used this remarkable system to begin and improve their novel writing. What is a “matrix”? A matrix is either the natural substance in which something forms, or it can be an interrelated system of information. The Novel Matrix is both. The Novel Matrix explores the natural principles of storytelling that humans instinctively understand and expect in great stories. This is the foundation from which great artwork is born.
The Novel Matrix also relates plot, characters, conflict, and setting together in a way that no other craft book has done. Written in simple, nonacademic language, this is the honest, elegant solution for long-form storytelling you’ve been waiting for. Armed with this information, you’ll never begin another novel manuscript only to abandon it partway through the writing. Never again will you completely overhaul a novel manuscript because it just doesn’t work, but you have no idea why.
The solution is The Novel Matrix.
As one writing student put it, “The Novel Matrix makes novel-writing scandalously simple.”
Don’t start another project without it.
Directions to Your Destination
All right! Now that we’ve covered what The Novel Matrix is, let’s talk details.
To me, trying to write a book for the first time without any research, with a ton of research, or with the help of The Novel Matrix, is like the difference between trying to get to a new location by memory, using a paper map, or using a GPS.
All three of these methods can help you get to where you want to go, but some of them are easier to use than others.
Driving From Memory
If you’re going to a location you’ve never been to before, using your memory to figure out how to get there simply isn’t going to work.
In all likelihood, you’re going to get lost or run out of gas before reaching your destination—or worse, you’ll have to stop and ask for directions… Gasp!
Driving With Maps
Maps are a step up from using your memory, but they also have drawbacks.
First of all, you’ll need to know how to read a map. Or, you’ll need someone in the passenger seat (who also knows how to read a map) telling you which way to go. If you don’t, you’ll have to keep stopping your vehicle to check the map and make sure you’re headed in the right direction.
Driving With A GPS
A GPS on the other hand, is relatively simple to figure out and easy to use. It also has a ton of tools that make getting to your destination easier.
For example:
- Information about how long the drive will take
- Traffic alerts
- Accident alerts
- Speed limit information
- Speed trap warnings
- Ways to avoid toll roads
- And you can even add stops along the way to your destination with some GPS’s
The point is, the more you understand about the road you’re traveling on, the easier it’ll be to get to your destination.
And the exact same thing is true when it comes to writing books.
Writing in The Wrong Direction
When I first started writing, I had no idea what I was doing, so I just wrote a ton of stories as I tried to figure things out.
I definitely learned a lot from the experience, but I never actually finished any of those stories.
Since I was having such a hard time figuring out what I was doing wrong, I started doing research—a lot of research. And everywhere I looked, there was some new method of planning a story, or some cool strategy to try if you wanted to finish one.
Thanks to all the information I gathered and learned, I did manage to finish the first draft of a novel, but it was nearly un-editable because of how messy and incoherent it turned out.
That’s why I really appreciate The Novel Matrix.
The Novel Matrix: Ultimate Writing GPS
The Novel Matrix combines and distills a lot of the information that I’ve heard in the past from other books and websites into something that’s easy to understand and apply to my writing.
Just like a GPS, it’s an in-depth guide that makes getting to your destination (finishing a story) simpler.
I’ve finished three books by using the information in The Novel Matrix (including The Librarian’s Ruse), and I’m currently working on my fourth. So at this point, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the methods from The Novel Matrix have worked for me.
But just like there are different ways to drive to your destination, there are definitely other books and guides out there that are helpful when it comes to writing stories.
You probably don’t need a map or GPS if you’ve memorized all the directions to your location. And if you’ve been writing for a while, you may have already found a novel-writing method that works for you…and that’s fantastic! Keep using it!
But if you are struggling to write and finish a book, or if you’re looking to take your storytelling skills to the next level, I definitely recommend giving The Novel Matrix a try.
You might just be surprised by what you can accomplish with a little motivation and a great guide.
Before You Go…
Do you have a writing method that works well for you? I’d love to hear about it!
Let me know down in the comments!
Dealing with self-doubt? Check out my last article here!