This book has saved my sanity ...
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With gratitude to Mr Sexton for the timely lessons in his Master Class. I am a writing my first (and perhaps only) novel; cursed with ignorance and perfectionism I have little idea what I am doing. This book has shown me where, in the world of fiction, to find the best examples of characterisation, plot, description, dialogue, point of view. Armed with this knowledge I can now intuitively pull the ragged pieces of my novel together by learning from masters of the art.
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Masterclass indeed
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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.
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sound advice
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This book has been an eye opener for me. I've managed to win Britain's biggest short story prize (the Bridport) in the recent past despite never taking any formal advice on how to write fiction. I've been scared of 'how to write' books and lessons on the grounds they might steal my uniqueness.
What I did instead, and continue to do, is live on a diet of endless great works of fiction in the hope I might learn from them by a process of osmosis.
No writer should fight shy of this book, it uses great books to guide you.
Reading this has clarified for me a lot of things I suppose I already half knew on an instinctive level. I reckon it will do the same for other writers too. It makes you work harder basically, which is a good thing if you are lazy like me.The advice here is clear, with good examples and it's often witty too, which always helps. I'm off to rewrite my novel - especially the dialogue, characterisation, plot and description. A Whitbread awaits.
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