Review by Mv94 -- Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction W...
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Mv94
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Review by Mv94 -- Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction W...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide" by William H. Coles.]
The nonfiction book Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide by William H. Coles is a genuinely informative work on writing novels, short stories, just any literary fiction. It mostly described dos and don'ts for every fiction author. There are examples in the book, but there are definitions, theories, and guidance for authors more than that.
The book was easy to understand, no matter I had only a little experience in writing. However, if the reader isn't interested in writing books, stories, or any fiction, this book may sound a bit boring. But nothing stops you from reading this book if you want to learn about literary fiction structure. Coles' book is an excellent writing guide, whether you are planning to become an author or already an expert one.
The book's most central definitions are POVs (point of views), dialogue, different conflicts, and the power of structure of word choices. There were described well the three different POVs and lots of examples on each of them. There were examples of engaging and not so engaging dialogue and how various conflicts can support it. Word choices were also mentioned several times, and there were given more powerful alternatives to some familiar words. Coles tries to teach readers not just how to write a book, but how to write an excellent book that will gather and engage lots of readers.
I give Coles' book 4 out of 4 stars. It answered entirely many questions I had in writing. I liked the way Coles described all the theoretical definitions practically. There was nothing I disliked, but I have one suggestion for improvement: exercises to the end of each chapter so that readers can apply the skills learned. The language was fluent and easy to read, the book was edited well, and its structure was very clear.
I believe this guide will answer lots of questions and deepen the grasp on writing literary fiction. Hence, I will recommend this book to everybody who is writing literary fiction and wants to strengthen their knowledge or new authors who want to learn how to engage readers in the best way. However, the book might be boring for the youngest writers (it's full of text, no exercises); hence a good age group would possibly be 15+ years. Altogether I enjoyed Coles' book, got some inspiration for my writing, and find the book suitable for many interested in literary fiction.
******
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
The nonfiction book Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide by William H. Coles is a genuinely informative work on writing novels, short stories, just any literary fiction. It mostly described dos and don'ts for every fiction author. There are examples in the book, but there are definitions, theories, and guidance for authors more than that.
The book was easy to understand, no matter I had only a little experience in writing. However, if the reader isn't interested in writing books, stories, or any fiction, this book may sound a bit boring. But nothing stops you from reading this book if you want to learn about literary fiction structure. Coles' book is an excellent writing guide, whether you are planning to become an author or already an expert one.
The book's most central definitions are POVs (point of views), dialogue, different conflicts, and the power of structure of word choices. There were described well the three different POVs and lots of examples on each of them. There were examples of engaging and not so engaging dialogue and how various conflicts can support it. Word choices were also mentioned several times, and there were given more powerful alternatives to some familiar words. Coles tries to teach readers not just how to write a book, but how to write an excellent book that will gather and engage lots of readers.
I give Coles' book 4 out of 4 stars. It answered entirely many questions I had in writing. I liked the way Coles described all the theoretical definitions practically. There was nothing I disliked, but I have one suggestion for improvement: exercises to the end of each chapter so that readers can apply the skills learned. The language was fluent and easy to read, the book was edited well, and its structure was very clear.
I believe this guide will answer lots of questions and deepen the grasp on writing literary fiction. Hence, I will recommend this book to everybody who is writing literary fiction and wants to strengthen their knowledge or new authors who want to learn how to engage readers in the best way. However, the book might be boring for the youngest writers (it's full of text, no exercises); hence a good age group would possibly be 15+ years. Altogether I enjoyed Coles' book, got some inspiration for my writing, and find the book suitable for many interested in literary fiction.
******
Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
