Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft
Product Description
A bestseller through six editions, Writing Fiction by novelists Janet Burroway and Elizabeth Stuckey-French explores the elements of fiction, providing practical writing techniques and concrete examples. Written in a tone that is personal and non-prescriptive, this book encourages writers to develop proficiency through each step of the writing process, offering an abundance of exercises designed to spur writing and creativity. The text Writing Fiction also integrates diverse contemporary short stories in every chapter in the belief that the reading of inspiring fiction goes hand-in-hand with the writing of fresh and exciting stories.
Thorough and practical discussions of all the major fictional elements offer readers a comprehensive guide to the craft of writing stories. Topics include freewriting, plot, style, characterization, dialogue, time, place, imagery, and point of view.
For novice writers looking to develop proficiency.
$64.39
Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft
I personally dislike the book, but it was required for class. Others seem to enjoy it though.
Rating: 3 / 5
This is not a review – but I have a question. DOESN’T ANYBODY WHO REVIEWS AT AMAZON KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REVIEW AND AN OPINION????? I get utterly frustrated at all of your opinions and I still don’t know what’s IN the book most of the time. Go read up on how to REVIEW a book before you enter stuff here and waste our time!
Rating: 5 / 5
I have found this volume to be incredibly helpful for the novice writer of fiction. The writing it’s self is an example of great penmanship and is easy to read and understand. The short story examples are a terrific read, even without the illuminating questions, that help you to enjoy them even more. The only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is that would leave no reserve if in the future I came across something better, even though I doubt this as a possibility presently.
Rating: 3 / 5
I had to get this book for a fiction workshop so the price was what it was, no negotiating textbooks.
I was pleaseed to discover how helpful and informative this book is. It is very well written and engaging and guides the reader well through the development of fiction. Many solid examples are given and the writer has many profound insights.
If it weren’t a book for a class, search around for an older addition and buy it used. A great buy, but $60+ is too much for any book.
Rating: 4 / 5
Good grief, these stories are horrible. I can hardly believe how awful her selections are. Even more unbelievable is the gross number of typos in this book. Did they not put copy editors on this project at Pearson Longman? I don’t understand how it’s acceptable to put out a product with that low of quality consideration.
As for the book as an academic text, I found it enormously unhelpful. To be fair, however, I should note that I have a philosophy on creative writing which differs from Burroway’s. I do not subscribe to the idea that you should write just because you ‘wanna’. If it’s not welling up inside you, if you’re not itching to put it onto paper, you have no story to tell and no amount of over-simplified mechanics is going to matter.
Her view on colloquial language and spellings is also simplistic and unenlightened. Sorry Twain, Sillitoe; Burroway says you guys did it wrong.
If you have to get this book for a class, do what I did: refuse to buy it and use a friend’s copy as little as possible.
Rating: 1 / 5