World Famous Comics: Master Class in Fiction Writing: Techniques from Austen, Hemingway, and Other Greats
Master Class in Fiction Writing: Techniques from Austen, Hemingway, and Other Greats
By: Adam Sexton Publisher: McGraw-Hill Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: McGraw-Hill Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 224 Publication Date: October 17, 2005
Good tool for writers this is a good book for people who need training on fiction writing. I didn't give it a five because it requires the reader to read a number of books while also studying/reading this one. It's more of a class than a book so I'd suggest that anyone buying this book also purchase the books recommended beforehand.
Masterclass indeed This is one of the best (possibly THE best) book about writing that I've read so far. It is divided in chapters each covering a particular theme (structure, characterization, Plot, etc.) explaining it through the analysis of the work of an accomplished writer.
The book is a reference of inestimable value, you'll want to keep going back to it because it is so rich with ideas and insights that it is not possible to assimilate it in one read.
While it is not a how-to book about writing, it is something better, it shows you how to analyze literature in a way that reveals the process to you, so you can create your own reservoir of tools and resources to learn from any book you read, as well as to use in your own writing.
Besides the wealth of information and insight it contains, the book is a delightful read in and of itself.
one of the better ones out there but not the best This was a good value for the amount of advice offered. However it didnt improve my fiction writing significantly --- maybe because I like completely different styles and novels than what Mr. Sexton chose as examples. I dont regret buying, but will probably donate to charity after rereading.
Pragmatic, accesible and entertaining writing guide I stumbled on this book browsing in B&N and couldn't put it down...so I bought it, read it and later even enrolled in a course. Most useful writing book I've encountered including those by Eudora Welty, Natalie Goldberg, Anne LaMott, Steven King, Orson Scott Card, Lawrence Block, Sue Grafton, Noah Lukeman, Lou Stanek, Marcia Golub, Robert Olen Butler and Francine Prose. All those folks had interesting and helpful things to impart, it's Sexton's book I turn to when I get stuck...which is why I was perusing the writing section of B&N that day to begin with.
Sexton's unique approach is the reason "Master Class in Fiction Writing" stands out. In each chapter he "workshops" a different book or short story written by a GREAT writer (instead of just anybody who can afford to pay tuition.) What originally drew me in, for example, was his discussion of the descriptions in John Updike's "Rabbit, Run." I admire Updike almost as much as Nicholson Baker (see "U and I") but Sexton showed me that his descriptions add up to more than the sum of their respective parts. He showed (by way of Updike) how good description is an integral themetic element, not poetic diversion. (BTW, he'd never inflict you with a phrase like "integral themetic element" which just shows you why I needed this book.) Anyway, when I revise now I know exactly what to keep and cut because I better understand how to measure its contribution to the overall work.
Didn't some of those other writing books make a similar point? Well sure, but Sexton got it to penetrate my brain. Both his own prose and prose examples resemble good description: concrete, specific, precise and original. I also valued the chapter on literary style because he brought out how Hemingway's voice is NOT merely a matter of short staccato sentences, but based on long compound sentences and a distinct diction too. That may sound abstract but when he breaks "A Farewell to Arms" for you, you'll be able to gauge where your work falls on a stylistic spectrum (giving appropriate credit to John Gardner, btw) and whether that suits your purpose.
The greatest strength of this book however is the immensely useful discussion of point of view. Nearly every "how to write" book touches on this topic, but the explanation in this book is where "Master Class" pulls away from the figurative pack. In two chapters Sexton not only gives a taste of the many flavors of 1st, 2nd, 3rd person (did you know there is more than one way to do 2nd person?) and omniscent but he helps you match them to the type of work you are writing. Again, I've read many, many discussions of POV that use cameras etc...but Sexton's gave me new insights into whether the strategy I'd chosen was appropriate for the interior life of my characters as well as the timescale of my novel.
"Master Class" is also a good read despite it's somewhat forbidding title. As writing books go there's relatively little jargon, but lots of humor. Perhaps because Sexton doesn't seem to have any particular axe to grind its inordinately accessible. Well, that's not quite true. He does insist that if people can be taught brain surgery they can probably learn (by reading great writers) how to write better fiction too. So if you find yourself getting frustrated with writing workshops save yourself a few hundred dollars next semester and read this instead. It's -- forgive the cliche -- like having your cake and eating it too.
few techniques many examples I am not writing in English and try to learn some fiction writing skills. This book has cited many literay fiction and is a good source for you to find fictions good at dialogue, etc. But it provides very few techniques and you have to read the referred literature to know how to write a dialogue. I jumped many paragraphs. I also can not agree with the author on what attract the readers. Sometimes I feel the opposite about certain classics. Other books I am reading provide me with many techniques such as Techniques of Selling Writer and Immediate Fiction.
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