Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (Self-Counsel Writing) (Paperback)

by Crawford Kilian (Author) "Embarking on a writing career is a real challenge, and the tests are as frightening as anything faced by your favorite literary characters..." (more)
Key Phrases: editorial commentator, formula fiction, heroic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, Del Rey, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...takes readers from understanding the genre to reaching the published stage...section on "craft of writing" is particularly detailed. -- Capital Parent, March 2001

Product Description
- Learn how to get the science and the magic right - Develop believable fantasy worlds - Challenge your readers’ imagination - Written by a successful novelist

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Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Self-Counsel Press (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551801892
• ISBN-13: 978-1551801896
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #880,719 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, entertaining and delightful to read!, April 13, 1999

By	Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Betwixt FL and CA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book is laced with humor and wisdom. Kilian is experienced in fantasy, hard science fiction, education and children's literature. He explores the mythological basis of fantasy novels, explaining the importance of Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, Egyptian--world mythology, as well as acquiring a strong knowledge of history and philosophies of the world. Equally important to success is a fascination with the genre in which you write. Gaining the information may seem to be an intimidating task; it is necessary.

Kilian includes exercises to help generate writing. I followed these exercises, and wrote with the excitement I had greatly missed. He also explains each step of the creative process from the ideas to the finished product with a brief grammar refresher that is easy to read. The examples are humorous. The importance of proper grammar cannot be overstated if you want your book published.

Kilian expresses a sense of anger, but when tempered by the humor throughout the book, this becomes righteous indignation directed toward those who try to write in the genre without the seriousness to make it believable. Ultimately his anger

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the two best references on the subject., July 11, 2005

By	M. E. Volmar (Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional Dominican Republic) - See all my reviews

After having read almost every available book on writing science fiction and fantasy specifically, I think that the combination of this volume and Orson Scott Card's "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" constitutes the most complete, practical and useful source of advice and information for any writer interested in stepping into or perfecting the craft of writing in either genre, in any form, any length or any language.
This concise, well-organized, excellent reference is written in a warm, enthusiastic and conversational style that's as pleasing to the mind as the voice of a dear friend is to the ears, and you will be drawn to read it cover to cover in just one sitting. But with its highly detailed table of contents and easy-to-use format, it's also perfect if you only want to do a quick check-up or consultation on a specific topic or idea.
The author begins by offering a detailed description of what the genres and subgenres of science fiction and fantasy are, and a general summary of the elements considered to be essential to each - ideas that although seemingly obvious as a starting point for this type of book are surprisingly either just barely touched or completely overlooked on most other titles. He expands on this topic by carefully detailing the relevance and influence that diverse areas of knowledge like mythology, history, sociology, philosophy, science, have on both genres.
Then, he examines a wide variety of subjects on each genre in particular as well as on the craft of writing in general, from idea generation to organization to researching, from character development to point of view to voice, style and tone, from structure to editing to English grammar and punctuation, from word processors and manuscript formatting to work habits. He masterfully uses many excellent examples to illustrate each point being made, and while most are taken from well-known classic and contemporary titles, some are from the author's own works, allowing us a glimpse at the quality of his storytelling abilities.
The section on marketing and publishing is especially helpful to beginners and unpublished writers as it discusses topics like choosing the right market, editor, publisher, and agent, and understanding contracts and copyrights. In the appendix, the lists of related readings and websites are truly an added bonus for those seeking a deeper treatment of any area discussed by the author, and the multiple exercises present throughout the book are a stimulating way to introduce us to some new creative methods for generating story ideas.
While you can't really learn how to write by reading any one reference or any one guide - only lots and lots of writing practice and lots and lots of reading from the genre you want to write in will make you an effective writer - there are a few books that can actually help you polish your craft and fine-tune your ideas, and this is one of those. From reading this book you can expect three basic things: a) to get a clear picture of the craft, business and life of writers; b) to acquire a thorough understanding of the essential elements of the genres and subgenres in both fantasy and science fiction; and c) to discover invaluable, time-tested advice, tips and techniques from a published author on how to improve your craft and avoid some common pitfalls that could hinder your development as a writer.
If you are serious about creating science fiction and fantasy stories fit to print, then get this nifty resource and follow its advice, and you'll stay on the right track, guaranteed.
Also recommended: "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Well-Rounded Resource, July 30, 1999

By A Customer

This book includes not only strategies for generating your own worlds, characters, plots, etc. but has practical advice on grammar, manuscript mechanics and how to approach publishers with the finished product. It also includes a cold splash-in-the-face look at one scenario you might go through on the road to publication.

Given that every writing style is a process subjectively arrived at, he still does a great job of making some helpful, objective observations of what good story writing entails. There is the further advantage of being able to track down his fiction to see his approach in action, since he is a published author in the genre.