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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bit vague, but great tips on world building, July 27, 2010
This review is from: The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction: 6 Steps to Writing and Publishing Your Bestseller! (Paperback)
Pros: A good section on world building, some nice tips on the business side of writing, wisdom from different authors, a great short story by R.A. Salvatore.
Cons: Not in-depth enough in the sections on characters and plot, a little too much promotion.
I was pretty disappointed in the first couple of sections of this book. While the advice given was solid and it was presented in an authoritative, yet humble way, it wasn't nearly specific enough to actually tell me anything. If a topic is worth bringing up at all in a book, it is worth devoting more than a paragraph to it. And yet, many of the tips this book has to give on story and character are given barely a paragraph of very general information -- and that's after the author has quoted another writer and plugged R.A. Salvatore yet again (was it really necessary to promote this man's books on every other page?).
The book's tips on world building are much more specific and much more useful and since world building is the main way in which writing a fantasy/science fiction novel is different from writing any other type of novel, this is a good thing. The book gives excellent tips on all the different little things you'll have to think of when writing in the genre, some of which aren't immediately obvious, such as systems of weights and measures. The rest of the book was also strong, with some good information on the nuts and bolts of writing such as how to avoid anachronisms and some good information on the appropriate way to approach agents and editors.
As a side note, the short story at the end of this book, "Hugo Mann's Perfect Soul" by R.A. Salvatore is excellent -- one of the best pieces I've read by that author.
I should probably also mention that this book is geared slightly more toward the fantasy writer than the science fiction writer.
Even though it's a little short on information in places, this book still has some invaluable tips for fantasy writers, particularly concerning setting and world building. 4 stars.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I expected, September 24, 2011
This review is from: The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction: 6 Steps to Writing and Publishing Your Bestseller! (Paperback)
I am not a fan of either of the main authors, however this book turned into an amazing resource as well a great read. Each chapter is full of quotes and words from other authors with lots of helpful information. Chapters 1 and 2 they lay out the the genres and subgenres of Fantasy and Science Fiction. I do not fully with everything the authors has to say about the genres and subgenres however this was the first time I have seen someone say this is how THEY VIEW the genres and subgenres. Chapter 3 Talks about audience, although I feel they have a great beginning I wish they had more, possibly short examples or something a bit more than what was put in just a few pages. Chapter 4 - 8 are great at helping you form more solid ideas for a book if you are having trouble forming your thoughts into writable content. The rest is for you to discover.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for what it's meant to be, January 10, 2011
I purchased this book, naturally, because I want to write a fantasy novel. I wanted a book to teach me how to write fantasy, not one that teaches me how to write a book (I already have a very excellent book for this: Writing Fiction For Dummies). This book does exactly that. If you're interested in writing sci-fi, just about everything I say in this review will still apply to you. The information is fairly balanced for both. Though there are a couple chapters that seem more heavily balanced toward fantasy writing, they are worth reading if you're writing sci-fi because concepts they deal with are the exact same as you will find in writing sci-fi.
So what's different about writing a novel and writing fantasy, and why do you need a book for this? Well, first of all, keep in mind this is written by Philip Athans, who is the Managing Editor for Wizards of the Coast, and he also writes his own fantasy. That's important to note because editors, in the writing world, are experts at finding what's wrong in your writing (such as anachronisms). They're going to be the ones who, in the end, tell you what you can and can't do. One biggest rules in writing is listen to your editor. Don't confuse this paragraph as meaning he's a bossy editor in this book, though. He's very modest about it.
This book is a high-level guide to writing fantasy and sci-fi. It deals a lot with the polishing over in your fantasy world and narrative. Major strong points of the book are (but not limited to): how to deal with issues such as the use of archetypes, how to avoid anachronisms, identifying what kind of sci-fi or fantasy you're writing, ways to guide your research in topical matters, how much of the mundane (animals, weights and measures, units of time, foods, diseases, et cetera) you should create or leave alone, and how to approach an agent or publisher with your completed works. It is all presented in a very casual and easily read tone.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is that Athans uses article references and quotes of other authors in the fantasy and sci-fi genre, presenting a broader scope than his own. This is something I look for in any "guide" or "how to" book because many who claim to know the special secret and only their method works are trying to scam you.
Also remember, because this book is a high level view of writing fantasy, it's short. I consider that a good thing because I don't want to be sifting through pages and pages about creating languages, diseases, magic systems, or other things that are research topics when trying to find answers to very simple questions about writing my fantasy world.
Overall, I recommend picking this book up if you plan on writing sci-fi or fantasy. It's a great supplement to add to your personal writing library. After reading through it, it's improved my confidence in my ability to world build and reviewing my own writing. Also, excellent short story by R. A. Salvatore included at the end!
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