Read Like A Writer

There are two ways to learn how to write fiction: by reading it and by writing it. Yes, you can learn lots about writing stories in workshops, in writing classes and writing groups, at writers' conferences. You can learn technique and process by reading the dozens of books like this one on fiction writing and by reading articles in writers' magazines. But the best teachers of fiction are the great works of fiction themselves. You can learn more about the structure of a short story by reading Anton Chekhov's 'Heartache' than you can in a semester of Creative Writing 101. If you read like a writer, that is, which means you have to read everything twice, at least. When you read a story or novel the first time, just let it happen. Enjoy the journey. When you've finished, you know where the story took you, and now you can go back and reread, and this time notice how the writer reached that destination. Notice the choices he made at each chapter, each sentence, each word. (Every word is a choice.) You see now how the transitions work, how a character gets across a room. All this time you're learning. You loved the central character in the story, and now you can see how the writer presented the character and rendered her worthy of your love and attention. The first reading is creative—you collaborate with the writer in making the story. The second reading is critical.


John Dufresne, from his book, The Lie That Tells A Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction

Header

Liquid Story Binder XE by Black Obelisk Software

Disable Copy Paste

Amazon Quick Linker

Saturday, March 19, 2022

Why Your Manuscripts Return by Alexander Good

 

Why Your Manuscripts Return by Alexander Good

 Why Your Manuscripts Return  

by Alexander Good


CONTENTS.


Introduction ------- 7

Fiction Writing ------ g

1. The Plot ------ g

2. Construction - - - - - - 12

3. Characterization - - - - - 17

4. Dialogue - - - - - - 21

5. Atmosphere ------ 25

The Short Story ------ 30

The Article -------33

Poetry ---- 36

Style ---------38

The Manuscript ------ 42

The Note Book -------45

Placing the Manuscript ----- 46

Finally -------- 52 

Introduction.

IT may be supposed that the Guide Posts along the road to literary success are already sufficiently numerous.

Whence comes, then, this enormous mass of crude, undigested material with which the  "Literary Reader " has to wage an unending struggle ?

An outpost, beyond the furthest advanced guard of the Publishing Army, this Reader has to cope with the first onslaught of the literary beginner (often termed in dreadful phrase "literary aspirant''), and it is a matter of surprise to find him almost invariably with an imperfect knowledge of the weapon he proposes to wield.

The Reader who should set his judgment within a hundred miles of infallibility, has undoubtedly many shocks in store for him, and it were well for all of us to remember the dreadful legend of our Greatest Author having condemned the first book of our other Greatest Author.

The aim set up for the present publication is a very modest one. It proposes only to indicate the faults which chiefly disfigure the MSS. to beginners, and to suggest appropriate remedies.

For the sake of convenience I have divided my remarks on Fiction Writing into the following sections, viz. : (i) Plot, (2) Construction, (3) Characterization, (4) Dialogue, (5) Atmosphere.

These headings follow the form into which my reports on the books submitted to me customarily fall ; it will be observed that the magic word " Style " is omitted, but a few remarks on that subject will be appended.



The PDF might take a minute to load. Or, click to download PDF.

If your Web browser is not configured to display PDF files. No worries, just click here to download the PDF file.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)