Josip NovakovichRecensioner

This is one I read some time ago, and already cannot recall enough about to review.

Okay okay so I always complain about books on writing yet I am constantly reading books on writing either for classes or as craft markers for my own practice. This one was actually pretty good. First of all, its written by an accomplished author (that's crucial for me at this point). Secondly, it presents itself as a textbook. One of the aspects of the "how to write..." genre that I can't stand is the veiled arrogance behind most of those books. The posture tends to be, "well you are actually a perfectly great writer and here are some tips to get past those pesky gatekeepers who need to be tricked into publishing your already great, flawless writing." At least a textbook comes from the perspective that writing is a craft to be worked on and improved. I'll stick with that sort of optimism carried over: good work gets published; no one is tricking anyone with secret codes and methods.

Anyway, Novakovich is an interesting writer and though I disagreed with his opinions at times he actually invites this and by no means considers his own word final. All in all this was a useful overview of the main building blocks of fiction and the included anthology of stories were useful and interesting.

Okay okay so I always complain about books on writing yet I am constantly reading books on writing either for classes or as craft markers for my own practice. This one was actually pretty good. First of all, its written by an accomplished author (that's crucial for me at this point). Secondly, it presents itself as a textbook. One of the aspects of the "how to write..." genre that I can't stand is the veiled arrogance behind most of those books. The posture tends to be, "well you are actually a perfectly great writer and here are some tips to get past those pesky gatekeepers who need to be tricked into publishing your already great, flawless writing." At least a textbook comes from the perspective that writing is a craft to be worked on and improved. I'll stick with that sort of optimism carried over: good work gets published; no one is tricking anyone with secret codes and methods.

Anyway, Novakovich is an interesting writer and though I disagreed with his opinions at times he actually invites this and by no means considers his own word final. All in all this was a useful overview of the main building blocks of fiction and the included anthology of stories were useful and interesting.

A worthwhile collection of short stories. They range in scope and tone, but the sense of complexity is immediate and mesmerizing as you read. There are many dimensions at play here, all important, and they make it a meaningful read.

3 stars.

This is a quirky story. As I read, there were times I wondered "What is it about?" "What is Novakovich trying to say?" which sometimes made me question why I was reading it. But then I'd read on because it is a compelling mix of pathos and absurdity. By the end it had come together for me, after a twist I wasn't expecting (because I didn't read or remember the blurbs). Ultimately it has left me with a few things to ponder when I'm in a philosophical mood.

A great source for fiction writers, although it falls short in some areas. Each section begins with a lecture of some sort, with examples and thoughts, then numerous assignments.

It's divided into Sources of Fiction, Setting, Character, Plot, Point of View, Dialogue and Scenes, Beginnings and Endings, Description and Word Choice, Voice, then Revision.

The chapter on gathering story ideas is pretty generic but useful in a broad way. He lists some general things to trigger your thinking, like childhood, friends, stories you hear, but that's as far as it goes.

Setting is divided into many sections, all useful, very informative, alive with detail. If you had a problem with setting before, this is up your alley.

The character section discusses round characters, their mannerisms, appearance, etc. It has useful comments but again is all general.

Plot is a great chapter - he discusses character conflict plots, non-confrontational plots, and combinations. He mentions a note card technique for generating plots but as before, it's more of an educational guide and not an inspirational one. I didn't find much useful advice for organizing or structuring a story.

His point of view is loaded with stuff I've never seen before; I consider this one of the best chapters the book offers.

The only problems I had was the guide was written in a sort of stuffy way at times. Also, many of the story examples used were not works I read, or have an interest in reading, more literary types work that you focus on in school. Because of this, it was a bit harder for me to get drawn into these sorts of examples.

Overall, though, it's a great guide for writing itself, not necessarily novel writing or short stories alone.

Basic info, with some good insights.

Moderately useful book for budding writers, with many excellent quotes from literature to illustrate his points admirably. The last chapter, on revision, is extremely useful, and the exercises are largely sensible and fun. But on the whole it's somewhat tedious and pedestrian a guide. For instance, he likes to list things - different types of beginnings, voices, etc., but most such lists are pretty obvious and he rarely tells you what's good and bad about each option. The UEA equivalent book, "The Creative Writing Coursebook" edited by Julia Bell and Paul Magrs, is superior in almost every way and if you've read that book, this one adds virtually nothing, and misses a lot.