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missprint_'s review against another edition
5.0
In an old walk up in Brooklyn, a young woman is hired as a reader and companion for a strange older woman. What starts a job quickly turns into something much more important as Petra learns about context, ladylike behavior, and speaking her mind all while finding an unusual kind of friendship in "Ladylike" by Maggie Stiefvater.
In a faraway land a young soldier works to disarm magical bombs left behind by rebels. The hum of the desert lulls him and the mysterious magician on his team enchants him, but sometimes loving something is hard until you know the truth about yourself in "Desert Canticle" by Tessa Gratton.
In a town where water is scarce, drowning is a rarity. There are a lot of ways to tell the you about the boy she found drowned in a half inch of water, but there's only one right story for Jane and the drowning place in "Drowning Variations" by Brenna Yovanoff.
The Anatomy of Curiosity (2015) is the second anthology from authors (and critique partners) Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stievfater and Brenna Yovanoff. In this followup to The Curiosities the focus is more squarely on the mechanics of writing and how ideas can become stories.
For this collection each author wrote a new novella and details their writing process in a preface and margin comments. Between each story all three authors also discuss how they tackled finding critique partners, revision, and _______.
Each author frames their margin comments and notes in the context of their focus when writing. Stiefvater discusses character (how she builds characters and conveys characterization through different aspects of the story), Gratton focuses on world-building (how worlds shape characters and how world-building choices shape the rest of the story), while Yovanoff talks about ideas (getting from the idea she has to the story she wants to tell with a particular project).
It's worth noting that The Anatomy of Curiosity can be read, first and foremost, as a set of engaging fantasy novellas. As fans of these authors would expect, each novella is well-written and evocative in its own right. In reading the marginalia and supplemental materials, however, readers are treated to not only excellent fiction but also an insider's view of the creative process from three incredibly talented writers.
The Anatomy of Curiosity is a must-read for aspiring authors and fantasy fans alike.
*An advance copy of this book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2015*
In a faraway land a young soldier works to disarm magical bombs left behind by rebels. The hum of the desert lulls him and the mysterious magician on his team enchants him, but sometimes loving something is hard until you know the truth about yourself in "Desert Canticle" by Tessa Gratton.
In a town where water is scarce, drowning is a rarity. There are a lot of ways to tell the you about the boy she found drowned in a half inch of water, but there's only one right story for Jane and the drowning place in "Drowning Variations" by Brenna Yovanoff.
The Anatomy of Curiosity (2015) is the second anthology from authors (and critique partners) Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stievfater and Brenna Yovanoff. In this followup to The Curiosities the focus is more squarely on the mechanics of writing and how ideas can become stories.
For this collection each author wrote a new novella and details their writing process in a preface and margin comments. Between each story all three authors also discuss how they tackled finding critique partners, revision, and _______.
Each author frames their margin comments and notes in the context of their focus when writing. Stiefvater discusses character (how she builds characters and conveys characterization through different aspects of the story), Gratton focuses on world-building (how worlds shape characters and how world-building choices shape the rest of the story), while Yovanoff talks about ideas (getting from the idea she has to the story she wants to tell with a particular project).
It's worth noting that The Anatomy of Curiosity can be read, first and foremost, as a set of engaging fantasy novellas. As fans of these authors would expect, each novella is well-written and evocative in its own right. In reading the marginalia and supplemental materials, however, readers are treated to not only excellent fiction but also an insider's view of the creative process from three incredibly talented writers.
The Anatomy of Curiosity is a must-read for aspiring authors and fantasy fans alike.
*An advance copy of this book was acquired for review from the publisher at BEA 2015*
dami_96's review against another edition
4.0
I love this book because it so helpful when your having writers block.
ijill14's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted on journeyintotheshelves.tumblr.com
**I received an eARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group. This has had no bearing on this review.
The Anatomy of Curiosity is a compilation of three short stories written by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. that really delves into the creation of each of the stories, and what goes into character development, world building, and the creation and follow-through of an idea.
This book is fantastic for aspiring writers. It took me a while for me to read this because I didn’t read it as just short stories - though you can, and each story has it’s own merits - but rather I focused on their writing processes and the little notes and additions that each author added to their stories.
The book starts off with Maggie Stiefvater’s short story, “Ladylike”, and her discussion on character development: she discusses how to introduce characters, how to develop and execute a character arc. Stiefvater gives great advice on how to create characters without blatantly telling the reader what he/she looks like; but rather how to get the feel of a character across to the reader, not just the physicality of them, all the while illustrating her technique in her story.
The story itself was gripping. “Ladylike” is a tale about a shy, young girl, Petra, who is asked to read poetry to an elderly woman, Geraldine. Normally, Petra is unsure of herself and is always blushing at the most inopportune times, however when she recites poetry, she is in command of herself and confident. Geraldine helps bring confident Petra out all the time, but Geraldine has a secret of her own that could ruin their growing friendship. Stiefvater’s characters leapt off the page and were truly the focus of this story. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind reading an entire novel-length story about them.
Tessa Gratton’s story, “Desert Canticle”, is all about world building. The story that went along with Gratton’s lesson was incredibly detailed for such a short story. She explains and shows how world building can be woven into the plot and plot structure and how the world can imitate character and how character and plot can imitate the world. It was truly masterfully portrayed in this story.
As a short story “Desert Canticle” was the one I liked the least. It is set in a female dominated society at the end of a desert war. The main characters are a Pacer, a person who is sent into former war zones to disarm magical bombs that bloom like flowers, and a Mage. While in the desert, the two form an unusual relationship that may be explosive on its own. It was beautifully written and well imagined, but the characters lacked a bit of development. However, the plot was engaging and had a nice twist that kept me invested.
The last story, “Variations on Drowning”, by Brenna Yovanoff is actually a compilation of various stories that stemmed off the idea of drowning that Yovanoff was fixated on for years. This part of the novel illustrates the progression from a simple idea to a beautifully written story about love and hope. Reading Yovanoff’s process was really helpful because it shows how such a small and simple idea can be turned into something so much bigger, even if it does take a couple of tries.
Overall, The Anatomy of Curiosity is a novel for that every aspiring writer should read. Though it can be read as simply short stories, those willing to learn from these seasoned authors would get the most out of the reading experience.
**I received an eARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group. This has had no bearing on this review.
The Anatomy of Curiosity is a compilation of three short stories written by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. that really delves into the creation of each of the stories, and what goes into character development, world building, and the creation and follow-through of an idea.
This book is fantastic for aspiring writers. It took me a while for me to read this because I didn’t read it as just short stories - though you can, and each story has it’s own merits - but rather I focused on their writing processes and the little notes and additions that each author added to their stories.
The book starts off with Maggie Stiefvater’s short story, “Ladylike”, and her discussion on character development: she discusses how to introduce characters, how to develop and execute a character arc. Stiefvater gives great advice on how to create characters without blatantly telling the reader what he/she looks like; but rather how to get the feel of a character across to the reader, not just the physicality of them, all the while illustrating her technique in her story.
The story itself was gripping. “Ladylike” is a tale about a shy, young girl, Petra, who is asked to read poetry to an elderly woman, Geraldine. Normally, Petra is unsure of herself and is always blushing at the most inopportune times, however when she recites poetry, she is in command of herself and confident. Geraldine helps bring confident Petra out all the time, but Geraldine has a secret of her own that could ruin their growing friendship. Stiefvater’s characters leapt off the page and were truly the focus of this story. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind reading an entire novel-length story about them.
Tessa Gratton’s story, “Desert Canticle”, is all about world building. The story that went along with Gratton’s lesson was incredibly detailed for such a short story. She explains and shows how world building can be woven into the plot and plot structure and how the world can imitate character and how character and plot can imitate the world. It was truly masterfully portrayed in this story.
As a short story “Desert Canticle” was the one I liked the least. It is set in a female dominated society at the end of a desert war. The main characters are a Pacer, a person who is sent into former war zones to disarm magical bombs that bloom like flowers, and a Mage. While in the desert, the two form an unusual relationship that may be explosive on its own. It was beautifully written and well imagined, but the characters lacked a bit of development. However, the plot was engaging and had a nice twist that kept me invested.
The last story, “Variations on Drowning”, by Brenna Yovanoff is actually a compilation of various stories that stemmed off the idea of drowning that Yovanoff was fixated on for years. This part of the novel illustrates the progression from a simple idea to a beautifully written story about love and hope. Reading Yovanoff’s process was really helpful because it shows how such a small and simple idea can be turned into something so much bigger, even if it does take a couple of tries.
Overall, The Anatomy of Curiosity is a novel for that every aspiring writer should read. Though it can be read as simply short stories, those willing to learn from these seasoned authors would get the most out of the reading experience.
zquill's review against another edition
5.0
I regret how long I left this book to linger on my real life to-be-read shelf. I'm so impressed by how how of the authors worked to create stories that are fascinating and charming in their own write, and then to document their processes so that aspiring writers could see how each story evolved and became what it is.
Yovanoff took the most literal approach to this, and I appreciate how it changes things up from the first two novellas, though it took a few pages to adjust to.
Stiefvater always has a place on my shelves, and I love her take on an arguably more "domestic" situation. Her notes on having characters' arcs mirror and satisfy each others' were inspiring.
But Gratton stole my heart with "Desert Canticle." I was shattered and enriched from the story itself, and then her margin notes breathed an extra dimension into the work, showing clearly but magically how a "simple" idea of magical IEDs grew into an interrogation of cultures and gender (roles) and war and more. She was the author I'd had the least exposure to, and she's going to be the one I pursue most ardently after reading this.
Yovanoff took the most literal approach to this, and I appreciate how it changes things up from the first two novellas, though it took a few pages to adjust to.
Stiefvater always has a place on my shelves, and I love her take on an arguably more "domestic" situation. Her notes on having characters' arcs mirror and satisfy each others' were inspiring.
But Gratton stole my heart with "Desert Canticle." I was shattered and enriched from the story itself, and then her margin notes breathed an extra dimension into the work, showing clearly but magically how a "simple" idea of magical IEDs grew into an interrogation of cultures and gender (roles) and war and more. She was the author I'd had the least exposure to, and she's going to be the one I pursue most ardently after reading this.
cupiscent's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is, for want of a better term, a curious little book. Three annotated stories from three authors, each of whom come at writing from a different angle (character, worldbuilding, idea) combined with lots of more general advice about writing. It manages to be both high-level and very nitty gritty. Not so much for those who want a how-to, or even practical actionable tips, but it's full of little gems of "try thinking about things through this lens", and developing and trusting your instincts.
Also, the stories were all great.
Also, the stories were all great.
daisey's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an intriguing mix of fantasy short story anthology and a conversation with the authors about their writing processes. Although I'm not sure if any of the individual stories would have completely wowed me on their own, I loved seeing all the little details about how each was developed over time.
Characterization and "Ladylike" by Maggie Stiefvater
Although I understand the whole concept of this book and liked the insight of the introduction to the story, I think that part of the reason this story did not completely pull me in was that I already had some clues as to the secrets of the characters and how things were going to go. It might have been a better choice to read through the story once without the introduction and footnotes. Then, going back to reread it with this explanation and insight would have added another level without giving away any of the surprises. With that being said, I really liked the footnotes in this story about Maggie's specific process for developing and revising her story. She gave general advice applicable to many writers as well as some very specific details about her own personal writing choices.
World Building and "Desert Canticle" by Tessa Gratton
I always find the world building in fantasy fascinating, so I loved reading more details about the way in which Tessa goes through that process. Her explanation is a clear example of how small central ideas can expand to create a world and a story. Her footnotes read much differently than Maggie's to me, and I liked seeing the individuality of the author come through. I also appreciated seeing her comments about how her critique partners affected the development of the story. Too often, I think we forget the other people besides the author who are involved in the complete development of a published story.
Ideas and "Drowning Variations" by Brenna Yovanoff
This section of the book was different from the first two. It again starts with an introduction, but then instead of one story, it reads more like an essay including a couple of short stories and footnotes within them. I felt like the footnotes in this portion were more disruptive because the essay portion was already providing explanation of the overall process. Yet, the whole thing was extremely insightful. Brenna took a few personal experiences and used them as the skeleton beneath a few very different stories. I think this could be a helpful example for students and aspiring writers of how a single experience or idea can lead to a story that seems completely different. This section also ends with some wonderful commentary from the three authors about the common advice to "write what you know" and how they've each learned to do this in their own way rather than taking it literally.
I would recommend this book for aspiring writers and readers interested in the creative process of different writers. It would probably be especially interesting for readers who have enjoyed other stories by these authors.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
Characterization and "Ladylike" by Maggie Stiefvater
Although I understand the whole concept of this book and liked the insight of the introduction to the story, I think that part of the reason this story did not completely pull me in was that I already had some clues as to the secrets of the characters and how things were going to go. It might have been a better choice to read through the story once without the introduction and footnotes. Then, going back to reread it with this explanation and insight would have added another level without giving away any of the surprises. With that being said, I really liked the footnotes in this story about Maggie's specific process for developing and revising her story. She gave general advice applicable to many writers as well as some very specific details about her own personal writing choices.
World Building and "Desert Canticle" by Tessa Gratton
I always find the world building in fantasy fascinating, so I loved reading more details about the way in which Tessa goes through that process. Her explanation is a clear example of how small central ideas can expand to create a world and a story. Her footnotes read much differently than Maggie's to me, and I liked seeing the individuality of the author come through. I also appreciated seeing her comments about how her critique partners affected the development of the story. Too often, I think we forget the other people besides the author who are involved in the complete development of a published story.
Ideas and "Drowning Variations" by Brenna Yovanoff
This section of the book was different from the first two. It again starts with an introduction, but then instead of one story, it reads more like an essay including a couple of short stories and footnotes within them. I felt like the footnotes in this portion were more disruptive because the essay portion was already providing explanation of the overall process. Yet, the whole thing was extremely insightful. Brenna took a few personal experiences and used them as the skeleton beneath a few very different stories. I think this could be a helpful example for students and aspiring writers of how a single experience or idea can lead to a story that seems completely different. This section also ends with some wonderful commentary from the three authors about the common advice to "write what you know" and how they've each learned to do this in their own way rather than taking it literally.
I would recommend this book for aspiring writers and readers interested in the creative process of different writers. It would probably be especially interesting for readers who have enjoyed other stories by these authors.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
bookcub's review against another edition
5.0
If you are a writer, aspiring or published or somewhere in between, you should read this book. It’s three short stories (well, novellas really) that have writing tips in the margins. And the advice is explained with the examples in the story. One of these explains why it is recommended to avoid using passive voice and when you should use passive voice. They are also personalized to specific writing styles, instead of just one way of writing. The authors will also introduce their own story, explaining how they got the idea for a story and how they wrote it. And then more advice from all three at the end of each story. And all the stories are completely different, so chances are you will at least like one.
Now to the actual stories: They are fantastic!! (Ok, I didn’t read the last one, but it just isn’t as gripping as the first two.) There are characters of color, a trans woman, platonic relationships as complex as the romantic ones, and awesome plots. I can’t really say much more without spoiling them as they were so short.
I gave this five stars out of five because I love the concept do much, despite not reading the third story. The genre it falls into is fantasy, both urban and high fantasy. Happy reading!!
Now to the actual stories: They are fantastic!! (Ok, I didn’t read the last one, but it just isn’t as gripping as the first two.) There are characters of color, a trans woman, platonic relationships as complex as the romantic ones, and awesome plots. I can’t really say much more without spoiling them as they were so short.
I gave this five stars out of five because I love the concept do much, despite not reading the third story. The genre it falls into is fantasy, both urban and high fantasy. Happy reading!!
lenoirleon's review against another edition
4.0
As I started reading, and finished the first portion of this book, I decided to do separate reviews for each story. Therefore...this:
LADYLIKE
This story-the story of Geraldine and Petra-made me first think of the parts of To Kill and Mockingbird and the Book Thief where the young protagonist is forced into reading to an older lady. However, the resemblance stops there, as neither of those ladies were literally human eating creatures whose species were going extinct.
Petra is a blusher. At least, any time she interacts with others. However, she’s part of the oratory club and even with her uncontrolled reddening of her face, she does well and seems to enjoy it. At some point, someone important hears her and requests that she become a companion for an older woman-Geraldine. And so Petra goes, taking the exhaustive stairs of a six story building each time, and becomes a companion and reader to Geraldine. Over the days and weeks, Petra grows in her skills and confidence, but, eventually, Geraldine starts to decline.
Even if you don’t read the intro and notes that precede the story, it’s obvious that something is not quite kosher in Geraldine’s apartment. Even Petra notices the dark red stains on occasion. Yet, she continues to visit, growing fond of the old lady. The conclusion of the story, in which Petra finds out the truth, is bittersweet, but made me happy. Not only has Petra been able to become a confident young woman who advocates for herself, we find out that Geraldine has been showing amazing strength and willpower all these months. I said the resemblance to those other works stopped with the story reading...but now I’m very much reminded of how Scout found out that the lady she read to had been an addict of some sort and the reading and companionship had helped her to go without. Honestly, this would be a neat story to read in comparison to that book, if someone was willing to do that in a high school English class.
DESERT CANTICLE
I’m uncertain how I feel about this story. I think that, as it had so many unfamiliar things to me in it, it was a struggle to relate to the characters for a majority of the narrative. Rafael starts out well enough-a soldier doing his part, an exemplary finder of rebels. I couldn’t quite connect with the killing portion, but I do know that can be a soldier’s obligation. He goes home after the war, but returns for another tour, one that will hopefully bring peace between the two formerly warring groups.
Rafael is placed with Dinah Aniv, the best mage in the Star tribes, to rid areas of flower bombs. They work together, gradually building a bond and trusting one another. It is evident that Rafael has feelings more than soldiery camaraderie, but is trying not to act on them. Yet, a night of celebration leads the two to dance and share a moment, which leads to Rafael being told a secret that rattled his worldview much in the way as the magical IEDs have done.
More than anything, I wish that we wouldn’t have been given the heads up-right near the first of this story-that things were not quite what they seemed. When the big reveal came, it wasn’t a shock so much as an “oh. Okay. That’s why that line was thrown in.“ And while I get that this was supposed to be some akin to Rafael’s diary after the war and second tour, I feel like he would have either given more hints throughout the telling, or not mentioned it at all.
DROWNING VARIATIONS
Of the three stories in the book, this was my least favorite. I think, more than anything, because we went back and forth between the author telling us about the story and the variations of the stories. Which, I get, was the point of this section, if not the entire book. Yet, in the other sections, with the side notes, it could be ignored. In this section, it couldn’t. I’ve rarely enjoyed books with multiple narrators, as I have trouble keeping track. And while I understand that there really weren’t different people telling the story, but the same one, only drafted differently, it still led to a disjointed narrative that I had trouble getting through.
LADYLIKE
This story-the story of Geraldine and Petra-made me first think of the parts of To Kill and Mockingbird and the Book Thief where the young protagonist is forced into reading to an older lady. However, the resemblance stops there, as neither of those ladies were literally human eating creatures whose species were going extinct.
Petra is a blusher. At least, any time she interacts with others. However, she’s part of the oratory club and even with her uncontrolled reddening of her face, she does well and seems to enjoy it. At some point, someone important hears her and requests that she become a companion for an older woman-Geraldine. And so Petra goes, taking the exhaustive stairs of a six story building each time, and becomes a companion and reader to Geraldine. Over the days and weeks, Petra grows in her skills and confidence, but, eventually, Geraldine starts to decline.
Even if you don’t read the intro and notes that precede the story, it’s obvious that something is not quite kosher in Geraldine’s apartment. Even Petra notices the dark red stains on occasion. Yet, she continues to visit, growing fond of the old lady. The conclusion of the story, in which Petra finds out the truth, is bittersweet, but made me happy. Not only has Petra been able to become a confident young woman who advocates for herself, we find out that Geraldine has been showing amazing strength and willpower all these months. I said the resemblance to those other works stopped with the story reading...but now I’m very much reminded of how Scout found out that the lady she read to had been an addict of some sort and the reading and companionship had helped her to go without. Honestly, this would be a neat story to read in comparison to that book, if someone was willing to do that in a high school English class.
DESERT CANTICLE
I’m uncertain how I feel about this story. I think that, as it had so many unfamiliar things to me in it, it was a struggle to relate to the characters for a majority of the narrative. Rafael starts out well enough-a soldier doing his part, an exemplary finder of rebels. I couldn’t quite connect with the killing portion, but I do know that can be a soldier’s obligation. He goes home after the war, but returns for another tour, one that will hopefully bring peace between the two formerly warring groups.
Rafael is placed with Dinah Aniv, the best mage in the Star tribes, to rid areas of flower bombs. They work together, gradually building a bond and trusting one another. It is evident that Rafael has feelings more than soldiery camaraderie, but is trying not to act on them. Yet, a night of celebration leads the two to dance and share a moment, which leads to Rafael being told a secret that rattled his worldview much in the way as the magical IEDs have done.
More than anything, I wish that we wouldn’t have been given the heads up-right near the first of this story-that things were not quite what they seemed. When the big reveal came, it wasn’t a shock so much as an “oh. Okay. That’s why that line was thrown in.“ And while I get that this was supposed to be some akin to Rafael’s diary after the war and second tour, I feel like he would have either given more hints throughout the telling, or not mentioned it at all.
DROWNING VARIATIONS
Of the three stories in the book, this was my least favorite. I think, more than anything, because we went back and forth between the author telling us about the story and the variations of the stories. Which, I get, was the point of this section, if not the entire book. Yet, in the other sections, with the side notes, it could be ignored. In this section, it couldn’t. I’ve rarely enjoyed books with multiple narrators, as I have trouble keeping track. And while I understand that there really weren’t different people telling the story, but the same one, only drafted differently, it still led to a disjointed narrative that I had trouble getting through.
suecatwrites's review against another edition
4.0
The Anatomy of Curiosity was a welcome twist on writing insights and advice -- three writers offering an immersive journey not only into their writer's minds and thoughts behind their writing, but the stories themselves. I loved the comments that accompanied the stories, especially Maggie's and Brenna's. For me, Tessa's contribution was a bit disjointed and her insights didn't dive as deep as the other two, but she still contributed some interesting thoughts to ponder. All in all, a worthy tool for any writer.
shogins's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting insight into the writing process. I think I preferred the first volume, but can see how this one would be more helpful.