In 2005, Robert J. Firth first revealed the advice he’s about to share with you here and the tools he used to create his ground-breaking book, The Battle of Tours, that has so dramatically impacted the western view of Islam, and The Enemy Within, which exposes the left’s previously hidden and nefarious objectives.
This information is taken from time-tested methodologies used by all political exposés and historical books such as The Battle of Tours, which may be turned into a powerful, earth-shattering and iconoclastic movie.
To keep the reader on edge
To keep him spellbound at the new information
To make him wonder why he hadn’t known all this before
The rules are flexible. The professional writer learns the rules in order to know how and when to follow them—and when to break them.
An extension of Firth’s dictum:
When things slow down, bring in an army or an indisputable but unknown fact to bolster your thesis.
To encourage the reader to continue:
Give conflict, trouble, fear, or violence on page 1.
Give him a worthy antagonist.
Make the odds impossible.
No convenient solutions.
The tougher the opposition, the better.
Do not introduce new characters or facts at the end to solve the problem.
No deus ex machina.
He should take active steps to achieve a goal against impossible odds.
His own life
The lives of his men
His values and principles
The more intimate and dangerous, the better.
Use only if it fits the logic of the story.
Research carefully.
Do not change historical facts to improve the story.
Research, research, research.
If you don’t do your homework, readers will catch every mistake.
Weak endings ruin books.
Resolve the principal conflict.
History’s ending is already known—use that.
Mickey Spillane:
“The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book.”
Observe what pros do—and avoid doing what they avoid.
Don’t join bandwagons; build new ones.
No genre is ever “dead.”
The only question:
“Is this idea strong enough and important enough to stand out?”
Write in genres you love. Enthusiasm shows.
The danger must be monumental—for a person, a family, a city, or a civilization.
Characters are defined by what they do. In big nonfiction, they must perform extraordinary actions.
This is the “spine” of the book.
Radical or outlandish premises that shock readers into attention.
Essential for emotional involvement.
Readers want to enter unfamiliar or exotic worlds—international or mysterious landscapes.
Avoid boring settings unless the story uniquely requires them.
Is what’s at stake monumental?
Is my character extraordinary?
Is the dramatic question strong and clear?
Is the story built around a high-concept conflict?
Am I developing emotionally engaging characters?
Is the setting exciting, unusual, or immersive?
Guide to Literary Agents is a top resource.
Agents say “submit to one agent at a time.”
Firth disagrees:
At 4 weeks per response × 24 agents = 2 years wasted.
Use the shotgun approach: submit widely.
May the best (and fastest) agent win.