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4 A.M. Breakthrough: Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction
 
 
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4 A.M. Breakthrough: Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction [Paperback]

Brian Kiteley (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Book Description

1582975639 978-1582975634 January 12, 2009
Realize All That Is Possible in Your Fiction





Writers have long turned to exercises for help with beginning–be it a new piece of fiction, a daily routine, or a serious writing life. Behind the theory of exercises is an attitude of curiosity and expectancy, a desire to ask questions of yourself and of the world, to boldly–or not so boldly–stick a toe into the waters of something fresh, provocative, and exhilarating. To create fiction on the verge.





In The 4 A.M. Breakthrough, companion to The 3 A.M. Epiphany, award-winning author and professor Brian Kiteley presents you with another 200 stimulating exercises, designed to help you expand your understanding of the problems and processes of more complex, satisfying fiction and to challenge you to produce works of which you never thought yourself capable.





You'll learn how to:





  • Train your writing instincts, so creation becomes a more organic, automatic process

  • Tackle challenging concepts and themes, such as Language Games, The Mind, Money & Class, and History, laying a foundation for larger, more significant writing projects

  • Make your writing process more fun and experimental, so you'll approach your fiction in the spirit of discovery, rather than with anxiety




Open the book. Choose an exercise. Surprise yourself.





Anything can happen–even at 4 a.m.


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4 A.M. Breakthrough: Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction + The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises that Transform Your Fiction + The Write-Brain Workbook: 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing
Price For All Three: $35.40

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  • The Write-Brain Workbook: 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing $13.37

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brian Kiteley is a professor in the creative writing program at the University of Denver (one of the very few schools to offer a Ph.D. in creative writing); he teaches writing workshops to both undergrads and grads. He has published two novels, Still Life With Insects (Ticknor & Fields, 1989) and I Know Many Songs, But I Cannot Sing (Simon & Schuster, 1996). His novel The River Gods will be published in the fall of 2009 by FC2. Awards include the Whiting Writers Award; a Guggenheim; and a Writing Fellowship with the NEA, 1991–92. His work has been published in Best American Short Stories.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Writers Digest Books (January 12, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1582975639
  • ISBN-13: 978-1582975634
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Kiteley's third novel The River Gods was published by FC2 and is available as both e-book and paperback. He has also published two novels, Still Life With Insects and I Know Many Songs, But I Cannot Sing, and two collections of fiction exercises, The 3 A.M. Epiphany and The 4 A.M. Breakthrough. He is at work on novel set in Crete in 1988, about love, sun, sex, and the CIA, with cameos by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Brian Kiteley teaches at the University of Denver in the Creative Writing PhD program. His home page is:

www.du.edu/~bkiteley


 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Resource, May 1, 2009
By 
M. Bode (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: 4 A.M. Breakthrough: Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction (Paperback)
After the promising beginnings of a writing career, I succumbed to nearly a decade of writers block (and subsequent financial security). On a lark, I decided to revisit the writing reference section of my local brick and mortar to see if anything would rekindle the passion for my old hobby.

My friend pointed this book out to me and within a few minutes of flipping through the exercises I was sold. (Take a look inside the book via Amazon's preview feature)

These are not the typical "write about your favorite color" exercises you find on the internet. Many of them are focused on technical aspects of the craft.

The exercises are fun, but also challenging for experienced writers. They provide enough structure for you to open up to the writing process rather than being stuck with the blank page. So far I've been through two and come up with the complete framework for as many potential stories.

It's definitely made writing fun for me again.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Epiphany & Breakthrough, February 8, 2009
By 
Amelie Walmsley (Wilmette, Illinois) - See all my reviews
This review is from: 4 A.M. Breakthrough: Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction (Paperback)
I just bought The 4 a.m. Breakthrough because I loved The 3 a.m. Epiphany. I thought I was one of those writers who don't do exercises but read the books for other kernels. I always thought exercises would interfere with my own writing process but after doing only one exercise from this book, I was so excited by the result I wanted to do more. Brian Kiteley's approach offers a new way of working on writing, whether you work alone or in a group. I always thought the "write a story and let us tear it down" method of workshop lacked vitality. When I found Kiteley's books, his approach made me refresh my whole attitide to teaching and learning about writing. I plan to use these exercises to help me draft my next novel. Buy both books and keep them near.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Resource, February 7, 2011
This review is from: 4 A.M. Breakthrough: Unconventional Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction (Paperback)
Writing poorly is easy, but writing well is difficult, and this book provides a lot of prompts for practice. It's a great resource for anyone that is stuck with writer's block or just wants a good warm-up. Highly recommended for fiction writers.
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