Art and Life in Novel Writing
Misc pearls of utility plus takeaways on craft learned from books utilized in the AAC novel writing program including "Write Away" by Elizabeth George, "The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner, "Writing the Breakout Novel" by Donald Maass, and "The Writing Life" by Annie Dillard:
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AS II – Module 8 Book Reports "The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner (a great primer for this commercial program) 1. How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? This is the second time I’ve read this book. It should be the first book any writer reads on the craft of writing. It validated the areas of craft that I’ve been studying for the past eight-plus years. The book taught me that you have to know the rules of craft and master them before you can break them or create your own. 2. What two or three major lessons did you learn from the book that you can apply to your writing and/or your novel? a. The…
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Books: The Art of Fiction Writing the Breakout Novel Write Away The Writing Life The first book I read out of these four was The Writing Life because I'd heard a great deal about it, and always enjoy looking through the window of another author's life. Did the book help me as an author? Not entirely, no, but Dillard's candidness about her journey as a writer with all of its struggles and procrastination was endearing and relatable. Her ability to set the scene when she goes in between topics is wonderfully crafted. Some lessons or advice I took away from this book were: 1) As a writer you climb a long ladder until you can see over the roof, or over the clouds. (I…
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Book reports The Art of Fiction by John Gardner How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? This was the last book I read out of the list, so much of it was review of what I had already read. I did learn a great deal from the chapters regarding common writing errors and technique. What two or three major lessons did you learn from the book that you can apply to your writing and/or your novel? 1. The use of active voice vs. passive voice. This may not be news to most writers, but it made me more aware of it in my writing. I had to change a few lines of dialogue because of it. 2. Not to begin sentences with inf…
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WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, by Donald Maass. I've had this book (and its companion book WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK) on my bookshelf since it was first published, as well as Maass's other craft books. I find them extremely helpful, but primarily in the way of editing pages once they're written; less so in the realm of helping me plan and execute a first draft. I've attended the Breakout Novel Intensive (BONI) workshop Maass gives twice. (BONI is based on this book and his more recent ones, particularly WRITING 21st CENTURY FICTION.) The exercises provide insight and help in making sure there is "tension on every page" and in crafting a compelling story. This b…
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AS II / MODULE 8 BOOK REPORTS I). The Art of Fiction by John Gardner At first, it was very hard to read and absorb this book. Lots of inferences that I should have gone to college (or still attempt to) in order to write a decent narrative. Not happening. I stopped reading this until I got to AS II and forced myself to dive back in and got a lot more out of it this time around. What I found of interest: Genre crossing, using more than one genre (i.e. fantasy and historical romance) for your story idea. The common errors section became a valuable tool on what not to do. I referred to this section more than once while rewriting the first hundred pag…
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Books on Technique Utilized in The Novel Writing Program The Art of Fiction by John Gardner 1. How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? Don’t write what you know, rather write the kind of story you know and like best. Of course this reinforces the notion that the writer MUST know the genre s/he chooses to write. 2. What two or three major lessons did you learn from the book that you can apply to your writing and/or your novel? The first is about authenticating detail. Even in fantasy what the character says or does must fit their nature. The nagging wife turned sweet and gentle is a good example. Did she he…
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"The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner Since honesty is what you’re seeking... At the time I read it, I remember feeling very annoyed with Gardner and got very little out of the first part of the book. However, now, as I flip through my copy, I’m struck by how much I highlighted and certain passages are connecting. “In all the major genres, vivid detail is the life blood of fiction.â€� And the writer “must create, stroke by stroke, powerfully convincing characters and settings; he must more and more clearly define for himself what his overall theme or idea is; and he must choose and aesthetically justify his genre and style.â€� I had to remind myself to remain i…
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"The Writing Life" by Annie Dillard (a look at the struggle) How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? It helped me to trust your assignment to rewrite my opening 5000 words in third person. (She is brutal in “killing all her darlings.â€� The beginning of my book was the oldest part and containing the original idea—I had started it seven years ago, then it lay buried during many hard years. I was overly attached to it as it was. I don’t know if I’ll keep it in third person but the whole enterprise liberated me from what I had written and it is much improved because of it. Annie’s ruthless approach to this was…
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Jody Flosi AS BOOK REPORTS THE ART OF FICTION by John Gardner How did the book help you as a writer? What aspects of it taught you something? The most interesting knowledge I gained from Gardner's tome of wisdom was an historical overview of the use of point of view in novels. I'm paying closer attention to POV in my current novel, thanks to the AS modules. More knowledge on this malleable tool was nice. I do wish he had been more organized in his presentation of the topic. I will go back, some afternoon when I need a break from my story, and create a timeline for myself from his ramblings, very nice ramblings, for the most part. I wish I could sit in his classr…
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Gardner I first read Gardner many years ago, when I knew I wanted to be a writer but did not know what kind. Gardner was one of the books that convinced me to write non-fiction. So, here I am. It is still relevant, still intimidating, but either I am wiser and more worldly now than I was at 25, or more likely, I just have an itch that needs scratching. I find that keeping in mind his idea of fiction as a vivid continuous dream helps reveal unnecessary details or intrusions. His schematic approach to plot and other aspects of construction are also useful rubrics, though I admit I found them laughable at first. His advice to always keep in mind the impact of the story on…
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Book Reports "The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner 1. I was surprised at how relevant this book was considering how long ago it was written, which is a testament to the truths of effective writing. Particularly, the science of sentence structure and rhythm was very interesting. I constantly say sentences out loud to see how they sound and look for rhyming distractions, but haven’t examined it as objectively before. 2. Three major lessons: a. “In serious fiction, the highest kind of suspense involves the Sartrian anguish of choice; that is, our suspenseful concern is not just what will happen but with the moral implications of action.â€� Fo…
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AS II, Module 8 -- Reviews of Books About Writing THE WRITING LIFE by Annie Dillard 1. How it helped me, overall aspects Annie Dillard's writing voice combines the practical with the artistic or whimsical, as solid advice mixes with poetic images. She relies heavily on her observations and impressions in her work, to the point where sometimes I wonder where her point lies. But there is no denying her power, the strength of her voice -- you hear it from the page. So I learned from her confident voice, her use of poetic images, and from her lessons about the discipline of putting fanny in seat and working every day, not relying on some muse to inspire me.…
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AS II – Module 8 Book Reports "The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner (a great primer for this commercial program) 1. How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? This is the second time I’ve read this book. It should be the first book any writer reads on the craft of writing. It validated the areas of craft that I’ve been studying for the past eight-plus years. The book taught me that you have to know the rules of craft and master them before you can break them or create your own. 2. What two or three major lessons did you learn from the book that you can apply to your writing and/or your novel? a. The…
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"The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner (a great primer for this commercial program) How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? The name itself - not that I realized it at first, but it came to me eventually. Fiction is art. I thought of it as words on a page. If you put them together right, you communicated what you meant. In my new way of thinking of fiction, I have a deeper understanding of the things I already know: the need to paint the scene, choreograph the movements of not only characters but objects, to feel, touch, and smell everything in the scene. I think I recognize more mistakes in my own writing. What two or t…
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WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL by Donald Maass How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? Each chapter breaks down a key element of the breakout novel. Essentially Maass offers an outline, followed by straight-forward detail, to writing a publishable novel. The book is simple and isn’t cluttered with poetic rhetoric just for poetry’s sake. In other words, Maass’ writing isn’t bogged down in fancy wordplay; instead he uses his time to clearly articulate what young writers need to know. If the writing of the breakout novel were a pool, I felt this book was the diving board. He asks the reader a lot of quest…
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The Art of Fiction – Gardner 1. I found Gardner’s faults to avoid the most useful part of the book and have endeavored to remove or correct them in my manuscript when possible. 2. Three Major lessons a. “vivid and continuous fictional dreamâ€� – this is excellent advice to keep the reader enthralled, particularly applicable to the medical parts of my manuscript to ensure that it doesn’t become overwhelming and thus distracting to the reader b. Avoiding needless explanation and explanation instead of drama alone – this prompts me to show, not tell in the manuscript which will become a large part of the next revision c. “Frigidity towar…
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“The Art of Fictionâ€� A captivating work. He hits all the basses for young writers. I enjoyed reading it as a sort of checklist for me, But I could imagine reading it as a highschooler might be a little daunting I wasn’t really into writing. He focuses a lot on what the reader will think of what is on the page. These are very important points to hear for early writers, as they tend to only read/approach their work from their own pov, creating a disconnect with readers. As the title would suggest, he is very focused on the ART of writing. Which is true and important not to forget, but could also be argued that to succeed as a writer, one must comply to rules …
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In reading these four texts, I found myself marvelling at Annie Dillard's descriptive powers, John Gardner's analysis of the fundamental tasks required in writing fiction, Elizabeth George's practical advice, and Donald Maass's acute understanding of the different types of novels and where they should be sold in the marketplace. I know I will return to these books again and again. Here are some of the first lessons I've acquired. Annie Dillard It is immediately evident why Annie Dillard's nature writing received such acclaim, because when she turns her naturalist's eye to the life of the writer, it is as if she turned up the lens on the microscope on the writ…
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The Writing Life – Annie Dillard HOW DID THE BOOK HELP YOU AS A WRITER? WHAT OVERALL ASPECTS OF IT TAUGHT YOU SOMETHING? This book helped me connect with the pure beauty of the word, and the wonder I felt at the beginning of writing novels when I realized that setting my own vision down could make me feel something so powerful. I just loved the sentiment in this writing guide, which is epitomized by this statement: "The line of words fingers your own heart" (p. 20). WHAT 2-3 MAJOR LESSONS DID YOU LEARN FROM THE BOOK THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO YOUR WRITING AND/OR YOUR NOVEL? 1. How to use metaphor in writing non-fiction. This style has influenced my writing o…
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Also created in error! Sorry, please delete.
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WRITE AWAY, By Elizabeth George “The art of writing is what you get to do once you become familiar with the craft.â€� The promise in these words by Elizabeth George in the preface of her book, WRITE AWAY, caught my early attention. For me, this is the most important message of her work: talent and passion (obvious plusses in the act of writing a novel) can better thrive once they’re in a framework established ahead of gametime. She strikes down the pervasive notion that writing a novel has to be an experience rooted in artistic suffering and instead shows that the worries over block, direction, and feeling at sea can be lifted through pre-considerations and pl…
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THE WRITING LIFE by Annie Dillard 1. How did the book help you as a writer? What overall aspects of it taught you something? As a visual artist for over forty years, I have always known that art is challenging. The art of writing is no different. Writing is hard. THE WRITING LIFE by Annie Dillard confirmed that mantra. Writing is hard. Good writing even more so. It takes discipline, tenacity, and a thick skin. Just like Dillard and thousands of other writers, I struggle with writing. As Dillard stated, “... it is a lion growing in strength. You must visit it every day and reassert your mastery over it. If you skip a day, you are, quite rightly, afraid to …
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Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
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Books on Fiction Writing Utilized in the Algonkian Novel Writing Program "The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner (a great primer for this commercial program) "Writing the Breakout Novel" by Donald Maass (another good primer) "Write Away" by Elizabeth George (a no nonsense primer, and humorous) "The Writing Life" by Annie Dillard (a look at the struggle) ________________________________________________________________________________ As you've noted on the novel writing program website, the above books are listed as must reads for this program. Therefore, the purpose of this forum is to nudge you into taking what you've learned from these …
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