This book is a comprehensive guide to writing the western novel written by the people in the industry who actually write them. The author, Dusty Richards, has written 100 westerns in the last decade. He's won two of the most prestigious awards given to western writers, the Spur and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Heritage Award. Dusty has asked several of his friends, also award winning, multi-published western writers to contribute sections about the different genres within the western. Jory Sherman writes about how to craft the mountain man. Jodi Thomas writes about historical romance. Mike Kearby writes about crafting the young adult western. John Nesbitt tells you how to write the traditional western. John Duncklee helps the western writer avoid the common mistakes. Michael Andrews, famed western artist, has illustrated this book beautifully with original drawings that show the west as it was and as it still is. The characters he puts on the page will help any writer see what it is they're writing about.