Telling Lies for Fun & Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers [Paperback]

Lawrence Block (Author), Sue Grafton (Introduction)

Book Description

Release date: February 25, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0688132286 | ISBN-13: 978-0688132286

Characters refusing to talk? Plot plodding along? Where do good ideas come from anyway? In this wonderfully practical volume, two-time Edgar Award-winning novelist Lawrence Block takes an inside look at writing as a craft and as a career.

From studying the market, to mastering self-discipline and "creative procrastination," through coping with rejections, Telling Lies for Fun & Profit is an invaluable sourcebook of information. It is a must read for anyone serious about writing or understanding how the process works.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's a good thing Lawrence Block is so friendly and generous with his writing advice. Otherwise, you'd just have to hate the guy. After all, it took him a mere two weeks to write his first novel. He was still a teenager at the time, and he promptly sold it to Fawcett, the first publisher to see it. What can a guy like that tell the rest of us about fiction writing that could possibly apply to our lives? Lots, actually. Telling Lies for Fun & Profit comprises four years' worth of Block's monthly fiction-writing column from Writer's Digest magazine. In it, Block turns his witty, welcoming prose to many aspects of the writing life, including collaboration, which Block maintains he does "largely as a means of avoiding work"; speed writing (surprise: "Sometimes a book or story will be better for having been written more rapidly"); the benefits of using strong verbs; and the importance of good character names.

As one might expect from a man who seems to have such a facile way with the typewriter, Block can make writing seem a lot easier than it does in real life. "If you write one page a day," he says, "you will produce a substantial novel in a year.... Don't you figure you could produce one measly little page, even on a bad day? Even on a rotten day?"

Still, just because he's published about, oh, 50 books, don't think Block considers novel writing to be all fun and profit. "Those of us who are driven to produce great quantities of manuscript don't necessarily get any real pleasure out of the act," he says. "It's just that we feel worse when we don't write." --Jane Steinberg

About the Author

Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 25, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688132286
• ISBN-13: 978-0688132286
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspiring collection of essays February 20, 2002

By Craig Clarke VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

There are two books on writing that I always keep on hand: this one and Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. I can always depend on them to inspire me to write more when my momentum has flagged for whatever reason, usually insecurity.

I really like Block's conversational style. I know this is cliche, but I often feel as if he could be speaking directly to me and addressing my own problems. I find this, among other things, to be very comforting, thus allowing me to let go and just write.

He presents simple solutions to common problems, also inspiring me to go try them out, having never approached the problem in that way before.

I find this book to be very useful in my quest to be a writer, as he seems to have had the same problems I do. This sends the positive message that these problems are universal, and all you have to do is work your way through them, because ALL writers have the same issues to deal with. Also very comforting.

I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with the need to write but not finding the nerve to just settle down and do it; and also for anyone else just needing a little boost.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great yarns and experience June 8, 2001

By Robert Kall VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I bought this book at the advice of a successful writer friend, who said it was the best book he'd read on how to write a novel.

And it does have good advice on writing a novel. But I found it was more about being a writer writing a novel than on the actual contents of the novel. Hmmm. That may not be very clear. This book is loaded with wonderful, practical, inspiring anecdotes and snippets of experience on writing. But it does not tell you about story construction, which was what I was looking for.

Reading the book did help keep me motivated and added some clarity to my impression of the novel writing world. But I found books by Frey, McKee, Vogler, Lew Hunter, Syd Field and James Bonnet much more helpful when it came to the nitty gritty of creating stories.

So.... if you are looking for practical information about the writing life, about the process of writing-- this book is a gem. If you want details on story structure, character development, etc., check out some of the above mentioned authors.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book even if you don't aspire to be a writer January 21, 2003

By M. Hamilton

Format:Paperback

This book is a collection of monthly columns that Block had written for a writing magazine. They fit perfectly together to make a book that is easy to recommend to anyone who treasures books, especially fiction.

I loved this book, even though I am more of a reader than a writer. You will learn techniques that an actual writer uses when devising plots, character names, and even titles. Don't expect a cookie-cutter approach to producing a story. Block instead gives you many chapters that are filled with actual examples of work written not only by himself but by other writers. The discussions that accompany these examples are both educational, easily read, and highly entertaining.

I believe the book has made me a much better reader. I can now often sit back and understand just why I didn't like a particular book.