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Reviews
| Writing Archaeology: Telling Stories about the Past. By Brian Fagan. Walnut Creek, Calif.: Left Coast Press, 2005. 176 pp., bibl. $24.95 pb (ISBN 1-59874-005-9); $59 hb (ISBN 1-59874-004-0).
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Brian Fagan is a successful author of best-selling books, such as In the Beginning and Fish on Friday. He targets a wide readership while maintaining professional standards of archaeological accuracy. In his latest book, Writing Archaeology: Telling Stories about the Past, Fagan draws on this experience to formulate a straightforward handbook for would-be authors. His advice, while pointed at times, is always optimistic and encouraging. The start of every chapter includes one or two concise sentences that summarize the basic principle, or "rule," of that chapter. With such catchy phrases as "Always tell a story," "Deadlines are sacred," and "Make writing a daily habit," he simplifies often-overlooked fundamental rules of writing.
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In Writing Archaeology, Fagan strategically teaches the tools of the trade—the trade market, that is. Trade, the largest nonfiction publishing market in the world, produces books for interested nonspecialists via book clubs, the Web, and bookstores. Fagan details successful methods of writing, revising, and editing for this market. In addition, he provides an insider's perspective on marketing and publication, geared not to the academic community but, rather, towards a general audience. Although the ultimate goal of the writer is publication, Fagan focuses tremendous attention on the writing process. Through discipline, practice, and patience, he teaches the writer the habits needed to overcome the arduous and daunting task of creating a book.
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In the first chapter, Fagan encourages the budding author to "tell a tale." Through examples of his own writing, as well as those of worthy notables like Ivor Nöel Hume, Michael Balter, and Mortimer Wheeler, Fagan introduces innovative techniques that draw the booklover into a story. By combining excavation, research, and analysis with imagination, he conveys archaeology in a dramatic but nonetheless fact-based manner. Fagan uses vivid examples of his work to show how successful authors create tangible links between past human existence and the present. For the archaeologist, this generally means transferring boring data into an intriguing narrative that personalizes the past for individual readers. Chapters three through seven show the burgeoning author how this is accomplished.
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Chapter three details the preliminary stages all authors must face. Creating an idea and judging its originality are the first steps. An important concept is that a great idea does not always make a great book; therefore, careful consideration of topic is necessary. Next, one must consider research potential and marketability. A dead end in research leads to a dead end in writing. Similarly, books without audiences do not become books. Unless the writer intends to self-publish, selling a book idea to a publisher or editor involves thinking about those targeted audiences.
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To this end, Fagan introduces the three P's in chapter four. These are the proposal, personal narrative, and provisional outline. All are critical ingredients needed to sell the author and the idea to a publishing house or editor. Chapter five reveals what editors are looking for. Here Fagan describes the different types of editors as well as the role of agents and contracts in book deals. He also constantly reminds the aspiring author to maintain good relationships with all people in the process. Showing appreciation when others help in attaining a goal is not only a wise career move, it is also simply proper etiquette.
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Once the author secures a contract, writing begins. Fagan confirms that the task of penning a first draft is difficult. In chapter six, he discusses various research methods and narrative techniques that promote smooth, understandable writing. He recommends creating a comfortable workplace and adopting a consistent writing schedule to avoid the common distractions, mental or otherwise, that plague authors during drafting. Subsequent drafts, better known as revisions, are the topic of chapter seven. Here again, Fagan stresses the importance of daily review and alterations.
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Finally, chapter eight describes various paths a manuscript must travel even after submission. Fagan emphasizes that the book is not finished upon completion of the last draft, rather more fine tuning, editing, and market preparation at the publishing house are involved. Upon publication, and publication only, can authors breathe a sigh of relief and feel gratified about their work.
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Critically speaking, chapters two and nine create an imbalance within the text as a whole. In chapter two, Fagan maintains that honing writing skills by writing for newspapers, magazines, and encyclopedias helps prepare authors for trade book audiences. Chapter nine focuses on textbook writing, which must be clear and concise to be successful. He places chapter two before and chapter nine after the main thread of discussion because he views the three different forms (small-scale articles, the larger market of trade writing, and the tightly focused niche of textbooks) as a chronological progression of authorship. These topics would have been less confusing if arranged differently. Nonetheless, newspaper, magazine, encyclopedia, and textbook writing provide aspiring authors with experience in different but connected public writing styles.
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The book's tone is realistic yet hopeful. Fagan prepares the writer for disappointments and rejections but maintains that passion, persistence, and habitual writing are keys to success. Writing Archaeology is an instructional guide that describes the realities of popular archaeology writing, from idea to final production. The professional and student alike will benefit from the self-discipline that Fagan describes and promotes in this volume.
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