The contributors to Creating Fiction -- members of the Associated Writing Programs -- have won awards such as the Pulitzer Prize. They have led workshops, published stories and novels, and now their experience and wisdom can be found in one landmark book.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Unable to secure a coveted spot in a creative-writing program? Unwilling to make the life changes necessary to do so? Creating Fiction is a fiction-writing course from some of those programs' top instructors. Among the finest of these 23 never-before-published essays about fiction writing--each of which is accompanied by a few writing exercises--are those by Jane Smiley on revision, John Barth on plot, Carrie Brown on the writing of magic realism, and Julie Checkoway on "The Lingerie Theory of Literature" ("The fundamental secret ... to the effective ending," Checkoway confides, "is to practice the restraint one sees in those Victoria's Secret lingerie ads--enough coyness to tantalize, enough enigma to tease, but never, ever, too much naked abandon").
And Philip Gerard, author of Hatteras Light and instructor at UNC-Wilmington, has written a standout piece about structuring the novel and story collection. "It astonishes me," says Gerard, "that intelligent people who would not hold a wedding, plant a garden, or even slap together a utility shed without exhaustive planning nonetheless regard the novel as a spontaneous literary event that just happens onto the page." Of course, there are many novelists who would disagree with Gerard about such planning, but Gerard is not advocating writing an outline and sticking to it. "The central paradox of writing the novel," he says, is that "you have to know where it's going, but when it speaks to you, shows you a better direction, you have to be ready to abandon your plan and listen to the story." Gerard also has unorthodox ideas on the organizing of story collections. While most writers obsess over story arrangement, Gerard's approach is more relaxed. "Enough readers read at random within the collection," he advises, "that worrying too much about the order of stories may distract the writer and editor from more important considerations." And whatever you do, don't be overwhelmed by the concept of writing a book. "Nobody writes a book," says Gerard. "What you write every day is a piece of a book, a fragment, a scene." --Jane Steinberg
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A new classic--the best book on craft around!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Creating Fiction: Instructions and Insights from Teachers of the Associated Writing Programs (Hardcover)
As a writer, I'm usually skeptical about buying books on writing, but this book is amazing. It's smart and practical, with advice from some of the most accomplished novelists and short story writers living today. I honestly learned things I didn't know by reading this book. As a teacher of writing, I'm going to use it in the classroom, too. A must for anybody who's serious about writing fiction. A new classic! As good as, if not better than, John Gardner's The Art of Fiction!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Resource,
By Suzanne E. Anderson "Author of Mrs. Tuesday's... (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating Fiction: Instructions and Insights from Teachers of the Associated Writing Programs (Hardcover)
I've purchased a lot of books on writing. This is by far one of the best. Each chapter is written by a different author, handling a different aspect of the writing process. Ms. Checkoway has done a brilliant job of editing and choosing her authors and their topics. I've used this book in every point of my novel's progress from start to revision and found the advice helpful, practical and accessible. I highly recommend this book for beginners and experienced writers.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ideal team of writing coaches, all in one place,
By A Customer
This review is from: Creating Fiction: Instructions and Insights from Teachers of the Associated Writing Programs (Hardcover)
This book is a friendly companion written by people who not only enjoy writing but who have been successful at it. The authors in each lesson set an excellent example for the aspiring writer, creating a tone that challenges you to be adventurous and to work at your prose. If this book doesn't put you on the right path, not much else will.
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