Science Fiction Writer's Workshop 1: An Introduction to Fiction Mechanics [Paperback]

Barry B. Longyear (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1980

"About a year after (my stories began being published), magazine editor George Scithers, suggested to me that since I was so new at being published, I must be very close to what I had to learn to move from fooling around with writing to actually producing professional stories. There are a lot of aspiring writers out there who would like to know just that. Write that book.SFWW-I is that book. It's the book I was looking for when I first started writing fiction."-Barry B. Longyear

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hugo, Nebula, and Campbell Award winner, Barry Longyear is author of ?Enemy Mine?, made into a major motion picture by Fox. Recent works include The Enemy Papers and Yesterday?s Tomorrow. Having completed training as a private investigator, he has entered the world of mystery writing with The Hangman?s Son. He lives with his wife, Jean, in New Sharon, Maine. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Owlswick Pr (June 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913896187
• ISBN-13: 978-0913896181
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,081,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hugo & Nebula winning author of Enemy Mine (made into a major motion picture by Fox)

BARRY B. LONGYEAR is the first writer to win the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer all in the same year. In addition to his acclaimed Enemy Mine Series, his works include the classic Sea of Glass and Infinity Hold series, SF & fantasy novels, recovery and writing instruction works, and numerous short stories.


Nominations and Awards*:

1979 (Nomination) John W. Campbell Award for best new writer.
1979 John W. Campbell Award for best new writer.
1979 Hugo Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."
1979 Nebula Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."
1979 Locus Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."

1979 (Nomination) Hugo Award, best novelette, "Homecoming."
1980 (Nomination), Hugo Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1980 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1980 (Nomination), AnLab Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1981 (Nomination) Locus Award, Single Author Collection, Manifest Destiny.

1981 Distinguished Achievement Award, University of Maine at Farmington.

1982 (Nomination), AnLab Award, best short story, "Collector's Item."
1984 (Nomination) Prometheus Award, best novel, The Tomorrow Testament.

1990 (Finalist) Philip K. Dick Award, best novel, Infinity Hold.

1990 (Nomination) Prometheus Award, best novel, Infinity Hold.
1991 (Nomination) Prometheus Hall of Fame, Circus World.

1993 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "Chimaera."
1994 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "The Death Addict."

1999 (Nomination) Prometheus Hall of Fame, Circus World.

2002 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novella, "Silent Her."

2006 AnLab Award, best novella, "The Good Kill."
2007 AnLab Award, best novella, "Murder in Parliament Street."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best overall guide for beginning fiction writers..., December 5, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Science Fiction Writer's Workshop 1: An Introduction to Fiction Mechanics (Paperback)

Joel (_Guardians of the Flame_ series) Rosenberg turned me on to this book. In the afterword to his _Emile and the Dutchman,_ he said that anybody aspiring to write SF/fantasy should "either get a copy...or cop to not being serious." To put it into plain English, this is simply the best book available for would-be writers. Although a lot of the information is specifically aimed at SF/fantasy writers, the exercises presented would do a lot for anybody at all who seriously wants to write fiction. Longyear gives examples of what he's talking about that anybody can understand, and explains the whys and wherefores of fiction writing with uttermost clarity. There are other books for would-be SF/fantasy writers on the market, but this one is, in my own view, the very best. It would serve admirably well as a text for a "creative writing" course, or as such a course in and of itself

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book on Science Fiction Writing I've Seen, October 28, 2009

By 

Scott T. Barnes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Science Fiction Writer's Workshop-I: An Introduction to Fiction Mechanics (Paperback)

I met Barry Longyear at Odyssey 2008 and was so impressed with him as a writer and teacher that I bought this book. Although I consider myself a semi-pro writer, I have learned a tremendous amount from what he calls an "introduction." It is straightforward and contains numerous examples from Longyear's own award winning stories. He includes rejected versions and the subsequent revised stories which did sell, along with critiques. I am now reading this book for a second time and doing the exercises (the first time I read straight through). I am also reading one short story from his book It Came From Schenectady to see how he applied the lessons. At least one other science fiction writer I know considers this his "go-to" book.

As far as the sequel, Barry said that he did write it. I believe it is a pdf book which you can order through his personal website for around $33. I plan to do that next year.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands on approach., January 12, 2002

By 

John Robinson "john" (Yokohama, Kanagawa Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Science Fiction Writer's Workshop 1: An Introduction to Fiction Mechanics (Paperback)

This is the best guide for beginning writers-and some professionals, for that matter-that I have ever seen. I have most of the well-known books, but this one works the best. It teaches the mechanics of good story construction through explanation, example, and exercises for the reader. For example, in one chapter the reader is challenged to create "backfill" using a variety of different methods. In several places, the reader must evaluate a flawed story opening, or whatever, and figure out what is wrong with it (yes, answers are provided). In another place, the aspiring writer has to "diagram the schematic of a complete story situation", quote unquote. There are many more examples I could give you, of many different types. Suffice it to say that this 150 page book will kick-start you to a higher level of technical competence. Buy it now.