IT’S RELEASE DAY! The reason I got and wanted to read Brad Pauquette’s THE NOVEL MATRIX is because my very first epic novel was “pantsed” (written by the seat of my pants.) It was as if I had accidentally written a good book. Afterward, I wasn’t sure if I could write another successful story. Many unfinished efforts sat in a file on my computer, reminding me of Sleeping Beauty. One day, a prince will come and reawaken the story… When I read THE NOVEL MATRIX, it suddenly became clear what my stories had been missing.

Without a skeleton, we’d all be big immovable blobs of flesh. What my trunk books needed was a proper skeleton. THE NOVEL MATRIX helped me see where the necessary bones were and the bones it still needed. This book contains a concise easy to remember structure: 1,3,5,7 which is one Universe, three acts, five conflicts and seven characters.

Brad’s illustrations help the reader/ author to see how this strategy is implemented through his favorite movie references. And even, how much freedom there is in using it. After all, every person has basically the same skeleton, but we all look significantly different from one another.

You can even use The Novel Matrix to see what might be missing in stories you’ve started that have gone flat or terribly off track. Yes, it’s going to take time and effort. If I’d had this book then, I would have saved myself a lot of time by implementing this incredibly effective plan from the get-go. I would have been a “Plantser!” (Equal parts of planning and pantsing.)

I’ve been a ghostwriter for over ten years and read thousands of books. As a former Amazon book reviewer, this is one of the most concise books I’ve read regarding story structure. It’s inspired me to dust off those old trunk books. I’ll be referring to The Novel Matrix while making the corrections that will make my future books worthy of my reader’s time and money. Get yours here: The Novel Matrix. [Not an affiliate link.] Because I’ve already made such great progress in one novel, I give it The Novel Matrix six out of five stars. Let me know what you think!