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Alice LaPlante

The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing Reprint Edition

by Alice LaPlante (Author)

4.6 640 ratings

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A Los Angeles Times bestseller: wonderfully lucid and illuminating, Alice LaPlante’s guide to writing fiction “recalls Francine Prose’s bestseller, Reading Like a Writer” (Library Journal).

The Making of a Story is a fresh and inspiring guide to the basics of creative writing―both fiction and creative nonfiction. Its hands-on, completely accessible approach walks writers through each stage of the creative process, from the initial triggering idea to the revision of the final manuscript. It is unique in combing the three main aspects of creative writing instruction: process (finding inspiration, getting ideas on the page), craft (specific techniques like characterization), and anthology (learning by reading masters of the form). Succinct, clear definitions of basic terms of fiction are accompanied by examples, including excerpts from masterpieces of short fiction and essays as well as contemporary novels. A special highlight is Alice LaPlante's systematic debunking of many of the so-called rules of creative writing. This book is perfect for writers working alone as well as for creative writing classes, both introductory and advanced.

ISBN-10

0393337081
ISBN-13

978-0393337082
Edition

Reprint
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

January 11, 2010
Language

English
Dimensions

6.1 x 1.8 x 9.3 inches
Print length

677 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This big, comprehensive book is almost a complete writing course."
― Book Passage

"Comprehensive in its coverage of inspiration, craft, aesthetics, veracity, and purpose, this one-stop guide to writing is casual in tone and rigorous in content, elucidating the nature of diction and nonfiction and clarifying the qualities unique to each and common to both. Each chapter contains an explication of such subjects as point of view, characters, and narrative structure; writing exercises; and an illustrative story by the likes of Tim O’Brien, ZZ Packer, Lorrie Moore, John Cheever, and Maxine Hong Kingston. Expansive, clear, and sophisticated, LaPlante’s richly resourced guide is destined to become a standard."
― Booklist

About the Author

Alice LaPlante is an award-winning writer and teacher of writing. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Turn of Mind and other novels, and the Los Angeles Times bestseller The Making of a Story. She lives in Mallorca, Spain.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (January 11, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 677 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393337081
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393337082
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.8 x 9.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #18,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #25 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
- #30 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
- #55 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)

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4.6 640 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

640 global ratings

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Todd Crone

Great All Around Book On Writing

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book was great for a new writer like myself. It includes all the "suggested readings"; otherwise, I wouldn't likely have found them. That alone introduced me to several amazing short stories, including "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin and "The Lady with the Little Dog" by Anton Checkov.

Helpful

Mann Booker

Worth tenfold its price to the consumer, immeasurably valuable to the writer

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2011

Verified Purchase

Because I'm busy I shop at Amazon. In fact, I shop almost exclusively online, though mostly at Amazon, and books comprise a fair percentage of my purchases. I guess it's been thirteen, fourteen years now that cyberspace has freed my time from harm's way where the ravages of everyday errands erode one's gossamer vision of life and eventually become the hat rack of dreams awaiting to be vested and taken on a stroll. I'm still busy, only my time is invested on the playground of my passions. I've read a number of extraordinary books over the years, too many to name, but you know the titles, as you've read them, too. By word of mouth--by Amazon ratings--the magic of their stories became widely known, pulling in readers from diverse corners of the world. Immersed in their pages, I've laughed and cried among other things, though no response was casually lent to the work in my hands. The inner critic who reads over my shoulder demands authenticity, searches and savors the artistry when it's found, and I, the recreational reader, must be wrestled from the critic's grasp to escape into a character's skin and experience his or her emotional plight. In Kite Runner, for example, the critic didn't stand a chance. I'll have to reread the book because my inner critic travels a path with emotional potential equal to the surrender yielding to an author's magic. Still, all the same, not once have I rated a book. It strikes me suddenly as selfish. But no, I stand by my disinclination. You see, I've never felt the need to rate the pages that have passed through my hands, as you already knew. You beat me to the book and were a part of the cognoscenti whose reviews brought it to my attention.

However.

Perhaps I have beaten you to "the making of a story". The book has won my willingness to diverge from my obsessions if only to say, this is one you do not want to miss. Not if you're a student of writing, a teacher of writing, a critic.... Not if you are a writer.

For two decades, I have been all three of these and in some fashion I will remain all three for the duration of my life. And though forever a student of writing, it has been eons since I have purchased a book on the craft.

"the making of a story" is a large volume--a resource to turn to, right? Well yes, it is that. I will return again and again to thumb through the pages and pick and choose according to timely interests. By the look of the volume, that's all I assumed I'd ever do. The assumption was made upfront at the time of purchase, something I didn't intend in the first place, as the classics from back in the day when I took up the craft equipped me with the tools, a rather defined set of tactics--wielding active voice, strong verbs, detail, showing verses telling, avoiding wordiness, the rhythm of the written word and the imitation of speech, parallel expression and pattern variation, usage, style, originality, imagery, editing--that transform correct writing into captivating snapshots of life.

But I had in my hands a copy of Alice LaPlante's book. No, I didn't dribble away my time at a brick and mortar (sorry Borders). I attended the San Francisco Writer's Conference and waiting to meet with an editor, I visited the book table. Again, I didn't intend to purchase the book. I simply picked it up. I'm a writer, which is to say I'm curious. I picked up nearly every book on the table and rustled each of their pages in quick survey. What sold me on Ms. LaPlante's book was a heading, a single heading. That's all I read, the bold print line that said, Write what you know about what you don't know. Hunh? The angle started spinning plates in my head, one of them saying that if there are just a few similar nuggets in this text, which is 1¾ inches thick, then I've struck gold.

Since I had to fly home, I didn't buy the book on the spot. I wrote down the name, went to my meeting, and returning home, now seated at my computer, I clicked on the blue "e". Good old Amazon delivered "the making of a story" to my door a few days later. Again, I flipped through it, thinking, Voila! I found a nice addition to my reference library, and decided that I'd set aside my novel and read a bit before tucking it away on its shelf.

That was a week ago, and like a good novel, I can't put the book down. Can you imagine? An instructional book? A reference? And you can't drag yourself away? Unheard of!

I write about ten hours a day. As I'm trying to finish a novel, I'm at my keyboard seven days a week. I haven't put a dent in Ms. LaPlante's book, but I can tell you that it's already made its way to my pages. Just moments ago, I was showing what a character saw when, instead, I "showed" by describing what he heard. Yes, I knew to draw from all the senses, but Ms. LaPlante raised what I knew to a new level. I am certain my writing will follow.

This book is a rare find. Whatever stage in your writing career, you will profit immeasurably from the insights, examples, and inspiration contained in its 650-plus pages. Enjoy!
The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing

15 people found this helpful

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Cpl Selky Sohail

Exactly what I was looking for

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023

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I think this is used in a college level writing class somewhere; I think I’d really love to take that class. This is fantastic guidance on what a story is and how to make one yourself that really sings. The author is clearly talented themselves; it is a manual, but reads as insightful and entertaining.

It has been true throughout my life that the more I learn about something — the more I peer into its technical specifics and the precise mechanisms by which it works — the less enchanted I am with the actual product of that work. It’s been true for everything from math and engineering to high art. This book has been a really wonderful break from that, and the medium maintains it’s magic for me even as I pick it apart.

My best guess is it’s because we are looking into something as bottomless as the human experience.

Sensationalism aside, it’s a great great book and I’d recommend to anyone trying to write or appreciate the writing of others more.

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2023

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Bought this for a creative writing course- it's nicely organized with a brief introductions to each section; giving snippets of writing that're followed by questions (prompts) and a general review of what makes the piece work and how
Overall would recommend if your interested in literature analysis or writing.

Helpful

Truly exceptional MFA style resource.

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2019

Verified Purchase

The reason I love this book is Alice backs all her lessons up with examples of great writing. If you want to be a great writer, or even just a published writer, you must be willing to put in the hours studying and pouring through the work of great writers and deconstructing why their work is so successful. Otherwise you are only spinning your wheels and building your foundation on your own work, ensuring it will never get any better.
I remember going to the University of Kentucky basketball camp when I was in 8th grade. One of the lessons I still learn from today was when a former UK point guard said, "Practice against people who beat your ass. Then you will keep getting better. If you're the best on the court, you aren't learning, they are." The principle is the same here.

The amazing thing about this is that Alice undoubtedly had to pay a lot to have all of that work in the book. This is why most writing manuals are full of the opinions and axioms you've heard from nearly every writing manual out there. The authors don't have to go through the hard work of reprinting the work of others and can just grab the money the book will generate. When you fill your manual full of great work, you share the wealth with all of them and spend a lot of time attaining the rights to reprint. What does this tell us about this book?
It tells us that Alice LaPlante is more interested in helping writers improve and reach their goals than making as much money as possible. I respect her immensely for this.
This manual, if you will take the advice to heart and pour through and not only skim the examples will absolutely make you a better writer. I have no doubt. Highly recommended.

39 people found this helpful

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J. LEE

Exceptional! The most complete book on the craft of creative writing.

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2022

Verified Purchase

Exceptional! The most complete book on the craft of creative writing.

Each chapter offers an insightful lesson and examples, followed by exercises to apply the lesson (the exercises even have student examples), and at the end of each chapter, there are reprints of stories for consideration and analysis.

If you could only afford one book, this is the one to get. It covers everything you need to start or support your writing journey. Its only weak point is that it could cover setting more. For setting, I would highly recommend Mary Buckham’s A Writer’s Guide to Active Setting.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

PresterJohn

Comprehensive Treatment of the Subject

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2011

Verified Purchase

This "How To" manual for creative writer wannabee's, is a vividly written and superbly produced introduction to the basics of developing a story for publication. It is extraordinarilly comprehensive in scope and seems to cover everything in any way relevant to the storyteller's craft. Each chapter is dedicated to a particular theme or topic and illustrated with stories by established and often multiply published authors. It is easy to read and reflects the author's many years experience as an esteemed and prize winning teacher of creative writing at a prestigious college. If there were only one book you needed to become a successful writer, this would be it.

8 people found this helpful

Brian Morris

The real thing.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

It's not an academic book. It feels written by a writer who has been through the euphoria and depression of writing fiction (and non-fiction) who is also an effective teacher.

Mandy Leith

Excellent

Reviewed in Canada on January 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

Chock full of tips, readings, examples, anecdotes and writing exercises and encouragement. Highly recommended.

Ali Shields

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

Love this book. Many prompts for writing and easy to follow as I am dyslexic.

Amélie

Cover page damaged

Reviewed in Canada on January 27, 2019

Verified Purchase

The cover page is all damaged! Poor condition! Supposed to be New!

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