Gotham Writers' Workshop: Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide From New York's Acclaimed Creative Writing School

by Bloomsbury Publishing

Overview

Gotham Writers' Workshop has mastered the art of teaching the craft of writing in a way that is practical, accessible, and entertaining. Now the techniques of this renowned school are available in this book.

Here you'll find: The fundamental elements of fiction craft-character, plot, point of view, etc.-explained clearly and completely - Key concepts illustrated with passages from great works of fiction - The complete text of "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver-a masterpiece of contemporary short fiction that is analyzed throughout the book - Exercises that let you immediately apply what you learn to your own writing.

Written by Gotham Writers' Workshop expert instructors and edited by Dean of Faculty Alexander Steele, Writing Fiction offers the same methods and exercises that have earned the school international acclaim.
Once you've read-and written-your way through this book, you'll have a command of craft that will enable you to turn your ideas into effective short stories and novels. You will be a writer.

Gotham Writers' Workshop is America's leading private creative writing school, offering classes in New York City and on the web at WritingClasses.com. The school's interactive online classes, selected "Best of the Web" by Forbes, have attracted thousands of aspiring writers from across the United States and more than sixty countries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596917910
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	08/10/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	528,483
File size:	608 KB

About the Author

Gotham Writers' Workshop is America's leading private creative writing school, offering classes in New York City and on the web at WritingClasses.com. The school's interactive online classes, selected
"Best of the Web" by Forbes, have attracted thousands of aspiring writers from across the United States and more than sixty countries.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Fiction: The What, How, and Why of it.

Chapter 2
Character: Casting Shadows

Chapter 3
Plot: A Question of Focus

Chapter 4
Point of View: The Complete Menu

Chapter 5
Description: To Picture in Words

Chapter 6
Dialogue: Talking It Up

Chapter 7
Setting and Pacing: I’m Here Therefore I Am

Chapter 8
Voice: The Sound of a Story

Chapter 9
Theme: So What’s Your Story Really About?

Chapter 10
Revision: Real Writers Revise

Chapter 11
The Business of Writing: Driving Yourself Nuts for Fun and Profit

What People are Saying About This

Katherine Hall Page

Writing Fiction is a boon for established and aspiring writers alike...
—author of the Faith Fairchild mystery series

Jonathan Ames

A valuable book for aspiring writers and aspiring teachers...I highly recommend this text.
—author of The Extra Man

The Writer Magazine

The strength of this book is its accessibility: It explains all the basics of writing fiction in a simple, easy-to-understand manner that doesn't intimidate.
—April 2004

Jhumpa Lahiri

"Here is an honest, engaging guide with lessons every writer, at any stage, will benefit from. I read it just after I'd finished writing my second book. Now I'm inspired to begin a third." (Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Interpreter of Maladies)

Editorial Reviews

I've clearly found a new book to use in my own writing classes. This is a fine guide.
—Writing Program Director, University of Pittsburgh

Chuck Kinder

It's an incredible book, not just for the aspiring writer but for the ardent reader as well.
—Senior Editor, Zoetrope: All- Story

Michael Ray

The faculty of the Gotham Writers' Workshop-which now has 6,000 students not only in New York City but around the world (with online classes)-use an original approach in this how-to: Raymond Carver's classic story "Cathedral" (reprinted in the book) serves as a basis for their discussion of technique. The contributors are not household names, but all are published authors of fiction. Chapters touch on all the essentials: character development, pacing, dialogue and revision ("Real Writers Revise" the chapter title exhorts). All expand on the idea that "[g]ood writing comes down to craft far more than most people realize," while also reminding aspiring authors that "rules are made to be broken." The writing is fresh and full of concrete advice (e.g., "Desire is in the heart of every dimensional character"), and exercises allow students to explore what they have learned. This is an excellent starting place for someone exploring the art and craft of writing fiction. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly