The Art & Craft of the Short Story [Hardcover]

Rick DeMarinis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2000

In his highly personal and compelling style, DeMarinis shares advice, classic examples and exercises in this definitive book on the short story.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The short story is a kind of fast fiction. It's like a novel, only, well, shorter, right? Wrong. "The short story is closer in spirit to the poem than it is to the novel," says Rick DeMarinis (Borrowed Hearts: New and Selected Stories). As in a poem, every word counts. Every metaphor need be carefully considered. Nothing can be wasted. "Unlike the novel," says DeMarinis, "which has ample time to build a history of the central character or characters, the short story lifts the window blinds on someone's life, then, after we've seen enough to understand something about that life, the blinds are closed."

With that in mind, DeMarinis reflects on the various fictional components--viewpoint, character, plot, imagery--as they relate to the short form. He also talks about how unsettling it can be to embark on a new story ("You don't begin with meaning, you end with it"), and how difficult it can be to find the right ending ("I've waited as long as ten years"). Throughout the book is a recurring command for wakefulness: pay very close attention and let nothing be lost on you, DeMarinis says. "Look at familiar people and things with such close attention that it seems you are seeing them for the first time." Write short stories only if you can't not write them, and steel yourself: "you've got to write tens of thousands of words before you begin to see improvement." DeMarinis proves a wonderful companion for the serious student of short fiction, though he'd surely balk at our use of "serious": "Writing isn't hard work," he says, "it's hard play." --Jane Steinberg

From Library Journal

Demarinis (Borrowed Hearts), a veteran short story writer and writing teacher who recently retired from the University of Texas, here presents an anecdotal and insightful guide to writing short stories. Excerpting and quoting writers both well known and obscure, Demarinis lays out the paradox of short story writing, i.e., that nobody knows how to do it other than what to avoid. In demonstrating the murky process of creating short stories, he uses his own work sparingly but effectively. Like others, he emphasizes the importance of writing every day, also noting that stories are more likely to come out subconsciously and that a story's meaning may not be clear to the writer for some time. Setting aside exercises in writing plot summaries and identifying the beginning, middle, and end of stories, Demarinis takes a more passive and intuitive approach. Although his book can be read for its entertainment value alone, it will undoubtedly be useful for writing courses and workshops. Suitable for both public and academic collections.DRobert Moore, Raytheon, Sudbury, MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Story Press Books; 1st edition (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884910459
• ISBN-13: 978-1884910456
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #829,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Art and Craft of Figuring It Out, June 25, 2000

By 

Lisa Tomer (Foscoe, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art & Craft of the Short Story (Hardcover)

The Art and Craft of the Short Story is an enlightening read for writer-wanna bes, writers in school and even established writers. This is mainly because of DeMarinis' personal approach to writing advice (plus the fact that he's been publishing short stories for 30 years, and has taught creative writing at the university level). His approach is to expose his own creative process, the development of his stories, and even to provide insight into his personal life. (The latter makes a very valid point-- writing and short stories are integral with the writer's life.) In fact, the Art and Craft of the Short Story can be read as a primer for his other books, such as Borrowed Hearts. He does use examples from his students (giving the novice comfort in numbers), he sites many excellent stories to develop his points (Hemingway and form is an obvious instance) and he quotes the established icons of literature to give the Art and Craft of the Short Story the mythical tinge that literature strives for: "here's what Joseph Conrad had to say about the subject..." (p.77) and a quote from Raymond Carver's comments on a confession by Flannery O'Connor (p.34.).

The book is divided into the expected (and needed!) short story elements: Where Stories Come From; Beginnings; Theme; Characters; Plot; and on and on. The introduction includes a fascinating analysis of the Golden Age of fiction, and the current state of affairs. DeMarinis also provides a succinct (and accurate) summary of what the contemporary short story is about. Additional asides and other note benes include comments on the sophistication of today's readers, a caveat and a confession and more. DeMarinis does suggest some exercises, my favorite was Write The Worst Story You Can. The Art and Craft of the Short Story-- through DeMarinis' instruction and his own stories-- motivated me to experiment and write more. In fact, based on all the suggested readings and exrcises, a person could read for a year, or take their own private writing course.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is not your standard how to book, November 8, 2000

By 

LaLoren - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art & Craft of the Short Story (Hardcover)

Most of the books I've come across on writing provide formulaic methods and page after page of boring exercises. They tell you things like, grab the reader's attention in the first paragraph; use a lot of dialogue. Yet those of us who appreciate literature know that some of the best writing is the kind that breaks all the rules.

One of the first things Rick DeMarinis tells us is that he doesn't know how to write a short story. Though he's been writing for 30 years, it's still a struggle. All he can really do is tell how he goes about it, and give us examples of where he thinks other writers have succeeded. For every piece of advice he gives, he shows examples of how another writer took a different approach and it worked.

You might think that this would tend to make the book confusing and almost worthless, but it doesn't. Certain important points do emerge. For example, a short story is more like a poem than a novel. Due to its length, each word is important and must be chosen carefully. Most of the time the theme of your story will not come through in the first draft. It will take several re-writes. There are any number of approaches one can take to a story-some more conventional than others-and the writer should not be afraid to experiment. Trying to develop a style or trying to "make a point" with your writing often results in stilted prose.

For me this book was a validation of all the things I've been doing all along, but that other books had told me were wrong. It's not for the individual who is looking for a shortcut to getting published, or who wants to write best sellers. As the author tells us, "This book is addressed and dedicated to all of you who can't quit, who would be miserable if denied pencil, pen, or keyboard." If you fit that category, then you need to read this.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, December 1, 2010

By 

Bookworm2 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art & Craft of the Short Story (Paperback)

This book is excellent to get you started writing your own stories and if you experience writer's block there are exercises to help with that, too. I like the idea that he presents some of his own stories, because they illustrate the points that he has to make. This book is not only good for learning, exercises, and writer's block, but it's also a cozy ready. You can curl up in bed with it and read to your heart's content.