Writer's Book Shelf--Between the Lines

Book Review: Jessica Page Morrell's {Between the Lines}: Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing

By: Christina Adams


Between the Lines is a book every writer should read, especially if you are searching for a book that goes beyond the basics. Morrell takes you to the foundation of effective storytelling, she shares what works and, more importantly, why. Each chapter focuses on its own topic, ranging from suspense to tension, epiphanies to subtlety, foreshadowing to flashbacks and prologues to epilogues. She explains what turns the reader away and reveals the tools you can use to keep the reader spellbound by your book.

I discovered this book at a great time in my writing career. I was tired of writing books that took a chapter to explain to me how I could transform my new story idea into a first draft. I knew what methods worked well for me, but I didn’t know how to polish my draft into a well-crafted novel. Between the Lines was the first book I read that explained what I needed to do and what I had to change to get there.

If you ever want to read a book on writing that goes deeper than beginner mechanics into storytelling technique, this is the book for you.