Customer Reviews

Writing Fiction Step by Step

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are too many writing books out there for me to buy all the ones I like -- mostly, I just keep going back to the library again and again.

This one, though, I borrowed from the library and renewed it a couple of times before I realized I wasn't ever going to want to give it back. The next day, I returned it to the library and stopped in at the bookstore to buy my very own copy.

This book is very methodical, a little like taking a writing course on your own, at home. If you take Novakovich's suggestions seriously, keeping all the exercise goals in mind, you ought to have more than a few marvellous creations of your own by the time you're done.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was a lengthy inclusion of a story of his own. It is somewhat enlightening, but takes up too much space for what is gained, in my opinion.

You'll need motivation to get through this book, but Novakovich makes it easy, building on previous exercises to craft original, imaginative finished and semi-finished fiction pieces. And the feeling of accomplishment when you emerge at the end of the book is well worth the purchase price and the work you put into completing it.

What a gathering of storyteller's secrets! And they are revealed with such visionary clarity, energy, and quiet intelligence. I am convinced that anyone who undertakes these exercises will be rewarded with the discipline and sensitivity to write good fiction.

This book is not meant for straight reading. One must exercise. One must write. Yes. Keep it in your lap as you start your prolonged apprenticeship with this book.

This book is excellent for those who are interested in writing fiction. I think it would make a good book for a high school or college course as well--so few good ones exist. This book, while written in a flowing, 'non-textbook', easily understood style, is more informing than many textbooks I have seen on the subject.

It is well organized--even if you have some writing experience, you might still find yourself flipping through the chapters when you have a question on, per se, plot or characterization. And best of all, it endorses learning by doing, including several exercises at the end of each chapter.

Through this book, Josip Novakovich helps novice writers gain confidence, experience, and skill. He does this not by coddling writers as if they were pre-school children palying at finger paints, but by making them work hard to attain their goal. Although not all of the 200+ exercises interested me, I found most of them to be interesting enough and several to be quite engaging. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wanted to write fiction but wasn't sure where to begin. Also, it's a good text for more advanced writers who have encountered that dreaded ailment: writer's block.

This book is less a book of instruction and more a series of exercises for a would-be writer to perform.

I was kind of disappointed. I mean, going in, I knew that, say plot and character and dialogue were all important. I was hoping for some sort of discussion on what makes a good plot, or a compelling character, etc. Instead, Josip merely says (roughly) that "Having good characters is important. Here are some exercises for you to write characters: 1) Take a person you know, and describe him. 2) Imagine that person's total opposite, and describe him. (Etc.)"

I've enjoyed other books more when they've discussed what makes a good character versus a bad one, or a good plot, or good dialogue, or what have you. This collection of writing prompts wasn't what I was looking for, but maybe it's what you'd like? If so, recommended.

A lot of writing books in the market only touch the surface when it comes to helping new writers figure out the method. Most do little to reach an advanced author.
Like acting, screen-writing, or painting, writing is a degree of method, mixed in with imagination. A writer has to get across the line of basics and into the details. This author does well to deliver the details, to put together the concepts of writing, into a sound workbook. Regardless of what genre you write, or even if you write non-fiction, this book will inspire, teach, and help any writer, beginner or professional, how to not only follow the concepts of the writing craft, but also to break writing into manageable pieces, and to put the pieces together as a whole, to develop a fully functional working story.
I fully recommend this book.

I bought this book yesterday, along with twelve others on query letters, book proposals, literary agents guides, etc. I should be reviewing them all within the next few weeks. Some are internet purchases, so i'm itching to get my hands on them...

I opened "Writing Fiction Step by Step" up last night, did a few excercises(secretly irritated to write something NOT pertaining to my novel) and was pleasantly surprised how much it already helped me. I DO feel like some of the excercises will inspire new ideas for a novel. I have only done the excercises for the characters and voice section, so I haven't read the whole book yet.

It's a simple step by step guide to get the brain cells functioning, to pull out ideas that you didn't know were there a few moments before in your mind.

Granted it isn't as good as an actual writing course, but for me, a stay at home mom of four, it'll work well to make sure I fully grasp the main points on character descriptions, interior design, dialogue, voice, etc.

I was pleased to see I didn't have trouble with completing the excercise well, meaning my characters were descriptive and I was happy with them. I was motivated also to know the author describes certain things that if you do them, you are a natural. It was nice to hear I may be one! So for me it is an inspirational guide that will encourage me to keep with this trying, difficult passion us writers share. Writing a novel is full of many speedbumps and roadblocks in the road, it will at times be dismaying to read the truth in some of these books that we need. This one will inspire and encourage any fiction writer IF they do the excercises and grow from them.

I want to start another novel about the characters I created, so it is likely this will help me a lot in the future as well, which to me is very worth the money.

The author is for real when he/she(I can't tell) says if you take it seriously, you could end up with a few starting points to build a whole new story.

I would recommend to anyone who wants to write a novel, or who wants to learn all of the key elements that bring together a fiction story, that's written honestly with your own voice.

There are sadly so many willing teachers of creative writing out there who, for one reason or another, cannot and should not be teaching the craft. Josip Novakovitch is one of them. Don't waste your time; 80% of the text consists of literature fiction quotes. This man belongs teaching a Charles Dickens appreciation course; not attempting to give artistic advice to mainstream fiction writers.

I took a graduate creative writing course with Josip at the University of Cincinnati. I have not finished reading this book, but it immediately brought me back to my studies with him. He is a knowledgeable and excellent teacher. I highly recommend both this book and his fiction.

Book of this sort either come as well written/informational or well decorated. That is, good font choice and page layouts, and interesting charts and quotes and what not. This book manages to get a little of both making it a little less monotonous to read in the long haul.