Customer Reviews

The ABC's of Writing Fiction

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Now, I know why nobody bothered to comment on this book before. Seriously, it is an insult for someone to jot down whatever just for the sake of selling a book. This book pales in comparison with works like "If you want to write" by Brenda Ueland, "Writing for Fiction" by Jon Franklin and "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser.

Well, this is my good deed for the year!

but, of course, it's not. I found Ann Copeland's book very helpful and encouraging. She reminded me that writing, although a struggle, should always be fun.

Being a newcomer to writing, I have found Ann Copeland's guide to writing very helpful. The entries are in alphabetical order and are all cross-referenced, making hopping around to read more on a particular subject of interest simple. I am a nonlinear thinker and find it easier to remember things if they are learned within a framework of my own interests at the time. In this book I can find a subject of interest easily and inevitably end up bouncing from one related entry to another, always finding new wisdom and important reminders in the suggestions.

Unfortunately, this book is little more than a glossary of writing terms. Under "S" you'll find "scene" and "subplot" and "setting". Not exciting, not inspiring.

A much better bet is Josip Novakovich's "Writing Fiction Step by Step".