Review of Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
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Cassidy Storm
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- Latest Review: Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide by William H. Coles
Review of Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
[Following is a volunteer review of "Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide" by William H. Coles.]
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer’s Guide is a handbook for writers who want to achieve storytelling excellence. Renowned author William H. Coles walks the readers through every aspect of fiction writing and on creating a beautiful literary piece. It is divided into two parts. Book one starts with a description of what differentiates a story from a literary story. It goes on to explain all aspects of writing a story like picking the voice of the narrator, developing characters, writing dialogues, and creating a story arch.
The second book gives an overall view of the writing process, revising the story, how to keep the reader engaged, and bringing the story to life. The author uses several anecdotes to differentiate between regular storytelling and using literary devices in literary fiction. These examples make it quite simple for the reader to follow and understand the importance of each chapter. That said, these are simply guidelines and readers may disagree with certain rules prescribed in the book. I took it with a pinch of salt and as recommendations rather than mandates for literary fiction.
I liked the anecdotes in the book. They were instrumental in understanding what the author described and the book would have been incomplete without them. It was quite an interesting read and I finished it within two days. That led me to notice that certain parts of the book were repetitive especially between book one and book two. I also disliked the implication that certain types of writing were poor in quality. I think that is subjective and unfair to judge with limited context.
Overall I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. There were a noticeable number of typos. The epilogue was my favorite part as it made me think about what motivates me to write. William H. Coles’ final words of advice for writers were quite enriching, coming from an author as accomplished as him.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start writing or is looking to improve their skills. I also recommend it to teachers of creative writing as a tool to help guide their students towards becoming more aware of the literary devices that can enhance their writing. I advise readers to take it in slowly and practice the techniques detailed in the book rather than reading it all at once as I believe that would be a more productive exercise.
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Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer’s Guide is a handbook for writers who want to achieve storytelling excellence. Renowned author William H. Coles walks the readers through every aspect of fiction writing and on creating a beautiful literary piece. It is divided into two parts. Book one starts with a description of what differentiates a story from a literary story. It goes on to explain all aspects of writing a story like picking the voice of the narrator, developing characters, writing dialogues, and creating a story arch.
The second book gives an overall view of the writing process, revising the story, how to keep the reader engaged, and bringing the story to life. The author uses several anecdotes to differentiate between regular storytelling and using literary devices in literary fiction. These examples make it quite simple for the reader to follow and understand the importance of each chapter. That said, these are simply guidelines and readers may disagree with certain rules prescribed in the book. I took it with a pinch of salt and as recommendations rather than mandates for literary fiction.
I liked the anecdotes in the book. They were instrumental in understanding what the author described and the book would have been incomplete without them. It was quite an interesting read and I finished it within two days. That led me to notice that certain parts of the book were repetitive especially between book one and book two. I also disliked the implication that certain types of writing were poor in quality. I think that is subjective and unfair to judge with limited context.
Overall I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. There were a noticeable number of typos. The epilogue was my favorite part as it made me think about what motivates me to write. William H. Coles’ final words of advice for writers were quite enriching, coming from an author as accomplished as him.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start writing or is looking to improve their skills. I also recommend it to teachers of creative writing as a tool to help guide their students towards becoming more aware of the literary devices that can enhance their writing. I advise readers to take it in slowly and practice the techniques detailed in the book rather than reading it all at once as I believe that would be a more productive exercise.
******
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
