Creating Short Fiction

I thought I knew the bones of writing technique already, but this book contains so many insights that I often felt it necessary to break off reading in order to consider fully what I'd just read - not because the writing is not clear and easy to read, but because the points the author makes are so momentous.

Many writing guides talk in generalities or talk down to the reader, but this one isn't like that. Just one word of warning - I think the best of the book is in the middle and end, so don't be too impatient when reading the introductory chapters.


Simply the best of its class.   June 19, 1997
40 out of 42 found this review helpful

As an MFA student I've been looking at a lot of books about how to write fiction, and very few of them do anything other than encourage you to keep writing. This book teaches you how to write a short story, and encourages you to write a =better= short story (without imposing its own definition of "better"). It is the only "how-to" book in fiction that I have found that I can recommend, and I use it in my own teaching.