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Behind the Short Story: From First to Final Draft

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Introducing BEHIND the SHORT STORY, the editors note: "Unlike traditional creative writing texts, this book offers students the opportunity to be mentored by twenty-seven successful short story writers and fiction instructors, each of whom discusses skills that lead to a deeper understanding of fiction's craft. . . . It allows students to work at their own pace through in-depth, teacher-assisted instruction or independent, self-initiated study and shift their focus from product to process."

Twenty-seven mentors? Initially skeptical, I studied the book on my own. I found the editorial introductions to the eleven chapters clear and the behind-the-story essays by each of the twenty-seven authors illuminating. Among the authors featured are Lorrie Moore, Amy Bloom, Adam Johnson, Judith Mitchell, Tom Hazuka, T. Coraghessan Boyle, George Saunders, and Mary Gaitskell. A great selection.

All of the stories selected are by contemporary authors, published in highly regarded literary magazines such as The New Yorker, Ploughshares, and The Gettysburg Review. Wonderful stories.

But are these stories the most suited "to provide a solid foundation ... to the beginning writer"? Doubtful. The editors' stated objective would be better achieved by stories that are more readily accessible. Just such stories are in the anthology ON WRITING SHORT STORIES,edited by Tom Bailey. Bailey's anthology along with his A SHORT-STORY WRITER'S COMPANION would make a better choice for the beginning writer.

For the intermediate/advanced student of the craft, BEHIND THE SHORT STORY would make an excellent choice.

-- C J Singh
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More Details?

The first part of the book comprises three brief chapters: On Prewriting.

The second part comprises five detailed chapters: Story Structure and the Fundamentals of Plot; Developing Characters; Choosing a Point of View; Constructing a Scene; The Short-Short Story.

The third part comprises three chapters: Revision Techniques; The Story and Its Audience; Theme, Meaning, and Vision.