Mother Miller's How to Write Good Book [Paperback]

Sasha Miller (Author), Andre Norton (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 097097115X | ISBN-13: 978-0970971159 | Publication Date: April 2002

MOTHER MILLER'S HOW TO WRITE GOOD BOOK is a writing guide that doesn't take itself too seriously, but even so, it is full of advice that the would-be writer of prose, and particularly of fiction, would do well to heed. Put this concise guide on a shelf close to your desk, in between THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE and your favorite dictionary. You'll reach for it often. Written with wit and humor, MMHTWGB (this book is best known by its initials) covers everything from plotting to character development to grammar to manuscript style. Sasha Miller writes with the sharp, witty, acerbic, and yet gentle style that has made her the bane and the delight of hundreds of writing students.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Without a well-oiled story-telling instinct, the person who is schooled only in the technical aspects of language will put out finely constructed drivel that will bore a reader to tears. Story-telling instinct can't be taught; either you have it or you don't. But technical skills can be taught, and without them, the would-be writer is operating with both hands firmly tied behind her back. There may be a story lying somewhere beneath the clumsy verbiage, the poor phrasing, the incoherent sentence structures, but it is suffocating for lack of readers who will attempt to fight their way through the garbage to get to it. And editors--those people who buy works of fiction--won't bother." --From Essay One, NUTS AND BOLTS --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

SASHA MILLER says she is "so busy teaching that I don't have time for my own writing. Maybe there's a message in that somewhere."

She is "terminally" married to Himself, a man even more eccentric than she is, and they are the parents of two extremely eccentric cats, Pandora Josephine Prettypuss Calicat Miller and Natasha Tatiana Irene Benova Jennifer Graycat Miller (Ta-DAH).

She is the author of six previous books, the most recent of which is LADYLORD, published in 1996. It is a fantasy set in a world reminiscent of medieval Japan. She is at present collaborating with Andre Norton on a fantasy trilogy for Tor Books. TO THE KING, A DAUGHTER, will be published in September, 2000, KNIGHT OR KNAVE in 2001, and A CROWN DISOWNED in 2002. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Foxacre Pr (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097097115X
• ISBN-13: 978-0970971159
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,040,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every writer should own this book, September 10, 2008

By 

Darragh V. Metzger (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mother Miller's How to Write Good Book (Paperback)

This is a MUST for writers. Helpful hints on grammar, puncutation, sentence structure, storytelling, etc.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Advice for Beginners, August 27, 2008

By 

Scott D. Miller - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mother Miller's How to Write Good Book (Paperback)

I don't own this book, but on the recommendation of a local author I checked a copy out from our library and read it.

The book takes a broad approach to writing fiction--that is it covers a little bit of everything, but not in a lot of depth. There are a few things she touches on that I haven't seen covered in other writing books, but if you already have a shelf-full of books on the craft of creating fiction, you probably don't also need this. On the other hand, this would make a fine first book for any would-be author.

Her advice is solid and the only thing I didn't agree with is her insistence that proper professional manuscript format requires that you put two spaces between sentences. The "two space" rule is a pet peeve of mine: I feel it is an throwback to the time when Underwood was king of the typewriters, but that's just me.

The advice in this book is breezy and light. It's easy to read and understand, and one may flip through the book and read bits here and there at random. She covers everything from character creation, world building, and plotting; to dialog, scene construction, and common grammar problems; through to editing and polishing your manuscript.

This would be an excellent book for a parent to buy for any child who shows promise in creative writing, but you don't need to be a child to get something out of it. I'm in my 50s and I learned a few things--even after reading and digesting Stein, Maass, Swain, Browne & King, Collins, Vogler, McCutcheon, and Ingermanson.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Writing Advice, October 11, 2002

By 

A. Chafee - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mother Miller's How to Write Good Book (Paperback)

If you want a good companion book to "Elements of Style", this is it. Sasha provides sound, straightforward advice about writing, along with good technical expertise. She highlights many pitfalls and stumbling blocks that many new writers might encounter, then tells the reader what to do about them. Recommended!