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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
Rarely have I ever had a book speak to me as a writer. And I mean, speak to me---so loudly, clearly, and simply that I wonder if Dwight V. Swain is some sage from a thousand years ago and has seen my past writing experiences and current struggles. While I know that's not the case, as the late author passed some two years before I was born, it is clear in his writing that he has taught many students and has come across every likely pitfall of a writer, only to show them what to avoid and how to shine.
Swain isn't primarily concerned with "literary" fiction that tends to emphasize language rather than content. Rather, Techniques of the Selling Writer discusses fiction at its basic, universal core for all readers: Readers read to feel. Yes, they read to escape and to explore, but what is it that they are searching for midst this escape from reality?
Feeling. Human emotion. Anything that reaffirms their existence.
Above all, they want to feel---to feel every grain of sand pinch the skin beneath a slave's foot as he trudges to meet more traders, every tear a grieving widow sheds on her husband's grave, and every thought racing through a pilot's mind as the aliens come closer within Sector Q of the Andromeda Galaxy. It is the writer's job to make the reader feel as they read and to make themselves feel these experiences as they write.
And in his book, Swain discusses how to make it so. From choosing the right words on a sentence level to crafting characters with clear emotions for richer scenes rife with conflict, Swain guides the aspiring writer on a clear journey to long-term success. This, however, is not to say that one will get better instantly after reading this book and have no need to return to it. With everything in writing, mastering a skill takes conscious effort, and because Swain focuses primarily on larger concepts of fiction such as character, conflict, emotion, and plot, they will take a bit longer master than finding a stray adverb in a sentence and getting rid of it for more power. The writer must actively practice and be aware of how these techniques function until they become "automatic and instinctive" (Swain 82).
In other words, this is a book anyone who wants to be a writer should pick up, read, and read again, like one would eat a delicious slice of cake and wonder how in the world the chef made it. The first bite, or rather "read," you should read all the way through and gather a basic understanding of how a novel is constructed, according to Swain. Admittedly, his explanations and examples can be a little dense, which brings in the second read. The second read should pay attention more to the sections, or "layers," combing through in careful detail on them for longer periods to solidify them in the mind.
For the struggling or beginning writer, or those who wish to write more vividly and see where this vividness comes from, Techniques of the Selling Writer is well worth the time to read.
Swain isn't primarily concerned with "literary" fiction that tends to emphasize language rather than content. Rather, Techniques of the Selling Writer discusses fiction at its basic, universal core for all readers: Readers read to feel. Yes, they read to escape and to explore, but what is it that they are searching for midst this escape from reality?
Feeling. Human emotion. Anything that reaffirms their existence.
Above all, they want to feel---to feel every grain of sand pinch the skin beneath a slave's foot as he trudges to meet more traders, every tear a grieving widow sheds on her husband's grave, and every thought racing through a pilot's mind as the aliens come closer within Sector Q of the Andromeda Galaxy. It is the writer's job to make the reader feel as they read and to make themselves feel these experiences as they write.
And in his book, Swain discusses how to make it so. From choosing the right words on a sentence level to crafting characters with clear emotions for richer scenes rife with conflict, Swain guides the aspiring writer on a clear journey to long-term success. This, however, is not to say that one will get better instantly after reading this book and have no need to return to it. With everything in writing, mastering a skill takes conscious effort, and because Swain focuses primarily on larger concepts of fiction such as character, conflict, emotion, and plot, they will take a bit longer master than finding a stray adverb in a sentence and getting rid of it for more power. The writer must actively practice and be aware of how these techniques function until they become "automatic and instinctive" (Swain 82).
In other words, this is a book anyone who wants to be a writer should pick up, read, and read again, like one would eat a delicious slice of cake and wonder how in the world the chef made it. The first bite, or rather "read," you should read all the way through and gather a basic understanding of how a novel is constructed, according to Swain. Admittedly, his explanations and examples can be a little dense, which brings in the second read. The second read should pay attention more to the sections, or "layers," combing through in careful detail on them for longer periods to solidify them in the mind.
For the struggling or beginning writer, or those who wish to write more vividly and see where this vividness comes from, Techniques of the Selling Writer is well worth the time to read.
I really liked this book. It gives really solid and practical advise as to how to craft a story.
slow-paced
Review forthcoming, but easily the best — pound for pound — book on writing fiction I've ever read. And I've read probably 20-50 that touch on the genre.
I reread this book every few years. I just finished it again. I love the refresher course. Swain gets so much right. Aug. 21, 2018.
Techniques of a Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain has been sitting on my bookshelf for years. I hadn’t read it because I didn’t like the cover. For me, the dollar sign in place of the “S” is a turnoff. The cute ploy suggests the book is about making money rather than a practical writing guide for fiction writers.
Each time I thought about reading it, I put it back on the shelf. Oh, foolish girl!!
Techniques... is a practical writing guide as well as a guide to producing writing that sells.
What I liked:
I’m tempted to say, “I liked everything,” which would be true, but here’s what sets this book apart from other books:
1) It’s organized in a logical progression from the smallest writing unit to the broad strokes of storytelling.
2) It’s detailed and specific.
3) There are lots of examples.
4) The writing is clear and easy to understand.
5) Swain’s breaks down the techniques genre fiction writers use to tell compelling
stories.
6) I’ve tried his techniques and have seen a marked improvement in my writing.
Warnings:
I don’t want you to think this is a perfect book or a quick and easy read. There are some potential issues. I didn’t mind these things, but I imagine they could be stumbling blocks for some.
1) The book is dense; he packs more into 300 pages than most writing books. I get frustrated with books that are thin on content.
2) It’s dated, which anyone would expect from a book published 45 years ago; be prepared for talk about typewriters and other outdated things. If you think this might annoy you, remember that this book is still in print for a reason.
3) This is the kind of book you’ll read slowly and study–this is a plus for me, but I know some people want a quick an easy fix.
4) Some say that the writing is dry, but I didn’t notice. My academic background might make me jaded. The content is so valuable that I didn’t notice dry writing.
If you are an aspiring writer or a writer who want to improve, I recommend this book.
For me, it’s a must-have.
Techniques of a Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain has been sitting on my bookshelf for years. I hadn’t read it because I didn’t like the cover. For me, the dollar sign in place of the “S” is a turnoff. The cute ploy suggests the book is about making money rather than a practical writing guide for fiction writers.
Each time I thought about reading it, I put it back on the shelf. Oh, foolish girl!!
Techniques... is a practical writing guide as well as a guide to producing writing that sells.
What I liked:
I’m tempted to say, “I liked everything,” which would be true, but here’s what sets this book apart from other books:
1) It’s organized in a logical progression from the smallest writing unit to the broad strokes of storytelling.
2) It’s detailed and specific.
3) There are lots of examples.
4) The writing is clear and easy to understand.
5) Swain’s breaks down the techniques genre fiction writers use to tell compelling
stories.
6) I’ve tried his techniques and have seen a marked improvement in my writing.
Warnings:
I don’t want you to think this is a perfect book or a quick and easy read. There are some potential issues. I didn’t mind these things, but I imagine they could be stumbling blocks for some.
1) The book is dense; he packs more into 300 pages than most writing books. I get frustrated with books that are thin on content.
2) It’s dated, which anyone would expect from a book published 45 years ago; be prepared for talk about typewriters and other outdated things. If you think this might annoy you, remember that this book is still in print for a reason.
3) This is the kind of book you’ll read slowly and study–this is a plus for me, but I know some people want a quick an easy fix.
4) Some say that the writing is dry, but I didn’t notice. My academic background might make me jaded. The content is so valuable that I didn’t notice dry writing.
If you are an aspiring writer or a writer who want to improve, I recommend this book.
For me, it’s a must-have.
Tried to finish it for over a year. It just doesn't hold up well. The technique he's teaching is timelesss, but the writing is flowery and sometimes questionable. A lot of convoluted words to explain simple ideas. To learn those ideas, you've got to dig through a lot of connective tissue and strange sentences.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
One of many writing books I read over three months. I thought this one quite useful.
Swain's book deserves classic status since it was written in 1965 and has stood the test of time with regard to concrete methods and ideas for writing marketable stories.
It's not the easiest book to read, mostly due to formatting choices the author or publisher made that didn't work for me. But the techniques are exhaustive and cover all facets of writing good fiction. Any how-to book on writing published since then likely touches on or modifies the concepts Swain originally wrote about.
All writers, struggling to be published or already published and earning money, should have this book in their collections
It's not the easiest book to read, mostly due to formatting choices the author or publisher made that didn't work for me. But the techniques are exhaustive and cover all facets of writing good fiction. Any how-to book on writing published since then likely touches on or modifies the concepts Swain originally wrote about.
All writers, struggling to be published or already published and earning money, should have this book in their collections