Reed, Kit. Mastering Fiction Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books, 1991.
Kit Reed doesn’t believe there is a magic book that will tell you everything you need to know about writing. Her book, Mastering Fiction Writing, will help you get started and contains a lot of advice on making your stories better.
The first key is that learning to write comes from practicing writing. If you’re not writing, you’re not a writer. No story is perfect, so start writing and improve your work as you proceed.
An encouraging tip from Reed is that you already have a great storehouse of experience to draw upon as a writer. All the experiences of your own life, the lives of people you know and everything you’ve heard about and learned are the raw material you already have in your head. As a writer, you’ll use all of this, not directly but transformed for the purposes of your stories.
Reed is not a fan of plot, believing that stories are developed and preferring let her characters and what they want lead her. She does believe in outlining. An outline can help a beginning writer get a story in shape and avoid problems before starting. Even in the middle of a story, outlining can help with diagnosing problems and figuring out where the story needs to go.
The book also covers other common elements of fiction writing. This includes style, character, point of view, voice, rewriting and establishing your work habits.
A particularly useful element of the book is that almost every chapter contains a list of questions you can ask yourself about that element in your story. You could use these questions at any point in developing a story to help you recognize problems and create solutions.
The final chapter is also particularly useful. It deals with discipline. A writer isn’t going to produce stories, and especially not books, if he doesn’t do the work, deal with the problems and overcome the occasional boredom, hard work and temptation to quit.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
How to Write Mysteries by Shannon OCork
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
No Plot? Not Problem! A Low Stress-High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query 1991. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query 1991. Sort by date Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Life's Not Fair, but God is Good by Robert H. Schuller
You may remember Robert H.
Schuller from the Hour of Power television
program. He was a popular figure who attracted celebrities to appear on
broadcasts of worship services from the Crystal Cathedral. He preached what you
might call a gospel of positivity, making in consciously a successor to Norman
Vincent Peale and in some sense a predecessor to Joel Osteen.
The Crystal Cathedral and the Schullers have floundered after his passing. Life’s Not Fair, but God is Good was
published in happier times for them.
Google
Reading the book two decades after it was published gave me an
opportunity to look back. One of the things that struck me is that Schuller
wrote of the fall of the Soviet Union
soon after it occurred. He had high hopes for Russia and the
other countries shifting toward a more democratic
form of government.
He looked forward to flourishing Christianity,
greater freedom, wealth,
and opportunity for long oppressed people. I’m not sure what he would think of
the current state of affairs, especially in Russia, but clearly fall short of
the hopes he expressed.
The book also prompted me to recall the Hour of Power. A routine segment featured Schuller interviewing
someone, recorded live before the congregation of his church. Though it is not
mentioned, I suspect many of the interviews recounted in the book may have come
from the show. These guests were often famous performers, athletes, and
politicians. Others were people who overcame troubles of all sorts, handicaps,
injuries, financial setbacks, abuse and losses. The common thread through these
interviews was how people succeeded through faith in God’s grace, hope,
positive outlook and persistence.
Speaking of themes, I should say something about the book. The title
expresses the theme: Life’s Not Fair, but
God is Good. Schuller concedes that sometimes life sucks. Bad things happen
to everyone, and sometimes the worst things happen to those who seem to deserve
it least. In spite of that, people can lead lives of purpose and joy because
God is good. The Great Redeemer can man something beautiful out of the ugliness
of life. Not only can He, He will.
I suppose the meat of the book is advice on how to live in the gap
between the unfair circumstances we experience and the awesome goodness we can
know even in the midst of them. In this, Schuller presents a mix of Christian philosophy
and self-help
positive thinking. We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose
our reactions. Schuller encourages hopeful, positive responses based on the
acknowledgment of God’s goodness. Prayer, belief, gratitude,
good works, humility, forgiveness, connection to others, generosity, patience,
and vision are tools we have, or can develop, to be overcomers in the face of
obstacles. We master these skills under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit
as we get to know Christ
better.
Robert H. Schuller also wrote Self-Love.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
This Year I Will… by M. J.
Ryan
Saturday, May 16, 2009
How to Write a Manual by Elizabeth Slatkin
Slatkin, Elizabeth. How to Write a Manual. Berkley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1991.
Even in an age of searchable, hypertext-enabled electronic documents, many of the manuals I’ve resorted to using are poorly organized, off-putting and unhelpful. When I have every expectation of technology making manuals better, I find them getting worse.
Apparently, the writers of these manuals have not read How to Write a Manual. Though references to computer technology and software are a little dated, as one might expect after 18 years, Elizabeth Slatkin’s directions for preparing a well-organized, user-friendly manual are still on the mark. Ironically, the book is geared somewhat to preparing software manuals, though is broad enough to apply to any kind of manual.
As you read the book, you get a sense that Slatkin used the very process she describes in preparing it. It is orderly, simple and easy to follow. It is aimed at a specific audience, people who need to write a manual, and focuses on the details most important to them. If you come from a background in publication production, you’ll find the book light on related material.
Slatkin incorporates project management into the approach. The author of a manual may be called upon to oversee the entire process of its production, so she provides enough information on this process to help someone maneuver it.
Planning is key to a successful manual. Slatkin gives a lot of attention to planning in the early chapters of the book and throughout references how planning lays the groundwork for succeeding steps. The book and its chapters are short, so it won’t take much time to reread the section on planning before starting work on a manual.
She also provides solid advice on technical writing. If someone is writing technical material that may be on a smaller scale than a manual, the chapters on good writing would be a useful reference to them.
Even in an age of searchable, hypertext-enabled electronic documents, many of the manuals I’ve resorted to using are poorly organized, off-putting and unhelpful. When I have every expectation of technology making manuals better, I find them getting worse.
Apparently, the writers of these manuals have not read How to Write a Manual. Though references to computer technology and software are a little dated, as one might expect after 18 years, Elizabeth Slatkin’s directions for preparing a well-organized, user-friendly manual are still on the mark. Ironically, the book is geared somewhat to preparing software manuals, though is broad enough to apply to any kind of manual.
As you read the book, you get a sense that Slatkin used the very process she describes in preparing it. It is orderly, simple and easy to follow. It is aimed at a specific audience, people who need to write a manual, and focuses on the details most important to them. If you come from a background in publication production, you’ll find the book light on related material.
Slatkin incorporates project management into the approach. The author of a manual may be called upon to oversee the entire process of its production, so she provides enough information on this process to help someone maneuver it.
Planning is key to a successful manual. Slatkin gives a lot of attention to planning in the early chapters of the book and throughout references how planning lays the groundwork for succeeding steps. The book and its chapters are short, so it won’t take much time to reread the section on planning before starting work on a manual.
She also provides solid advice on technical writing. If someone is writing technical material that may be on a smaller scale than a manual, the chapters on good writing would be a useful reference to them.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Happiness is a Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman
What if
it is within your power to make yourself happy or unhappy? Barry
Neil Kaufman is convinced you can. The theme of his book is as simple as
the title, Happiness is a Choice.
To
Kaufman, unhappiness is a learned
response. We face many situations, some are stressful or things we would not
have chosen, but our emotional
response to them is largely a matter of our judgment of them. If we change our perspective,
if we develop a new vision, our feelings will change, too.
The
book contains many examples form Kaufman’s life and from the experiences of his
clients. He and his wife
have an autistic
son.
They look at is as a challenge to love, engage with
and communicate
with someone who deals with the world in a different way. One of his clients
was devastated by the loss of his mother.
He chose to remember all of the ways she helped him and had a positive
influence on his life. His gratitude
lifted his spirits.
This
points to something I think is worth noting. You do not have to solve problems
to be happy. Kaufman never suggests that problems will disappear or that things
will always be to your liking. He is persistent in suggesting that you can find
a new way to look at it so you can respond with more happiness.
Happiness,
then, is more important than getting what you want. You won’t always get what
you want, but you don’t have to be unhappy about it. This is the first of
Kaufman’s six shortcuts to happiness.
These
shortcuts are mindsets
that help you focus on ways to be happy in any circumstance. I’ve already
mentioned another: letting go of judgment.
All the
shortcuts can be summarized in one. Decide to be happy.
Happiness
isn’t necessarily ecstasy. Kaufman ties happiness to love. Happiness is loving
yourself. Loving others is being happy
with them. In any situation, you can choose love and happiness.
If
you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Kaufman,
Barry Neil. Happiness is a Choice. New York: Fawcett
Columbine, 1991.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
How to Write & Present Technical Information by Charles H. Sides
Sides, Charles H. How to Write & Present Technical Information. 2nd ed. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx, 1991.
How to Write & Present Technical Information is a brief, informal, informative guide to communicating technical information in a variety of formats. It’s for anyone who writes or presents technical information as part of their work, including, but not limited to, technical writers. Its main audience is workers in high-tech industries, but the principles are applicable to most technical information.
This book differs from some other guides to technical writing in its emphasis on audience analysis. It devotes a chapter to the subject and revisits it several times throughout. Using the recommended questions, one can profile an audience and decide what should be included or left out of a document or presentation and how to present it.
Organization is also a major issue in the books and several ways of organizing technical information are presented. Many of the chapters apply organizing principles to particular types of documents.
A variety of documents is covered in this short book. These include technical documentation, user guides, papers, articles, memos, specifications, procedures, proposals, reports, and product descriptions. It also covers the use of graphics in written documents and visual aids in presentations.
The importance of grammar is discussed, but only a few common grammatical problems are discussed. If readers are looking for a detailed guide to issues of grammar and punctuation, they’ll need to turn to a stylebook.
Though grammar and punctuation is glossed over, editing is covered in some detail. The author recommends a process of editing in layers beginning with the organizational logic (do the ideas flow and make sense?). From there, an editor moves in order to the mechanical development of topics (is the structure of parts, paragraphs and sentences correct, and does it work?), style (is it appropriate and varied?), and manuscript quality (is it orderly and clear, with enough good headings?). Proofreading is tackled last because there is a temptation to think that all the editing is done when the proofreading is done, but proofreading alone may overlook larger problems with a manuscript.
The author draws on his own experience as a technical writer and teacher of technical communications. His experience is the source of several examples and illustrations.
As you might expect from a book that is almost a decade old, some of the references to technology and software are dated. However, the principles of clear communication are the same, which makes this book hold up as a reference.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Elements of Technical Writing by Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly
How to Write a Manual by Elizabeth Slatkin
How to Write & Present Technical Information is a brief, informal, informative guide to communicating technical information in a variety of formats. It’s for anyone who writes or presents technical information as part of their work, including, but not limited to, technical writers. Its main audience is workers in high-tech industries, but the principles are applicable to most technical information.
This book differs from some other guides to technical writing in its emphasis on audience analysis. It devotes a chapter to the subject and revisits it several times throughout. Using the recommended questions, one can profile an audience and decide what should be included or left out of a document or presentation and how to present it.
Organization is also a major issue in the books and several ways of organizing technical information are presented. Many of the chapters apply organizing principles to particular types of documents.
A variety of documents is covered in this short book. These include technical documentation, user guides, papers, articles, memos, specifications, procedures, proposals, reports, and product descriptions. It also covers the use of graphics in written documents and visual aids in presentations.
The importance of grammar is discussed, but only a few common grammatical problems are discussed. If readers are looking for a detailed guide to issues of grammar and punctuation, they’ll need to turn to a stylebook.
Though grammar and punctuation is glossed over, editing is covered in some detail. The author recommends a process of editing in layers beginning with the organizational logic (do the ideas flow and make sense?). From there, an editor moves in order to the mechanical development of topics (is the structure of parts, paragraphs and sentences correct, and does it work?), style (is it appropriate and varied?), and manuscript quality (is it orderly and clear, with enough good headings?). Proofreading is tackled last because there is a temptation to think that all the editing is done when the proofreading is done, but proofreading alone may overlook larger problems with a manuscript.
The author draws on his own experience as a technical writer and teacher of technical communications. His experience is the source of several examples and illustrations.
As you might expect from a book that is almost a decade old, some of the references to technology and software are dated. However, the principles of clear communication are the same, which makes this book hold up as a reference.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Elements of Technical Writing by Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly
How to Write a Manual by Elizabeth Slatkin
Sunday, April 17, 2016
The Real World of Sherlock Holmes by Peter Costello
Readers of Sherlock
Holmes stories may recall that the detective clipped
stories from newspapers
related to crimes,
or unusual stories in which Holmes detected the hint of a crime. Holmes’
creator, Arthur
Conan Doyle, did the same thing, and he had a collection of books related
to crime. This is just one aspect of himself that Doyle put into the fictional
detective.
Doyle’s interest in crime, and particularly in defending those he felt
were unjustly prosecuted, sometimes led him into investigating crimes. Peter
Costello describes some of these crimes and investigations in The Real World of Sherlock Holmes.
Perhaps the most celebrated case, and the case in which Doyle conducted
himself as a Holmes-like detective, was the case of George Edalji.
Edalji, a solicitor born to an Indian father
and English mother,
was convicted of a series of animal mutilations. Doyle believed the case
against him was week, based mainly on poison-pen letters accusing the young
man. As he began to investigate, he found sloppy investigative techniques,
openly racist
police leadership,
an incompetent counsel
contributed to the wrongful conviction. Doyle investigated further and even
collected evidence indicating that someone else was the culprit. Through his
investigation, along with pressure he brought through the media and influential
acquaintances, he won a pardon for Edalji.
When Doyle became so deeply involved in a case, he was usually
motivated to correct what he saw as a miscarriage of justice. He was not so
active in his investigation of other crimes. Doyle studied crimes he found
interesting. More often than not, these were inquiries at a distance as he read
books and newspaper accounts, and discussed crimes with other interested
people. He was even a member of “Our Society,” a secretive crime club that
discussed the details of crime and developments in criminology in its
after-dinner meetings. Some of the members were lawyers and forensic scientists
(still a new profession) who were actively involved in investigating or
prosecuting crimes.
Costello suggests that some of these crimes inspired Doyle’s stories.
It makes sense that they would. Doyle always made significant changes when he
adapted a true
crime to a fictional
story, so no Sherlock Holmes story could be described as a close, though
fictionalized, recreation of a true crime.
Doyle remained interested in crime throughout his life, but by the 1920s he was
focused on promoting spiritualism.
Even when he investigated a crime in this era, it was usually because of an
element of spiritualism touching the case. He encouraged the use of
clairvoyants and mediums by the police. When Agatha
Christie disappeared, his investigation consisted of a consultation with
medium Horace
Leaf. (Journalists, passing on clairvoyance to use more Holmes-like
detection, found Christie staying at a resort under an assumed name.)
If you’re interested in this book, you may also interested in
Costello, Peter. The Real World
of Sherlock Holmes: The True Crimes Investigated by Arthur Conan Doyle. New York: Carrol &
Graf, 1991.
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