Review of Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
Posted: 06 Nov 2021, 00:17
[Following is a volunteer review of "Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide" by William H. Coles.]
Thinking of writing a story? Need some help? Then take a moment to read through Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide, by William H. Coles. Coles, a writer with 24 years of experience, has won numerous awards for his outstanding poems, literary novels and short stories. This is his explicit manual for writing quality fiction. It consists of only 120 pages and is divided into two parts: The Literary Story in Fiction and Creating a Literary Fictional Story. Part one, The Literary Story in Fiction, reveals and discusses the qualities of exceptional literary fiction; part two, Creating a Literary Fictional Story, explains how to effectively structure and produce a sensational story.
Starting off as a new writer, I struggled to gather ideas, write stories with exciting plots and captivating characters that engaged my readers. So, most of my work went unpublished as I faced rejection after rejection. I almost gave up on writing before this extraordinary guide grabbed my attention. William H. Coles provided a thorough and straightforward summary of the essential elements required to capture readers attention and keep them engaged to the end. After reading Coles’s masterpiece I was able to develop interesting, complex and well developed character-driven plots. My writing improved significantly as I implemented his advice. I have now had several short stories published by online magazines and flash fiction websites.
The author provides an extensive analysis of how to effectively use narration, character, dialogue, conflict, humour, first and second-person point of view (POV), time, emotion, desire and motivation to construct entertaining and sophisticated storylines. There is limited difficulty comprehending and applying the instructions given. This is because the author delivers a comprehensive, direct and easy to understand explanation of these features through glossaries and examples. Terminology and sample pieces of writing throughout the book help readers understand how to utilise these different components constructively.
Coles clearly outlines how eight essential components are required in order to create a successful literary story. They include prose, characterisation, plot, narration, setting, imagery, meaning and purpose and drama. He particularly emphasises on characterisation. This guide reveals how a character’s emotional complexity and their desires and motivation are factors that contribute to the development of an intriguing plot. Desire and motivation are also regarded, by Coles, to facilitate action and transformation in the story. Their monumental impact on plot development and the reader is analysed and elaborated in-depth throughout the book. The information provided by William H. Coles is absolutely priceless. He uses simple terms and sentences to communicate how to effectively create intriguing character development. Also, the author’s clever use of guidelines and principles makes it easy to understand how desires, motivation, feelings, expression and emotions are intertwined and used to breathe life into a fictional literary story.
There are many things I love about this book. I particularly enjoyed Coles’s use of guidelines and principles. The principles effectively summarised the essential elements necessary for a successful creative piece, whereas the guidelines provided instrumental direction and advice. I also thought the excerpts from renowned authors: Emily Brontë, William Shakespeare and William H. Coles, himself, were a beneficial facet of the book. Displaying the writing of author’s of award-winning and popular literary work gives readers a broader idea of what Coles is conveying. The final thing that truly stood out was the chapter on ‘Why Literary Stories Fail.’ This section of the book, I believe, is the most crucial section of Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide. In this part, readers are given detailed evaluations on a list of reasons why literary fictional stories fail. Overall, following the instructions in this guide will most likely enhance your chances of creating memorable literary pieces.
The book was an absolutely valuable and advantageous constituent that enabled the improvement of my writing. So, there is not a negative thing I can say about it. The book has been exceptionally edited and has zero spelling mistakes or minor grammatical errors. Therefore, I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars . I would recommend this amazing guide to write impressive literary fiction to new writers, English literature students and to anyone who is struggling to get their hard work published!
******
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Thinking of writing a story? Need some help? Then take a moment to read through Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide, by William H. Coles. Coles, a writer with 24 years of experience, has won numerous awards for his outstanding poems, literary novels and short stories. This is his explicit manual for writing quality fiction. It consists of only 120 pages and is divided into two parts: The Literary Story in Fiction and Creating a Literary Fictional Story. Part one, The Literary Story in Fiction, reveals and discusses the qualities of exceptional literary fiction; part two, Creating a Literary Fictional Story, explains how to effectively structure and produce a sensational story.
Starting off as a new writer, I struggled to gather ideas, write stories with exciting plots and captivating characters that engaged my readers. So, most of my work went unpublished as I faced rejection after rejection. I almost gave up on writing before this extraordinary guide grabbed my attention. William H. Coles provided a thorough and straightforward summary of the essential elements required to capture readers attention and keep them engaged to the end. After reading Coles’s masterpiece I was able to develop interesting, complex and well developed character-driven plots. My writing improved significantly as I implemented his advice. I have now had several short stories published by online magazines and flash fiction websites.
The author provides an extensive analysis of how to effectively use narration, character, dialogue, conflict, humour, first and second-person point of view (POV), time, emotion, desire and motivation to construct entertaining and sophisticated storylines. There is limited difficulty comprehending and applying the instructions given. This is because the author delivers a comprehensive, direct and easy to understand explanation of these features through glossaries and examples. Terminology and sample pieces of writing throughout the book help readers understand how to utilise these different components constructively.
Coles clearly outlines how eight essential components are required in order to create a successful literary story. They include prose, characterisation, plot, narration, setting, imagery, meaning and purpose and drama. He particularly emphasises on characterisation. This guide reveals how a character’s emotional complexity and their desires and motivation are factors that contribute to the development of an intriguing plot. Desire and motivation are also regarded, by Coles, to facilitate action and transformation in the story. Their monumental impact on plot development and the reader is analysed and elaborated in-depth throughout the book. The information provided by William H. Coles is absolutely priceless. He uses simple terms and sentences to communicate how to effectively create intriguing character development. Also, the author’s clever use of guidelines and principles makes it easy to understand how desires, motivation, feelings, expression and emotions are intertwined and used to breathe life into a fictional literary story.
There are many things I love about this book. I particularly enjoyed Coles’s use of guidelines and principles. The principles effectively summarised the essential elements necessary for a successful creative piece, whereas the guidelines provided instrumental direction and advice. I also thought the excerpts from renowned authors: Emily Brontë, William Shakespeare and William H. Coles, himself, were a beneficial facet of the book. Displaying the writing of author’s of award-winning and popular literary work gives readers a broader idea of what Coles is conveying. The final thing that truly stood out was the chapter on ‘Why Literary Stories Fail.’ This section of the book, I believe, is the most crucial section of Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide. In this part, readers are given detailed evaluations on a list of reasons why literary fictional stories fail. Overall, following the instructions in this guide will most likely enhance your chances of creating memorable literary pieces.
The book was an absolutely valuable and advantageous constituent that enabled the improvement of my writing. So, there is not a negative thing I can say about it. The book has been exceptionally edited and has zero spelling mistakes or minor grammatical errors. Therefore, I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars . I would recommend this amazing guide to write impressive literary fiction to new writers, English literature students and to anyone who is struggling to get their hard work published!
******
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords