Reviews (13)

It's all about the details!
This is a wonderful book for anyone who writes fantasy, as it addresses the special nuances specific to the genre. There are a number of good books on writing novels out there, but none detail what's needed in a good fantasy novel, how characters may differ, how to plot a believe story while maintaining the fantasy elements.
Must Have World Building Reference Book
My husband is a publisher with little time to read for pleasure, so when I saw that the book he had purchased had quickly gone from "brand new condition" to "over worn and dog eared" I had to read it for myself.
Great reference
This book has everything the inspiring fantasy novelist could want to know about. And even for those who are not writing but just want to have information about either medievil or fantasy. I would definatly recommend this book to anyone from the novelist to the rollplayer ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Publishing    3. Reference    4. Writing Skills   

Reviews (45)

A long time ago..
...in a time far away, I was an aspiring fantasy writer, and I picked this book up off the shelf shortly after it was published. I've never forgotten the MICE, and to this day, I still use the basics of that idea to help me focus my stories.
Very Good!
I was amazed when I first started reading this book. As a relatively novice writer, I felt the book helped me understand a lot more about writing certain kinds of fantasy novels, and taught me a general overview on how to make a living doing so. Card is a worthwhile author and this book is an indispensible guide for ANY fantasy writer.

Quick and Useful Guide
I, like many aspiring filmmakers, read Aristotle's Poetics in college as part of a dramatic writing class.There is nothing in there that one cannot reason out for oneself; still, it is useful to have it written out and classified. This is both because not all of us have time to think about dramatic theory/contemplate our navels, and also because Aristotle was a pretty clever guy and it's good to see what he thought about the things he was an expert on.
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Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    2. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    3. Reference    4. Writing Skills    5. Creative writing guides   

Reviews (3)

Not the best
Yes, it is adequate, but my advice to any write who is seriously considering writing about anything psychologically related is to simply buy a psychology book related to what you want. They, for the most part, are not that hard to understand and are very often much more interesting than any how-to book or any mass market fiction. This book gives a good overview, but not much else.
Review of The Criminal Mind
Writer's Digest Books' The Criminal Mind by Katherine Ramsland is an insightful tool for the serious crime writer. It is more intellectual than most self-help writing books and can provide interesting ideas for fleshing out characters. It is deeply rooted in psychological theory and that makes it an exceptionally interesting read. Complex topics are explained in layman's terms. It is nice to have a writing guide by such a talented writer.

Excellent reference tool for crime/fiction writer
The Criminal Mind: A Writer's Guide to Forensic Psychology is an excellent reference tool for any crime or fiction writer who wants to write a believable story involving elements of criminal behavior and those who investigate and treat individuals who display this behavior.Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D., is herself a forensic psychologist and the author of fourteen previous nonfiction books. She uses a mixture of fiction and fact to describe the fundamentals of forensic psychology.She stresses the importance of keeping characters and their behavior realistic to an extent. By knowing how your character would really behave,Ramsland suggests that the writer can add credibility to both characters and plot of the crime, mystery or suspense novel.Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    2. Forensic Medicine    3. Forensic Psychology    4. Reference    5. Writing Skills    6. Creative writing guides    7. Crime & criminology    8. Criminal or forensic psychology   

Reviews (13)

Mediocre, missing essential information, poorly constructed
This book lacks any information about education. Such an essential subject - affecting children and adults alike - should certainly be included.
Simply a dictionary
When I read the description of the book I thought that this book would actually provide information about everyday life in the 1800's; instead, it is merely a dictionary.There are no passages that describe fashion, etiquette, industry, clothing, or anything else useful to a historian.Instead, the book merely provides one sentence descriptions of objects you probabaly can already identify.This book may be useful if you come across the name of an item in a primary text and you are not sure what it is.However, it provides very little useful general information

Holy disorganization, Batman....
It's been a few months since I read this, but I thought I might give a review.
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Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Authorship    3. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Historical fiction    6. History - U.S.    7. Reference    8. Social History    9. Social life and customs    10. United States    11. United States - 19th Century    12. Writing Skills    13. American history    14. USA    15. World history: c 1750 to c 1900    16. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (50)

A good book for Kids!
Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul
Parents beware
I have not read this book, but my nine year old daughter has read and enjoyed most of it. Last night though, she cried herself to sleep after reading graphic stories (near the end of the book) by an incest victim whose father was sent to jail and the daughter of an injection drug user who woke up one night with police pointing guns at her. I'm sure the inclusion of these stories was well-intentioned, but there's no way they are "chicken soup" for the average kid's soul.

Inspirational
Chicken Soup grabs everything that a kid experiences, expertly juggles all of them, weaves a wonderful book, and prints it. Voila! You get Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul.
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Subjects:  1. Children    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Religion    3. Children's writings    4. Children: Grades 2-3    5. Conduct of life    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Religion - Inspirational    9. Social Science - Sociology    10. Fiction anthologies & collections    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / General   

Reviews (23)

Themes, themes, themes
20 Master Plots is the perfect addition to the library of any aspiring writer. This book takes you through twenty different plot themes, with a note in mind on what the plot theme is, and how to implement it in the Three Act structure.
Big on promises, short on delivery
I'm afraid this book has very little to recommend it. Not only is it out of touch with classical and contemporary literature on its subject of choice, all the master structures described aren't really plot structures either, but rather smaller narrative "motifs". And where are all the illustrative, helpful examples from literature and film to flesh out the descriptions? Probably in some other book.
A nice survey of plots.Will get you started
I have been working on a mystery novel and I picked up 20 Master Plots to help me structure the story.Since I've already got my basic plot (Mystery) I was able to use the book to help me make sure that I had my ducks in a row.
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Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Art techniques & materials   

Reviews (10)

A great guide .. but come prepared.
Sure, the author offers many opinions as facts and writes as if his way is the only way. So? He still gives PLENTY of solid advice, and so this book must be read with an open mind. The only reason I purchased it was because I am working on a cross-genre novel, and am quite unfamiliar with writing mysteries. I knew not where to start. Thus, while reading this book, I understand that I am breaking many of the "rules" that the author states, for this is the art of fiction.
Poor examples
Do not waste your time reading this book. Read Carolyn Wheat's Funhouse of mystery and suspense. This book is ok, but not great. The examples he uses are mostly from his own books. These examples are terrible. You will be able to write a mystery after you read this book, but not a "damn good" as evidenced by the popularity of Frey's own books.If Frey could have written a "damn good" mystery, then why hasn't he.

A JAW-DROPPER
I was stunned when I started reading the Introduction and found a misspelled interjection - an eye-popping `viol�' right in the first paragraph of the book! I felt so offended to be presented with such a sloppy mistake in - what is supposed to be - the most critical hook for the reader that the next thing I did was ... voil� ... return the book and get my money back. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Detective and mystery stories    4. Mystery fiction    5. Reference    6. Technique    7. Writing Skills    8. Reference / Writing Skills   

Editorial Review

Another in Ben Bova's series on Science Fiction Writing, here geologist and SF scribe Stephen Gillett helps you construct star systems and planets from the atoms up. While it may take you a little more than the proverbial seven days (well, Read more

Reviews (16)

Excellent "how-to" on basic astronomy, geology, planetology
I agree with the bulk of the reviewers here; this book is jam-packed with excellent technical background for designing believable planetary systems consistent with the physics of *this* universe. In deference to the reviewer who complained that there is nothing about creating the cultures of intelligent beings, yes, maybe a better title would have been "Planet Building." There is another book in this series, "Aliens and Alien Societies," by Stanley Schmidt, that is in fact *mentioned* in "World Building" as a resource for that aspect of science fiction world creation. (I have not seen the Schmidt book, but it appears to have garnered fewer accolades than this one amongst Amazon reviewers.) The section on alternative oceanic constituents for rocky planets (sulfur, or even iron-based compounds) was fabulous.
Packed with information
I have been extremely pleased with this book. I bought it because I wanted to know how to invent a planet that would look plausible scientifically. I am a neophyte in the sciences field, and as such found this book really excellent. It is full pack of information clearly presented, to understand how planets are formed, and what are the requirements for life (this is not simply air and water, but, for example, on the long run also requires volcanism and plate tectonics!). In fact, had I read this book when I was in college, I would have wanted to study chemistry and physics at university (instead of hating it). Lastly, for those wanting to create alien worlds, the end of the book also presents some examples, without which all the info presented may be of few use to design some original exo-planet. Overall, an excellent book.

Concise, useful starting point.
The biggest advantage to his book is that it concisely draws together the general facts about stars, planets, and atmospheres that one needs to design the physicality of worlds for hard-science fiction. Though not all encompassing or exhaustive of the subject, there's enough data to enable one to make choices for a world and then research those choices to the depth necessary to meet one's needs without having to become an expert in astrophysics and/or biochemistry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. General    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Reference   

Reviews (10)

a useful source
I found this book to be both interesting and informative and also very useful in writing a crime story.It will definitely give you an idea of how the cops in your story should act at a crime scene and what they should and shouldn't do.The book is also helpful even if your main character isn't a cop at all.I do have a couple of complaints about the book though.For one thing, the author gives way too much detail on some things.Like the fingerprints.The chapters on fingerprints seemed to be aimed more at someone who wants to become a fingerprint expert instead of just writing fiction about them.I found parts of the fingerprint chapters to be extremely boring and I even skipped through a small portion of it.Although some amount of detail can add realism to a story, I really cannot understand why anyone would want to put THAT much detail on fingerprints into a work of fiction.Secondly, the author slips into stories of personal experience several times in the novel.Most of the stories are interesting and could help a writer, but a couple of them just seem to be rambling by the author and really have nothing to add that would help anyone in writing a novel.But despite these complaints, I still found the book to be very useful and, for the most part, very interesting.I would definitely recommend it.

Scene of the Crime:The Howdunit Series
A great source of information on the field of Crime Scene Investigation.This books gives a great comprehensive overview of the field and how it may work from small towns to larger cities.A great source to find out if it may be something you would like to get into as a career.

A fingerprint in the Howdunit series
Scene of the Crime has lots of facts about fingerprints and examining possible pieces of evidence at a crime scene.I found the sections about identifying remains and what changes the body goes through after death very interesting. I learned a lot of information that will help me in my writing.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    3. Criminal Investigation    4. Forensic Science    5. General    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Reference    8. United States    9. Writing Skills    10. Writing & editing guides   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (7)

Save Your Money
I'm not sure what the other reviewers found so compelling.I found little here other than pages and pages of lists.Some examples: 6pp. of LAPD police radio codes, 3pp. of FBI case classifications, 16pp. of org charts for the LA County Sherrif's Dept.My favorite, however, is the full page devoted to a listing of "Weapons Used by Criminals" which begins "Acid, Air gun, Ax, Bayonet, Bazooka, Billy Club..."Well, you get the idea.The portions of the book not devoted to lists tend to be laughably superficial (e.g., "Street gangs now battle over who sells the drugs and where."Really, thanks.)Granted, there are suggestions for further reading, but my advice would be to save yourself some money and do your readers a favor -- do your own research.

Spice up your writing
I don't usually write crime novels, but when I decided to try my hand at suspence I realized just how much help I needed. I searched through many reference books and found The Crime Writers Reference Guide by Martin Roth to be a savior for me.It gives great tips on investigating, cops, the courts, illegal drugs, the prison system and crime. A handy book to have by your computer when you need to amp up a scene or two or just need to be factual.I found the investigation, crime and prison chapters to be especially helpful. Plus, at the end of each chapter is a "Where to go from here" that gives you extra resources to look up, so you don't have to stop with this book and you have the titles and authors of others to investigate.A great companion to this book is one I found by accidenttitled "Crime Scene"by Larry Ragle. I wrote a review on that one too, so go there and check that out.

Individual chapters cover what a writer most needs to know
The Crime Writer's Reference Guide: 1001 Tips For Writing The Perfect Murder by Martin Roth is a detailed resource especially intended for aspiring authors of mysteries, suspense thrillers, action/adventure crime novels, true crime stories, and police procedurals novels. Individual chapters cover what a writer most needs to know in order to avoid common errors and misconceptions when writing about crime, criminals, police, courts, and prisons. A highly recommended basic primer, this edition of The Crime Writer's Reference Guide is enhanced with a new Foreword and updated information supplied by Rey Verdugo, a former police officer, a top criminal investigator, and a technical consultant for film and television projects. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Crime    4. Criminal justice, Administration of    5. Detective and mystery stories    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Reference    9. United States    10. Writing Skills    11. Creative writing guides    12. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    13. Non-Classifiable    14. Reference/Writing Skills   

Editorial Review

The mystery, like other stories, relies on believable characters, a strong narrative, and crisp prose. But it is also "a way of examining the dark side of human nature," says Read more

Reviews (9)

Great Help
I have other books concerning this subject. What I like about this book is that it contains chapters by different authors. There is nothing like hearing advice from the very authors that you enjoy reading so much.

The ultimate resource for Mystery Writing
Mystery Writing is an art in itself.It requires a lot of planning and preparation in order for the mystery story to work.Planting 'red herrings' and false clues in a story is an art that novice writers will have trouble in achieving with their first attempt.That is the reason why this book is so good -- it brings together the creative geniuses in the field of Mystery writing -- and these writers tell you their secrets to producing mystery.Definitely worth the money.
Wide ranging and helpful
I found the book to a helpful review of everything from the unwritten rules of writing a mystery through the submission process.Personally, I enjoyed having different people present their views.I can see that it might be annoying if you want just one point of view.My advise is to read whatever section you are interested in and skip sections that you do not care about.Good job! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    3. Detective and mystery stories    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Mystery fiction    6. Reference    7. Technique    8. Writing Skills    9. Creative writing guides    10. Rhetoric   

Reviews (4)

Excellent resource
This book is an excellent resource for writers interested in erotic romance. Ms. Kent has authored a seminal work on the subject. I teach romance writing classes and I'm refering this book to my students who write erotic stories. I wish this text had been available when I started writing.

Will prove an invaluable resource
Alison Kent (the pseudonym of an experience author in the genre of erotic romance) draws upon her considerable expertise in "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" to help aspiring authors master the specialized genre of the erotic romance. All too often writers veer into crude pornography while trying to avoid prudish conventions in storytelling. "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" will take the novice writer through a series of practical and effective techniques for creating compelling characters, interesting plots, and engaging dialogue laced with sexually provocative eroticism. Enhanced with advice and examples drawn from successful romance writers and editors, "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" will also prove an invaluable resource that includes lists of available publishers in this select genre. If you want your writing to be hallmarked with chemistry, spice, plot twists, complete characters, and "page turning romance", then add "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Writing Erotic Romance" to your instructional reference bookshelf.

For anyone who wants to add tension
This book goes beyond erotic romance and is, I think, a gem for anyone who wants to write romance of any sort. The exercises are great. Most of the topics worth thinking about even if your stories never gets beyond the bedroom door. It's all about the TENSION.
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Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Novel    6. Reference    7. Writing Skills    8. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing   

Reviews (11)

Useful book for serious PKD readers
Sutin's sometimes sarcastic style might surprise the reader at first, but this is a very insightful look at the life and work of Philip K. Dick - it's also the most substantial book of its kind we have yet. Sutin does a good job of inserting his comments about the works while sharing with us their genesis at the same time; the analysis aspect of `Divine Invasions' is fairly limited, but since it's not a scholarly book, it doesn't disappoint. It reads somewhat like PKD's own novels and short stories, with Dick himself as the central character. The extracts from the Exegesis show PKD at his speculative best and made me want to read more. One more note: in the last section, Sutin offers a `guide' in which he rates PKD's books on a 1-10 internal scale, also providing capsule reviews of the works he didn't write about in the main narrative; it's sure to provoke arguments, as he thought it would. Serious PKD readers should definitely read this.

Philip K. Dick, Self-Devourer
By the time of his premature death in 1982, Philip K. Dick had shrewdly submitted and withdrawn so many hypothetical explanations for his chaotic life and unusual experiences that it made rational judgement and objective analysis impossible for those who were paying attention. Many people were paying attention, and waiting a little too passively for his every next pronouncement on the divine. What is amazing today isn't the great number of fans his science fiction work has generated globally, but the increasing deification of Dick as an illuminated cyberpunk guru and Fortean poster boy of the first order. Certainly Dick documented his experiences more thoroughly, if not more clearly, than most; but since millions of people experience paranormal or metaphysical phenomena every year, and some year after year as Dick did, exactly how and why does Dick stand out from the rest? Only Apparently Real
This is Lawrence Sutin's best book (well, of the three that I've read).It's also the best book on Dick I've found, and it's about as engrossing as some of Dick's better novels.There's a lot of stuff in here, but I wolfed it down pretty quickly.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, American    3. Authorship    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Dick, Philip K    8. Dick, Philip K. - Prose & Criticism    9. General    10. Science fiction    11. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

In her brief note to the readers, Anne McCaffrey informs us that Read more

Reviews (11)

Anne Heir
I enjoy reading about the background story of her and her family, I enjoy her stories and also her son too.Dragonsblood and Dragon's Kin exclent so was Dragonlover's Guide to Pern but someone should have check it better for there are some problems with it and with On Dragonwings too. vak
only for fans of McCaffrey
Admittedly, this book is for fans of author Anne McCaffrey.Fans had been clamoring for her to tell her life's story, but she's been too busy writing her novels.Her second son, Todd, wrote this book to give the fans a little bit of what they want.That's the problem.It is a little bit.This is a very slim volume (coming in at not much more than 100 pages) and is not very well organized.We are not really treated to the entirety of McCaffrey's life and this is not a chronological book.Todd McCaffrey jumps around quite a bit and never stays on any one subject for too long.We get glimpses of the science fiction legend.We see a little bit of her early life and the problems she had growing up.We see her as a struggle writer, and a struggling singer/actor.We see how these experiences shaped her later novels (the singer problems translated directly into Crystal Singer), but we never really get a sense of who Anne McCaffrey is.Granted, I'm not expecting the depth of research that we would get from Robert Caro or David McCullough, but this is a very skimpy biography and is somewhat of a let down.Decent enough for fans of McCaffrey, but I can't imagine this would be of interest to anybody else.

Charming Fragments of a Life
The only criticism possible for this biography of Anne McCaffrey by her son, Todd, is that it is too short.The book is a must-read for any Anne McCaffrey fan, but will leave any such fan saying "More!More!"It tells in brief her family background and the story of her life in a series of family anecdotes and his own favorite memories of growing up with his mother.What is in the book is lovely and charming and interesting and often quite touching, but it is disjointed and reads more like a sketch than a real biography.What you are left with is a sense of what an interesting person she is and how much you'd like to hear more, to have a really well-rounded portrait.That lack is why I gave it only four stars instead of five.Still, you are left with a new awareness of how incredibly brave Anne McCaffrey was and is.She wrote her wonderful dragon stories under the worst possible conditions -- an unhappy, difficult marriage, raising three children, one quite ill for some years, frequent moves, the death of her father, serious money worries.Through it all, she kept writing and was clearly an excellent mother.That alone makes her an inspiration.Read the book knowing its limitations and enjoying learning some charming fragments of a life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authorship    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Fantasy fiction    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Literary    10. McCaffrey, Anne    11. Mccaffrey, Anne - Prose & Criticism    12. Novelists, American    13. Science fiction    14. Women    15. Biography: general    16. English    17. Fiction / Science Fiction / General    18. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -    19. USA   

Reviews (24)

What a Disappointment.
This book has very little content, just random facts that lack any sort of overall cohesion.
No no no....
The entire concept of writing fiction of ANY kind is to use your imagination mixed with the things that you know.A book to TELL you how to write fantasy does not make a bit of sense!If you are building a world, use common sense and round it out, smooth the edges, be as 'realistic' as you can for a Fantasy story.The problem with Fantasy these days is that all Elves are the same; all Dwarves are the same, all Goblins are the same...every book written is basically a carbon copy of the last one.These races DO NOT EXIST in our world, therefore you cannot say they MUST be one way or another.Get back to IMAGINATION - just use the sense you were given.TRUE old fashioned imagination has created the BEST books ever read.

Not as Complete as the Title Suggest
It's definately a good starting point for a reference library, yet it still seems to leave a lot out. For example, it does little to explain world-building and gives less-than-detailed examples in a lot of the book's sections. Most of the info in the book can be found with a search engine. I recommend it only for those of you who want to build a decent reference library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    3. Fantasy fiction    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Reference    6. Technique    7. Writing Skills    8. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (9)

A Great Little Book That Covers Everything You Need to Write a Mystery
I first purchased this book a few years ago and read it through.Recently, I wanted to look at it again, but couldn't find it.That's why I purchased it a second time.It made a good first impression on me.After reading it again, I can see why I liked it so much.First and foremost, it isn't full of 100 to 200 pages of absolute fluff. I really like the way that it gets down to the brass tacks of writing a mystery, in only 121 pages of text.If I wanted to read a gazillion examples of fiction, I'd just read fiction.This book has just enough concise examples to make the point clear (when examples are needed), and they're always relevant to the topic, unlike many writing books. What you'll get in this book is good solid information, and a good bit of it could easily be applied to other genres.If you're thinking about writing mysteries and you're new to writing, this book is a great place to start.All of the bases are covered.The "Writing Lessons" section at the author's website will give you an idea of the kind of writing you will find in this book.In this book, you'll find ideas about things like "What has to happen before the rest can happen?"You'll also get information about developing false leads, avoiding mystery story cliches, organizing your ideas, and getting past the midbook blues -- just to name a few.If you're an experience writer, you'll probably find plenty of good nuggets in this book.If you're just getting started, buy this book.It's that simple.

Pedantic rules but also occasionalvaluable advice
One of the great selling points of this book is the "15 commandments of writing." These rules and advice are terrific, but the book goes on to list many do's and don't's about the process of writing. Inadvertently, I think that the author hasdone too much much to set down rules than to teach about inspirationand creativity. On the other hand, many of her rules are soimewhat good and are based on solid principles of writing. At this price, you will be hard-pressed to find something similar besides "Writing Mysteries" by Sue Grafton, which is much better by far

Great Starter Book
Gillian Roberts puts together an excellent resource for any writer pursuing publication in the mystery genre. Her lessons are hard-boiled and practical. For example, her first chapter launches the reader into a series of commandments "for mystery writers who want to be published." These include, among others: think like a professional, overcome writer's block, don't wait for the muse, and don't self-edit prior to completing the first draft.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    4. Detective and mystery stories    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Mystery And Suspense Fiction    9. Mystery fiction    10. Technique    11. Writing Skills    12. Literary & Linguistic Reference Works    13. Rhetoric   

Editorial Review

Ursula K. Le Guin's extraordinary writing primer is full of charm, wit, and opinion. Le Guin likens writing to "steering a craft," and as one reads through this volume, one has the sense of floating down a river, with the waves of Le Guin's words lapping at one's craft. Le Guin veers sharply from the mainstream of contemporary writing manuals by challenging their very definition of story. While it is common to "conflate story with conflict," Le Guin writes, she finds that limiting. "Story is change," she says. While that change may be the result of conflict, it is just as likely to evolve from "relating, finding, losing, bearing, discovering, [or] parting." Le Guin demonstrates this complexity with well-hewn excerpts from the works of such writers as Jane Austen, Mark Twain, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charlotte Brontë, and especially Virginia Woolf. The many aspects of fine fiction writing Le Guin addresses here include the role of the narrative sentence (its "chief duty [is] to lead to the next sentence--to keep the story going"); avoiding exposition doldrums ("break up the information, grind it fine, and make it into bricks to build the story with"); and the concept of "crowding and leaping." While prose should be "crowded with sensations, meanings, and implications," don't forget that "what you leave out is infinitely more than what you leave in."Read more

Reviews (12)

learn and have fun
This is the best book on writing narrative I've ever read. It has Le Guin's wit and imagination in the writing, and it is full of useful tips and exercizes. A book to keep around and pick up over and over.

A Refreshing Text on Creative Writing
"Steering the Craft" is a surprisingly good and practical book on creative writing.I was surprised because books and essays on writing by established authors can be downright patronizing and intentionally vague.Le Guin, on the other hand, uses lucid language and a gentle tone to explain the essential elements of good prose writing.The examples she uses are eye-opening, perhaps because I keep seeing the same examples from the same group of contemporary authors in most recent books on writing.Her exercises are also innovative, especially those intended to help fiction writers recognize the subtle "music" in prose, and how that is different from poetry.Scattered throughout the book are several opinion pieces where Le Guin discusses various trends in contemporary prose writing.This is where you decide whether her book is right for you--Le Guin definitely has some strong views: she believes that immediacy of the present tense narrative is an illusion and is equally skeptical about hybrid genre prose.If you are in agreement with her or can live with those views, then I have no qualms about recommending this little gem.

An excellent book on craft
I've been a big fan of Ms. LeGuin's for a very long time.This book on the craft of story telling has been extremely helpful.I'm a lawyer and I write stories on behalf of endangered species every day:now I hope to write them better!I strongly advise a re-read of Strunk and White (I've found used copies for about 85 cents in San Francisco) in conjunction with her book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Composition & Creative Writing - Genre Fiction    4. Creative Writing    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Leguin, Ursula - Prose & Criticism    9. Narration (Rhetoric)    10. Problems, exercises, etc    11. Rhetoric    12. Creative writing guides    13. English    14. Reference / Writing Skills    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, English    3. Authorship    4. Biography    5. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    6. Fantasy fiction    7. Inklings (Group of writers)    8. Language    9. Language Arts & Disciplines    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Reference    12. Science Fiction & Fantasy    13. Fantasy    14. Literary studies: from c 1900 -   

Editorial Review

The basic facts of H.P. Lovecraft's life have long been known, but before this book the only account of his life worth having was L. Sprague de Camp's 1975 biography, which was lively but sketchy, giving a fragmented view of Lovecraft's life and work. S.T. Joshi has delivered the goods. This is not only the finest and most definitive biography of Lovecraft, it is likely to remain so for many decades into the future. While at nearly 700 pages, it's not necessarily a book every Lovecraft fan will sit down and read cover to cover, it's a