Don Quixote Meets the Mob [Paperback]

Susan Taylor Chehak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0738824763 | ISBN-13: 978-0738824765 | Edition: 1st

This unique and appealing approach to the craft of fiction writing reinvents the writing method and breathes new life into the writing instructional. Chehak is a facile and entertaining storyteller who uses personal anecdote to find in practicing the art of fiction deep and moving lessons for engaging in the art of life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Taylor Chehak (M.F.A., The University of Iowa Writers' Workshop) is the author of five novels, including SMITHEREENS (a Hammett Award nominee), THE STORY OF ANNIE D. (an Edgar Award nominee), HARMONY (a Literary Guild Editor's Choice), DANCING ON GLASS, and RAMPAGE. Her short stories have appeared in The Chariton Review and Sisters in Crime 5. Hailed as "a master of the Midwestern gothic," she grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and now resides in Los Angeles, where she has developed several dramatic series pilots for television and taught fiction writing at The University of Southern California and UCLA, Extension.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corp; 1st edition (August 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738824763
• ISBN-13: 978-0738824765
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,112,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Taylor Chehak is a graduate of the University of Iowa Writers Workshop and the author of five novels, including Smithereens (a Hammett Award nominee), The Truth About Annie D. (an Edgar Award nominee and New York Times Notable Book), and Harmony (a Literary Guild Editor's Choice), as well as a book of nonfiction, Don Quixote Meets the Mob: The Craft of Fiction and the Art of Life. Her short stories have appeared in Word Riot, Coe Review, Guernica Magazine, L.A. Under The Influence, Sisters in Crime 5, and The Chariton Review. She teaches fiction writing in the low residency MFA program at Antioch University, Los Angeles, as well as in The UCLA Extension Writers' Program and the Summer Writing Festival at the University of Iowa. Susan grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spends as much time as possible in Colorado, and at present divides her time between Los Angeles and Toronto.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention Writers: This One's A Keeper, December 7, 2000

By 

Richard H. Hicks (Cardiff, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don Quixote Meets the Mob (Hardcover)

Susan Taylor Chehak has written a remarkable book which, as its subtitle suggests, is really about two subjects: the craft of fiction and the art of life. As a writer, I have started (but not finished) dozens of "how to" books on the craft of writing fiction. I usually nod off around the chapter on "point of view," and seldom make it to the all important discussion on "revising your work." But I read Chehak's book from cover to cover in just a few sittings. As a book on the "writing craft" it covers all the usual subjects. What sets it apart and makes it so engaging is Chehak's exceptional ability as a storyteller. Her conversational style is so convincing, you feel as though you're sitting around her kitchen table, drinking coffee, while she tells you, all wide eyed, the most improbable or outlandish thing that happened to her (or her family or friends)just last week. These stories, it turns out, are for the most part not really true. Or are they? At the core of this book is Chehak's fascination with "the peculiar relationship that seems to exist between fiction and reality." Using her stories as examples, and drawing on a rich source of literature, philosophy, and writing gurus, Chehak takes us on an exploration of her underlying theme: that it is not always easy to separate fact from fiction. Whether you are interested in the writing craft, or the art of life, this is a book that sings with originality.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Antidote to Writer's Block, Procrastination & Delay, June 12, 2001

By 

Richard Elixxir (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don Quixote Meets the Mob (Paperback)

Are you suffering from writer's block because of your perfectionism? Are you taking forever to finish your book or novel?

Well, Susan Taylor Chehak's short but inspiring meditation on "Perfection?" (page 145-146 of her book) might help get you over the hump. It did exactly that for me. And just that makes it worth more than the price of this unique book on the craft of writing.

"Don Quixote Meets The Mob: The Craft of Fiction & The Art of Life" is not your typical, predictable how-to-write-fiction manual out to make a quick buck off aspiring writers. The author teaches her craft with subtlety, sophistication, and insight. You can feel the generosity here, for it is a work of love. And if you let it, it will boost and move and grow you as a writer in unexpected ways.

...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertainment and helpful., May 28, 2001

By 

Judson Jones (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don Quixote Meets the Mob (Paperback)

I've read a lot of how-to-write-fiction books. Many of them were helpful on the mechanics of writing. "Don Quixote" covers some of that territory, but it's mostly about what makes a story. A novel has to have interesting people doing interesting things. The author uses relatives and people she has known along with real events to demonstrate the difference between family news or gossip and fictional reality. This book would be useful to most beginning writers because it covers an area of fiction which is generally ignored.