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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I read this with my daughter. It was pretty good. She is interested in writing a novel.
Happy Reading,
Erika
Happy Reading,
Erika
Writing Fiction for Dummies essentially goes out to complete what the title implies - teach dumbos like myself how to begin writing fiction. It is a beginning analysis, with no bias included in all aspects of creating and method. The writers are open to all kinds of fiction, and unlike teachers at school, do not hype up classics and literature and make fun of books like Harry Potter. The language is very easy to approach and understand, with concise headers throughout the book. Examples are also thrown in throughout every chapter to allow readers to see things clearly.
Although this book is easy to follow and understand, I believe it is beneficial to have already done some writing yourself so you have something to reflect upon, but this is not necessary as it really does go back to the roots of writing fiction.
Some topics it touches upon are:
- Writing paradigms
- Character values, story goal and ambition
- Scene structure
- Pro-active scenes and re-active scenes
- Storyline
- The publication process
- World building
- Showing vs telling
- Narrative summary
the list goes on
This is my first dive into a writing fiction book so I have nothing to compare this to, but I do believe it went deep into the nitty gritty, which is what I was looking for. Whilst going over the basics, it still had some new extended information to allow readers to actually go straight onto creating for themselves with some good knowledge of what they are doing. For more advanced writers this most likely is not going to be beneficial, however it is nice to see all the fundamental tasks written out nice and clearly. My only wish is that it could have gone a little further into unique voice, as I feel I am not ready to look into this yet and will need further understanding. Yes it is a personal task, but it feels like I need a little more groundwork to help guide my personal endeavour.
Either way, for beginners this is definitely a good place to start. The writing is down to earth and approachable, unbiased and not judgemental, with many passages about normalising failure and mistakes. I left this book feeling like anyone, including myself, had a chance at working hard and writing some good fiction.
Although this book is easy to follow and understand, I believe it is beneficial to have already done some writing yourself so you have something to reflect upon, but this is not necessary as it really does go back to the roots of writing fiction.
Some topics it touches upon are:
- Writing paradigms
- Character values, story goal and ambition
- Scene structure
- Pro-active scenes and re-active scenes
- Storyline
- The publication process
- World building
- Showing vs telling
- Narrative summary
the list goes on
This is my first dive into a writing fiction book so I have nothing to compare this to, but I do believe it went deep into the nitty gritty, which is what I was looking for. Whilst going over the basics, it still had some new extended information to allow readers to actually go straight onto creating for themselves with some good knowledge of what they are doing. For more advanced writers this most likely is not going to be beneficial, however it is nice to see all the fundamental tasks written out nice and clearly. My only wish is that it could have gone a little further into unique voice, as I feel I am not ready to look into this yet and will need further understanding. Yes it is a personal task, but it feels like I need a little more groundwork to help guide my personal endeavour.
Either way, for beginners this is definitely a good place to start. The writing is down to earth and approachable, unbiased and not judgemental, with many passages about normalising failure and mistakes. I left this book feeling like anyone, including myself, had a chance at working hard and writing some good fiction.
Made me aware of how little I know about writing fiction.
Very informative and easy to read. Helpful and clear.
Made me aware of how little I know about writing fiction.
Useful book with plain-speaking advice. Honest and truthful. I prefer other writing books for the inspirational stuff, but this is the one if you want a bare-bones, no-bullshit guide to getting your novel done.
I do not appreciate being in the “Dummies” target market, but Writing Fiction for Dummies has been a great help to me, so if the shoe fits...
As a visitor to Randy Ingermanson’s site, I was familiar with some of its material, but his book takes learning how to write compelling fiction to a whole new level.
No book will help you do the work and, make no mistake, writing a novel is a lot of work. But if you want a comprehensive guide to: 1) help you select an approach to writing, 2) create a compelling story, characters, and setting, 3) learn to edit your novel, 4) pitch your finished manuscript to agents and publishers, and 5) a whole lot more, this is your book.
Writing Fiction for Dummies is a must read for first-time novelists.
As a visitor to Randy Ingermanson’s site, I was familiar with some of its material, but his book takes learning how to write compelling fiction to a whole new level.
No book will help you do the work and, make no mistake, writing a novel is a lot of work. But if you want a comprehensive guide to: 1) help you select an approach to writing, 2) create a compelling story, characters, and setting, 3) learn to edit your novel, 4) pitch your finished manuscript to agents and publishers, and 5) a whole lot more, this is your book.
Writing Fiction for Dummies is a must read for first-time novelists.
informative
slow-paced