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| Fiction Writers Workshop | 
 enlarge | Author: Josip Novakovich
Publisher: Story Press
Category: Book
List Price: $15.99
Buy New: $1.92
You Save: $14.07 (88%)
New (32) Used (56) from $0.43
Avg. Customer Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 211465
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8
ISBN: 1884910394
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.3
EAN: 9781884910395
ASIN: 1884910394
Publication Date: February 15, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The great paradox of the writing life is that to be a good writer, you must be both interested in the world around you and comfortable working in solitude for hours on end. Fiction Writer's Workshop, 2nd edition is designed to help writers foster a strong sense of independence, of being and thinking on their own, of becoming both disciplined and self-evaluative (not self-critical) in order to accomplish for themselves what others seek out in classroom groups. This comprehensive guide contains all of the key elements of a writing workshop: clear instruction illustrated by contemporary and classic works, innovative exercises and methods to gauge progress, and techniques for developing day-to-day discipline as well as a personal writing style.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...
Should be considered indispensable reading September 6, 2008
The primary purpose and goal of a writer's workshop is to help writers improve their writing. Simply stated, but often quite difficulty to accomplish because like most things in life, writer workshops can be classified into one of three categories -- the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, award-winning writer and teacher Josip Novakovich's "Fiction Writer's Workshop" is clearly one of the good ones in the form of a comprehensive instructional that covers every aspect of the art of fiction while providing aspiring and practicing writers with all the tools and techniques useful to developing the consistent, day-to-day discipline so fundamentally necessary for becoming a success professional at the literary craft. Offering more than one hundred writing exercises, with each exercise including a specific statement of purpose to guide the aspiring author through every step of the creative process, "Fiction Writer's Workshop" also provides self-critique questions with each exercise for assessing written works with an eye toward identifying weaknesses and strengths before moving on to the next lesson. Enhanced with the full text of eight acclaimed short stories complete with analysis and exercises suitable for modeling and the reinforcement of 'lessons learned', "Fiction Writer's Workshop" is appropriate for all fiction writers regardless of personal writing styles. Especially recommended for those aspiring to write publishable works of fiction, the "Fiction Writer's Workshop" should be considered indispensable reading for anyone who has every considered or attempted writing the kind of novels and short stories that would attract the attention of academia, the general populace, and generations of future readers yet unborn.
Great Book August 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I own the first edition. I'm a sculptor but in coming up with ideas I have recently thought of writing stories involving my characters. I borrowed this book from a friend about three years ago and rediscovered in on my bookshelf about two weeks ago. I love it. Buy the second edition. It includes short stories.
An excellent intermediary guide book September 21, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Once you have read an introductory book like Brayfield's Bestseller or Kings 'On writing' this is the book to buy and use.
Novakovich covers there basic elements: Setting /Character/Plot/PoV/Dialogue & Scene/Begins and endings / description/ vice and revision. He uses numerous examples form published literature and each chapter concludes with a number of good exercises.
One topic Novakovich does not cover is writers block. Maybe that is because he provides the solutions. Writers block is either due to lack of ideas or anxiety about one's writing. Novakovich provides the solutions - a chapter on the sources of fiction and a reference book to dip into every time one feels a anxious.
The beauty of Fiction Writers Workshop is the exercise - do them - and that all aspects are covered in one short book. That is also its disadvantage. Successful writing is complex, it requires fluent and adaptive use of a number of skills. To become fluent you will need to read and practice each in greater depth than can be provided in one book that covers them all. Don't make the mistake I made of going in depth on one skill first. It can lead to imbalance. Start with Fiction Writers Workshop and you will gain a balance.
Readers of this review can review it - tick the box 'useful' or 'not useful'. There is something I have noticed in those reviews. If reviews are critical then people are less likely to tick the box - 'useful' and more likely to tick the box 'Not useful'. What they are in fact saying is 'It was a nice review'. For a writer that is the worst kind of review. It leads you up the garden path. An author needs is honest candid review.
I'm not being nice about Fiction Writer's Workshop. It is that good.
just Jack
Excellent Read for the Slow Starter July 1, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is a must read for anyone who has trouble getting started. The mantra that has been beaten into my head over and over by most college professors is the importance of writing everyday. However, that's often easier said than done. Outside of CW courses, class assignments and workshops, it's been very difficult for me to get started and I've never been big on journaling. This excercises in this book have provided me with countless "assignments" to help get the creative juices flowing. If you find that you need a little push to get going, this book is for you.
Wonderful book May 3, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I have taken several classes lately and with them gotten several books. Most of them have at least some valuable information to make one a better writer with modern examples, but this book is unique in that you never feel like the author is giving you lines in which you are supposed to color inside of to make a good picture. You never feel pressured either. Since I am a beginning writer, this was the perfect atmosphere for me because there was room to learn new things, and reject some things without feeling I am suffering long-term as a writer. If one feels a strong sense of personal voice, this is the best book to acquire and develop new skills (as well as refine existing ones)
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