Product Details
The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers

The Writing Book: A Workbook for Fiction Writers
By Kate Grenville

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Product Description

This is a practical workbook that guides writers, step-by-step, toward completing a work of fiction. Free of generalizing platitudes, it instead focuses on the specifics of craft: from getting started, discovering characters, writing dialogue and description, to evaluating the design of a draft, and of course revision. Exercises found in this book are actual techniques working writers rely on. They include speed writing, sorting and grouping, rewriting an incident in various styles, experimenting with tone, voice, syntax, and more. Designed to cover every stage of the process—from brainstorming an idea to the final draft—these practical suggestions help writers to liberate their creativity and to refine existing work. Excerpts from published authors are also included and help to illustrate the techniques taught.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #561471 in Books
  • Published on: 1999-08-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 208 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This step-by-step guide by Grenville, an Australian author of fiction and teacher of writing, takes the novice writer through the complete process of writing fiction. Urging the use of intuitive, instinctive thinking, Grenville encourages the development of raw fiction from past experiences through brief exercises on dialog, voice, character, etc. The exercises build upon one another as the writer works through the process. Each chapter contains many examples of different writing styles to assist the user in developing his or her own style. The level of this book is basic and fundamental; Gabriele L. Rico's Writing the Natural Way (Tarcher, 1983) covers similar material in more depth and detail. Recommended for large public libraries with a demand for how-to-write material.
- Kathy Ellerton, Thomas Jefferson Lib. System, Jefferson City, Mo.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Kate Grenville is a prizewinning fiction writer whose books include Lilian’s Story and Dark Places. She has an M.A. degree in Creative Writing and has run writing workshops at universities in the United States and abroad.

Customer Reviews

Kate Grenville is cool!4
This is a must have guide for anyone wanting to write. Shows us how to let it flow. Lots of exercises for budding authors within.

A great investment for writers4
This book is a useful resource; it provides exercises that get one's creativity flowing, as well as some very practical and thoughtful advice on how to polish works in progress. Better still, it doesn't just stick to conventional formulas when discussing the elements of a short story or novel; Grenville provides examples from both traditional and experimental approaches to storytelling.