Customer Reviews

Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although WRITING MAGIC is geared towards young adults, this is the perfect helper for anyone who has ever wanted to write a book. Creating stories is hard work. It takes practice, discipline, and dedication. It would be nice to think that writing a book simply means sitting down and typing up words, but, alas, it really doesn't work that way. Thankfully, though, we have Gail Carson Levine, Newbery Honor author of some of my favorite books (Ella Enchanted (Trophy Newbery), The Two Princesses of Bamarre, and the upcoming Fairest, to name a few) who has taken the time to put together WRITING MAGIC. Filled with tons of wonderful tips about becoming a great writer who creates even greater stories, there are also writing exercises to get those creative juices flowing.

The book is broken down into five sections, with several categories in each:

Section one is entitled Liftoff, which includes A Running Start, Why I Wrote This Book, Shut Up!, Eureka!, Getting into It, and Noticing.

Section two, Heart and Guts, includes The Nitty-Gritty, The Kiss of Life, Character Helper, Suffer!, Talking, Back to Beginnings, Where Am I?, Who Am I?, Voice, and Happily Ever After--Or Not.

Section three, Plowing Through, includes Stuck!, The Operating Room, and Writers' Groups and Other Helpers.

Section four, Digging Deeper, includes Show and Tell, Abracadabra!, I'd Recognize Her with My Eyes Closed, Speaking Body Language, Method Writing, Writing Funy/Writing Punny, The Right Moniker, and Fiddling with Fairy Tales.

The final section, called Writing Forever, includes Writing for Your Spirit, Putting Your Words Out There, and Exeunt Writing.

I loved the writing exercises included in WRITING MAGIC. From the simple (writing brief character descriptions) to the more advanced (writing convincing dialogue), this book is a great tool for anyone. If you've ever wondered how to get started writing a story, ever questioned how to get that great book idea down on paper, this is the guide for you. Pick up a copy of WRITING MAGIC, try the exercises, take Ms. Levine's words to heart, and you're guaranteed to write anything--story, e-mail message, diary entry--with an easier flow and style.

Writing Magic is so wonderful--I think it's right up there with Stephen King's On Writing: A memoir of the Craft, which was so helpful to my own writing. I tore through every page of Writing Magic, and I don't think anyone should let the fact that it was written by a YA author or FOR that particular audience stop you from reading it to help your own writing immediately! Gail Carson Levine gives great, usable advice and has filled each chapter with exercises to improve your craft. Like all of her other fiction, it's a well-written, page-turner! Thank you Ms. Levine, for a true gem of a book!

I'm an old kind of guy who came to writing late. I have read a number of books on writing including those by E.M.Forster and Marten Manser. This surpasses them for simplicity, usefulness and directness (if there is such a word. Highly recommended.

The primary audience for this book is a younger writer, but the suggestions are well worth studying by writers of all ages. Of the many books on how to write I have used in teaching and for self help, this ranks among the very best. It is short and concise, but every chaper should make a difference in the work produced by the reader/writer. An excellent book.

I am 12 years old. My dad bought this book for me. He thought I should write a review on this book. My opinion is: If you think you're horrible at writing, you might want to and should use this book. If you think you're great at writing, use this anyway to get better with writing. This book has good tips for writing better, writing better stories, and getting great ideas for better stories. The author has tips for writing good dialogue, making up unforgettable characters and more. But if you are looking for something interesting to read (like ficitions) find something else. This book can also help you with writing emails, essays, letters, and greeting cards. Reviewed by PJ.

I got this book for my birthday from my parents. This book teaches you to write books of wonder. Writing Magic's enchanting pages draw you in and make you WANT to be a writer! The exercises are useful and fun! I've written pages that I never thought I could write. I love Gail Carson Levine's books. I'm just starting FAIREST. In the first few pages I see everything she was talking about in WRITING MAGIC (exciting beginnings, daring tales, etc.). This book really shows you how to write magic.

A friend recommended this to me with the understanding that it was written for young people, and my first impression was that it would be great for my kids but I would have little use for it. Instead I've decided that I really like the way the various components of writing are discussed in short and easy to read chapters that really get the point across. Plus it's inspiring, making the concepts very easy to apply.

The book covers the basics of writing fiction and does so in a very illustrative manner. It talks about the proper way to use dialog, adding details that help to set a tone or make a point, and others. There are a lot of instructive writing "assignments" that I didn't do, but which my kids found kind of fun. Overall, a nice and succinct book on the fundamentals of writing fiction.

This is a young people's guide to writing. It provides advice on how to start a story, how to get ideas for stories, how to develop and conclude stories. It is written with enthusiasm , and tries to give practical advice including advice about selling one's work. It also speaks about 'writing' as a way of organizing one's life, and as having purposes outside the selling of one's work.
It seems to me a fine down- to - earth work though perhaps a bit optimistic and therefore misleading about the real chances for most people's making a career in writing.

By the time you reach page three, you'll be writing.

Unlike many how-to tomes on the craft, this one gets you to put pen-to-paper almost immediately. Best of all, the writing prompts the author uses to start you writing are some of the best I've ever read. They really fire the imagination!

Gail Caron Levine manages to cover all the basics about writing in this slim volume, with a minimum of words and maximum inspiration.

She's managed to create a magical book for anyone, young or old, who wants to write.

This book is a must have for any middle school or high school language arts class. Granted, it is specifically geared toward helping students become better writers of fiction/narrative and we are sadly forced to teach students how to write the "prepackaged" version of the five-paragraph essay, however, this book WILL impact their writing style and teach them the ART of captivating their reader. Levine is a talented writer and many students know and adore her books making it easier to "sell" this book to them. She offers wickedly witty examples and prompts students to think outside the box...who knows - maybe they will create some magic!