Product Description

Realize All That Is Possible in Your Fiction

Writers have long turned to exercises for help with beginning--be it a new piece of fiction, a daily routine, or a serious writing life. Behind the theory of exercises is an attitude of curiosity and expectancy, a desire to ask questions of yourself and of the world, to boldly--or not so boldly--stick a toe into the waters of something fresh, provocative, and exhilarating. To create fiction on the verge.

In The 4 A.M. Breakthrough, companion to The 3 A.M. Epiphany, award-winning author and professor Brian Kiteley presents you with another 200 stimulating exercises, designed to help you expand your understanding of the problems and processes of more complex, satisfying fiction and to challenge you to produce works of which you never thought yourself capable.

You'll learn how to:

• Train your writing instincts, so creation becomes a more organic, automatic process
• Tackle challenging concepts and themes, such as Language Games, The Mind, Money & Class, and History, laying a foundation for larger, more significant writing projects
• Make your writing process more fun and experimental, so you'll approach your fiction in the spirit of discovery, rather than with anxiety

Open the book. Choose an exercise. Surprise yourself.

Anything can happen--even at 4 a.m.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72624 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781582975634
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

About the Author
Brian Kiteley is director of the creative writing program at the University of Denver (one of the very few schools to offer a PhD in creative writing) where he teaches writing workshops to both undergrads and grads. He has published two novels, Still Life With Insects (Ticknor & Fields, 1993) and I Know Many Songs, But I Cannot Sing (Simon & Schuster, 1996). Awards include the Whiting Writers Award 1996-97; Finalist for Granta’s Best American Novelists Under 40; and a Writing Fellowship with the NEA, 1991-92. His work has been published in Best American Short Stories.

---

Customer Reviews

Epiphany & Breakthrough
I just bought The 4 a.m. Breakthrough because I loved The 3 a.m. Epiphany. I thought I was one of those writers who don't do exercises but read the books for other kernels. I always thought exercises would interfere with my own writing process but after doing only one exercise from this book, I was so excited by the result I wanted to do more. Brian Kiteley's approach offers a new way of working on writing, whether you work alone or in a group. I always thought the "write a story and let us tear it down" method of workshop lacked vitality. When I found Kiteley's books, his approach made me refresh my whole attitide to teaching and learning about writing. I plan to use these exercises to help me draft my next novel. Buy both books and keep them near.

An Excellent Resource
After the promising beginnings of a writing career, I succumbed to nearly a decade of writers block (and subsequent financial security). On a lark, I decided to revisit the writing reference section of my local brick and mortar to see if anything would rekindle the passion for my old hobby.

My friend pointed this book out to me and within a few minutes of flipping through the exercises I was sold. (Take a look inside the book via Amazon's preview feature)

These are not the typical "write about your favorite color" exercises you find on the internet. Many of them are focused on technical aspects of the craft.

The exercises are fun, but also challenging for experienced writers. They provide enough structure for you to open up to the writing process rather than being stuck with the blank page. So far I've been through two and come up with the complete framework for as many potential stories.

It's definitely made writing fun for me again.

Can't be published soon enough.....
Just reading the excerpt makes me want to get this puppy. Kitely is one of those how-to writers that inspire rather than daunt the aspiring writer. His previous book, 3 a.am Epiphany, spends more time in my hands than on my shelf and is already dog-eared, tattered and used within an inch of its life. His prompts and suggestion get to the heart of fiction, the rub and friction of it, rather than merely proposing that two characters meet in a bar. He sets us up to learn the craft of fiction and the skill of using language through engagement and practice. Can't wait.