Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
68 used & new from $3.80

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Tell a Friend
The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes
 
 
Are You an Author or Publisher?
Find out how to publish your own Kindle Books
 
  

The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (Paperback)

by Jack Bickham (Author) "WRITERS ARE A FAVORITE SUBJECT FOR CARTOONISTS, FROM CHARLES SCHULZ of Peanuts fame to those who contribute to The New Yorker..." (more)
Key Phrases: viewpoint character, scene question
4.2 out of 5 stars  (34 customer reviews)

List Price: $12.99
Price: $9.09 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $3.90 (30%)
Special Offers Available
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, July 22? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. See details

68 used & new available from $3.80
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 21 used & new from $0.99
Unknown Binding Order it used!
 
   

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Better Together

Buy this book with Elements of Writing Fiction - Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Jack Bickham today!

The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes Elements of Writing Fiction - Scene & Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing)
Buy Together Today: $19.28

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Elements of Writing Fiction - Characters & Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Elements of Writing Fiction - Characters & Viewpoint (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Orson Scott Card

4.5 out of 5 stars (70)  $10.19
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne

4.7 out of 5 stars (109)  $11.16
Elements of Writing Fiction - Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Elements of Writing Fiction - Beginnings, Middles & Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing) by Nancy Kress

4.7 out of 5 stars (36)  $10.19
The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile

The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

4.2 out of 5 stars (117)  $11.16
Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction)

Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction) by James Scott Bell

4.8 out of 5 stars (67)  $11.55
Explore similar items : Books (50)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Fictional life, according to Jack Bickham, is better than real life. You don't get struck by lightning. You are not subject to random acts of cruelty. Events proceed logically. On the other hand, Bickham says, "In fiction, the best times for the writer--and reader--are when the story's main character is in the worst trouble." Not good if you're a fictional character. The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes is as engaging as Bickham wants your fiction to be. It is sharp, focused, funny, and pointed. And it is demanding. Bickham, who has written over 65 novels and several fiction-writing guides, has little patience for wannabes. "Writers write," Bickham says. "Everyone else makes excuses." Bickham's pronouncements are decidedly negative: "Don't Describe Sunsets," advises one chapter; "Don't Write About Wimps"; "Don't Let [Your Characters] Be Windbags"; and "Don't Worry What Your Mother Will Think." But his lessons are positive. Behind each dictum is a terse, entertaining, and utterly well-reasoned examination of why the problem is a problem, and what you can do to expunge it from your prose. --Jane Steinberg

From School Library Journal
YA-- An easy-to-read book full of valuable information for would-be fiction writers. Bickham issues many ``don't'' statements, but says that behind every negative is a positive. He tries to help writers overcome the 1001 reasons that they develop ``blocks'' with common-sense advice. Slim enough to slip into a briefcase or to keep handy next to a typewriter or word processor, this book will remind some of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details
  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Writers Digest Books (September 15, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0898798213
  • ISBN-13: 978-0898798210
  • Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: