Several people in the Western Massachusetts writing groups are reading this now, based on the recommendation of a member of Maria’s Sunday afternoon writers’ group.
Hawker talks about the same things as many of the other books I’ve read on this topic — start with a theme, focus on a character with a flaw and put the character arc first, then the plot will come from that.
She’s got an interesting thing about allies — people who force the protagonist to change for the better. This was something new. Antagonist also force change, by providing an example of what not to do, but allies give a positive example and direction. I liked this a lot, gave me something to think about in terms of how I structure my book. Plus, it’s super easy to read.
The book can be used both ahead of the writing, during the planning and outlining process, to help you get to having a finished book faster. But it can also be used after someone has written a first draft “by the seat of their pants” in order to whip it into shape.
There’s also a nice free online worksheet here.