Capturing the Magic of Fiction Writing (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

In Capturing The Magic Of Fiction Writing introduces the reader to a careful examination of prose fiction, its genres and categories. Classifications including plotting, setting, characterization, and patterns are defined and explained. Supportive elements and techniques are discussed including style, development of flashbacks, dialogues, and much more. Symbols, symbolic plants, and symbolic references (lightly treated in most literary research publishing) are discussed using original passages and excerpts drawn from published sources. Relationships, descriptions, and dialogue are all offered in addition to atmosphere, conflict, and theme. Capturing The Magic Of Fiction Writing was developed to provide a practical guide for aspiring writers to ease the transition from analyzing the basic story to discovering and applying the essential tools of the writer's craft. Technical language is made simpler by repeated references to prose fiction elements and techniques so that the readers are able to grasp the relationships between writing terms and techniques, thus encouraging them to apply these skills to their own writing. -- Midwest Book Review

This book will take you on an enjoyable, clearly-marked pathway to effective fiction writing that is enriched throughout with excellent examples from great writers and great writing. . .[there is] great clarity with which the author provides the down-to-earth advice, [and] realistic guidelines for you to follow in becoming a knowledgeable and conscious artist. Those examples alone make this book worthwhile. . . -- Dr. Tom Parks, Associate Professor of Education and Director, Office of Extension and Public Relations, Clemson University

This book will take you on an enjoyable, clearly-marked pathway to effective fiction writing that is enriched throughout. -- Dr. Tom Parks, Clemson University

Product Description

Capturing the Magic of Fiction Writing introduces the reader to a careful examination of prose fiction, its genres and categories. Classifications of novels including plotting, setting, characterization, and patterns are defined and explained. Creed analyzes supportive elements and techniques including style, development of flashbacks, dialogues, and much more. Symbols, symbolic plants, and symbolic references, skimmed over or ignored in most books, are introduced, discussed, and defined with original passages and excerpts drawn from published sources. Relationships, descriptions, and dialogue are all generously discussed in addition to characterizations, atmosphere, conflict, theme, plotting, and supporting elements. Capturing the Magic was developed to provide a practical guide for aspiring writers and teachers to ease the transition from analyzing the basic story to discovering and applying the essential tools of the writer's craft.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 305 pages
• Publisher: Glenbridge Publishing, (June 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944435106
• ISBN-13: 978-0944435106
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,041,516 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good foundation for learning to Write Fiction, January 24, 2002

By	Slinda "lindahudsonfla" (Bayonet point, Fla) - See all my reviews

After convincing myself that my window for becoming a serious writer had come and gone, because I didn't get "the degree", I discovered buying books on the Internet, and this book-The Magic of Fiction.

This book is extremely well organized, and explains in simple language, the elements necessary to write great fiction-whatever the style. Taste is always subjective, but I have one huge piece of information to give you.

For those of you who are struggling with "should I include sex, violence, etc." in my fiction, this book will help you look at what good fiction is, and isn't. That alone made the book worth every penny I paid for it.

I believe the author is correct in his definition of how to rate good fiction. I was convinced that if one did not try to produce a novel in the same vein as one of several now successful writers, there was no hope for publication. I know now, that it's how well you tell the story, period. It also helped me understand fiction trends, and differentite between things timeless, and fad.

This book is not one you can read and absorb in one or two sittings. There is a great deal of meat to be absorbed, and can carry you a long way into a fiction writers career. I only wish I had had a college course I could have taken, where this book was the textbook. I think a whole lot of people would have been highly skilled writers by now, and the whole fiction picture would be a whole lot different, had a book of this caliber been widely available.

The reason we don't have many James Michners anymore, is that up until recently, how to learn to be a fiction writer, and make it duplicateable was almost unknown. I don't buy many hard cover books, but this book was worth every penny of the [price] I paid for it.

If you're a strong wannabe, but don't know how to find your niche, if this book doesn't help you find it, nothing else will. Chapter two-prose writing fiction alone-is worth the price of the book.

There are several books out here on writing specialized fiction, but this one will help you see the big picture, and teach you-if you are willing to be honest-how to better your writing, where ever in fiction it takes you.

There are still many more things you must learn also, but this is the major outline you start with, and go into greater deal after that. For example, I've been struggling with where to put my memorable characters. Now I know that I need to study plot, time and place setting, and progress from there. .