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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Years of Experience and a Teacher's Touch, September 28, 2003
By A Customer
Confession time: lining the dustier shelves of my workspace are largely unread books with titles like "Practical Tips for Writing Popular Fiction" and "How to Tell a Story." These were acquired in various weak moments--generally after receiving yet another rejection slip--when doubting my abilities. Always, after skimming the first few chapters, I would chastise myself for wasting another $20.00 or so, and swear never to be enticed by another such title. So when the review copy of "Fiction Writing Demystified" hit my desk I was, to say the least, skeptical. After all, the subtitle promises "Techniques That Will Make You a More Successful Writer." Thoroughly convinced I was wasting my time, I nevertheless opened to the Preface and began reading. Quite literally, I couldn't put it down: all 195 pages (back and front matter comprise the balance) were devoured in one sitting, leaving me hungry for more. Beginning with the first page, Mr. Sawyer offers a bounty of reasonable and specific advice, useful not only for the novice but for the accomplished writer as well. Drawing upon his years of experience as a creative writing teacher, screenwriter and novelist, he presents practical techniques for crafting a tight, gripping story with powerful characters and unique, exceptional dialogue. This is not to imply that only fiction writers will benefit from Mr. Sawyer's book. Indeed, a better title might have been "Creative Writing Demystified," as much of what he has to say can be applied by creative writers of all stripes. The historian, the self-help guru, even the cookbook writer all must engage their readers, or "...they'll stop reading or watching or paying attention to whatever it is we're trying to say." Perhaps the great strength of this book lies in Mr. Sawyer's ability to convey his knowledge and experience in clear, concise language, and an easy to read, conversational format. Certainly some of what Mr. Sawyer writes will seem rudimentary to the experienced writer. But it is basic in a forehead-slapping, "Of course!" way--and a little blatancy is to be expected in a book with so broad a target audience. Still, given some of the fiction I've read--and, to my chagrin, written--lately, many of us would do well to heed much of that fundamental wisdom.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Will lead you to success!, July 17, 2003
Fiction Writing Demystified is a powerhouse of solid information that will definitely improve your performance as a writer. Sawyer breaks his purpose down into a simple statement: "In a very real way, this book is about troubleshooting your own writing." He provides you with the tools to become a self-editor. Sawyer walks you through the mindset of the writer, the beginning of the story, the writing process, the construction, and creating unique dialogue. But for me, the most enlightening portion of the book is the character development chapter. This lengthy chapter makes up almost half of the book and covers aspects of character development that I had not even considered. Sawyer's writing style is conversational and bright. It moves along at a steady pace and propels you forward. I read the entire book before stopping for coffee. It is one how-to manual that you just cannot put down. From the beginning, I was reminded of my favorite writing how-to book, On Writing, by Stephen King. Sawyer's tone and style are so close to King's. His choice of words also resembles King's. Both men reduce the most complex topics into plain, easy to understand explanations. Fiction Writing Demystified delivers on the promise to make you a more successful writer. If you follow the instructions in this book, I am certain that you will find your manuscripts being accepted more frequently and revised very little. My only problem with any of the advice is when Sawyer warns writers to omit dialect. I have heard this wisdom dispensed by professional writers, editors, publishers, and instructors ever since I began writing. Yet, we repeatedly fall in love with the very characters that have the strongest dialect, proving that the public does tire of making believe that all people are standard Middle American. From Cyndi Lauper and Fran the Nanny to Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle, we love dialects and variety in our characters. Unfortunately, as long as the icons of the business continue to warn writers to avoid dialects, we will be stuck with Stepford Middle American speech patterns. I would have liked to hear Sawyer stating that dialect is okay, but I am sure that he feels it would greatly reduce the marketability of work. He is providing his readers with solid advice for success. Thomas B. Sawyer has been on the writing staff of 15 network TV series. He has written 9 series pilots and 100 episode scripts. He was the Head-writer/Producer/Showrunner of Murder She Wrote. His resume goes on and only becomes more impressive. Reprinted from Gotta Write Network Online.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Truth-in-adveftising, January 28, 2007
As of 26 January 2007 I completed an on-line class at The Writer's Store taught by the author and using this book as a text.
This book is self-published. You can draw your own conclusions as to what that may or may not mean.
Every review is the result of the reviewer's interaction with a book and this review is no exception. It's as much about the reviewer as it is about the item reviewed. What follows is my opinion. Yours may differ depending on your background and what you hope to gain from the book.
The author of Demystified spent about 12 years as a TV scriptwriter and probably as a TV script supervisor although he does not say so.
The book contains his ideas about writing interspersed with his political opinions (from the sixties) and war stories of his years in TV.
He does have something interesting to say to mystery writers about what he calls "franchise" which he defines as the investigators legal right to intervene in the lives of the people he investigates. Worth pondering.
Whether it's enough to justify the purchase price is up to the purchaser.
I found the material poorly orgaznized and expect the author to publish a 2nd edition in the not too distant future.
Personally, I found nothing here that you cannot find in more detail elsewhere (except for the notion of "franchise which IMO, does not justify the price).
If I had it to do over I neither would have bought the book or paid for the class.
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