This “Bible” is very informative, detailed, well-organized and accessible; more comprehensive and with a wider range of examples than Syd Field’s classic, Screenplay. On the other hand, it’s nearly 500 pages of 8.5” x 11” text, so it’s formidable. Despite … Continue reading
Art and Craft Corbett, David (2013). The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction Film, and TV. New York: Penguin. 383 pp. This widely praised book is definitely worth reading, especially the first 120 pages, and the last 65, … Continue reading
Instruction With a Light Tone Dufresne, John. (2003). The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to Writing Fiction. New York: W.W. Norton. I met the author at a writing conference and decided to buy his book. It covers the … Continue reading
Revelatory Jauss, David (2011). On Writing Fiction: Rethinking Conventional Wisdom About the Craft. Cincinatti, OH: Writers Digest Books. This is a most engaging and helpful “How-to-do-it” book for experienced writers. Its seven essays are thought-provoking and clarifying, well-written and insightful, … Continue reading
Advice for the Experienced Writer Long, Priscilla (2010). The Writer’s Portable Mentor: A Guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life. Seattle, WA: Wallingford Press, 349 pp. My shelves are heavy with how-to-write books, some helpful, some inspirational, most inert. … Continue reading
Not A Waste of Time Silber, Joan (2009). The Art of Time in Fiction: As Long as it Takes. Minneapolis, MN: Greywolf Press, 114pp. I bought this book on the recommendation of a writing instructor when I was having … Continue reading
Humorous Homilies Lamott, Anne. (1994). Bird By Bird: Some Instruction on Writing and Life. NY: Anchor. In a series of personal essays and anecdotes, Lamott muses on what it’s like to be a writer. It’s not really an “instruction,” as … Continue reading
Philosophy of Fiction Wood, James (2008). How Fiction Works. New York: Picador/Farrar, Straus, Giroux. This beautifully manufactured little paperback surveys the main points of novel writing craftsmanship, such as characterization, point of view, metaphor, dialog, and so on, but does … Continue reading
How to Surprise A Reader Boswell, Robert (2008). The Half Known World. Mpls, MN: Gray Wolf Press Robert Boswell presents 9 personal essays exploring different aspects of the craft of writing fiction, all addressing the idea that you should be … Continue reading
The Unspeakable Baxter, Charles (2007). The Art of Subtext. Minneapolis, MN: Graywolf Press Subtext is hard to write, because you don’t write it. You set it up and let it show, but it remains unstated. When done effectively, the reader … Continue reading