Review of Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
Posted: 13 Sep 2021, 18:14
[Following is a volunteer review of "Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide" by William H. Coles.]
Every aspiring writer should read Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer’s Guide by William H. Coles. It is a manual guide for producing good fiction stories and understanding the fundamental elements of writing.
The author is a multiple award-winning literary fiction writer with over 40 books and short stories to his name. His awards include the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. Evidently, he knows his beans when it comes to writing fiction. Right from the start, the book delves straight into the art of writing. It is divided into two parts; the first deals with the basics of literary fiction like character, conflict, humour, etc. The second part focuses on the actual creation of a literary story amongst other essentials of writing.
I was excited to read this book because of my ambition to become a great writer. I was an editor and content writer and also writing my first book, so naturally, I wanted to hone my skills. This book exceeded my expectations. One of the major things I struggle with is POV (point of view), i.e, writing in the first person, second person or third person. I love how the author explained in great detail and with simple examples the differences in each POV, and which one really engages the reader.
I also love chapter 5 in the first section. It focuses on conflict in literary fiction. The author describes how conflict is the substance on which drama is based, and how a writer can use conflict and action to engage a reader and draw them into the story. According to him:
“Authors shouldn’t create still-life images, but paint portraits and scenes that intrigue and engage with feelings and momentum—scenes that come to life on the page.”
The paragraph right there is deep and profound. A writer is an artist, the character is his muse, and the story he creates is his painting.
My only issue is the number of errors I found. More attention to detail should be imperative in a book about writing. It would certainly benefit from another round of professional editing. This is the only reason why I would rate it 3 out of 4 stars. Otherwise, it is a very informative read, and I would definitely bookmark it and use it as a reference henceforth. I have learned more in this single text than in some of the writing courses I’ve attended. I would recommend this book to readers of all age groups. If you are an aspiring writer, an established one or have a flair for writing, make this your go-to book for writing lessons. You would be glad you did.
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Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Every aspiring writer should read Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer’s Guide by William H. Coles. It is a manual guide for producing good fiction stories and understanding the fundamental elements of writing.
The author is a multiple award-winning literary fiction writer with over 40 books and short stories to his name. His awards include the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. Evidently, he knows his beans when it comes to writing fiction. Right from the start, the book delves straight into the art of writing. It is divided into two parts; the first deals with the basics of literary fiction like character, conflict, humour, etc. The second part focuses on the actual creation of a literary story amongst other essentials of writing.
I was excited to read this book because of my ambition to become a great writer. I was an editor and content writer and also writing my first book, so naturally, I wanted to hone my skills. This book exceeded my expectations. One of the major things I struggle with is POV (point of view), i.e, writing in the first person, second person or third person. I love how the author explained in great detail and with simple examples the differences in each POV, and which one really engages the reader.
I also love chapter 5 in the first section. It focuses on conflict in literary fiction. The author describes how conflict is the substance on which drama is based, and how a writer can use conflict and action to engage a reader and draw them into the story. According to him:
“Authors shouldn’t create still-life images, but paint portraits and scenes that intrigue and engage with feelings and momentum—scenes that come to life on the page.”
The paragraph right there is deep and profound. A writer is an artist, the character is his muse, and the story he creates is his painting.
My only issue is the number of errors I found. More attention to detail should be imperative in a book about writing. It would certainly benefit from another round of professional editing. This is the only reason why I would rate it 3 out of 4 stars. Otherwise, it is a very informative read, and I would definitely bookmark it and use it as a reference henceforth. I have learned more in this single text than in some of the writing courses I’ve attended. I would recommend this book to readers of all age groups. If you are an aspiring writer, an established one or have a flair for writing, make this your go-to book for writing lessons. You would be glad you did.
******
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords