How to Write Western Novels by Matt Braun (review)

172 Western American Literature How to Write Western Novels. By Matt Braun. (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1988. 176pages, $13.95.) It is downright refreshing to read a straightforward, no-nonsense account of how a successful storyteller goes about his craft. There is no pretension in this account of the development of one popular writer who works in Westerns without apology and goes about the job of earning his living by entertaining and informing his readers. Making no claims to literary stature, Matt Braun only claims to have achieved a certain success in the popular Western market­ place and wants to share his experience with others. While he is justifiably proud of his successes, he is also humbled by them. For Matt Braun there is no higher praise for his work than a reader’s exclamation upon recognizing him, “Gawddamn, I read your books!” Offering a good grasp of the workings of the Western story formula, Braun defines and examines the various forms the Western novel has taken and the various approaches to the telling of a good story he knows. His analysis of how to write good Westerns spans the horizon from questions about which topic or theme to choose, to whether the first- or third-person narration isbest. Particu­ larly useful is his analysis of the relationship between fact and fiction in the telling of a good Western story. The advantage that Braun has is he can repeatedly refer to his own Western novels and honestly evaluate their unsuc­ cessful as well as successful parts. One of the most intriguing aspects of his analysis is his detailed discussion of the “mystical bond” which he claims exists between a writer and the characters, wherein the characters assume a life of their own and pester the writer until their story is fully told. His discussion of good dialogue and how to create it isboth very practical and very astute. After having carefully analyzed the types of dialogue that work and those that don’t, he concludes that the best teacher for good dialogue is “jawboning with common folks.” But where Braun excels is in his discussion of the seriousness and difficulty of good writing. For him, “Sentences are damn serious business.” Outlining is not a limitation of the writer’s impulses, but a way of freeing the writer to successfully explore the craft of writing and its marketplace. In his chapter entitled, “Inspiration vs. Perspiration,” Braun details the role discipline must play in any successful writer’s life. For him the only good writer is one who is hungry to write. His axiom is simply that, “Writing is a discipline and disci­ pline makes the writer.” That discipline must, according to Braun, include a devotion to research because attending to the details is what marks novels of excellence. While Braun’sfocus ison the Western genre, his lessons are for all popular writers. His practical advice about the process of submitting a manuscript, selecting an agent, and dealing with editors is useful for any aspiring writer who aims to succeed in the popular marketplace. MICHAEL T. MARSDEN Bowling Green State University ...