This manual pertains to "The Stuff of Fiction: Advice on Craft," a creative writing guide published in 2010 by the University of Michigan Press. Authored by Douglas Bauer, a prizewinning novelist and experienced creative writing instructor, this work offers practical advice for writers of all ages. It delves into essential aspects of crafting compelling narratives, including dialogue, character development, dramatic events, and effective openings and closings. The guide emphasizes that while talent is important, consistent work and perseverance are key to literary success.
The purpose of this 200-page English-language guide is to provide aspiring and established writers with the tools and insights needed to enhance their craft. It covers a range of topics designed to improve writing quality, presented in a lively, candid, and pleasurable style. The manual aims to equip readers with a deeper understanding of narrative techniques, fostering the development of strong writing habits and the ability to overcome creative challenges.
In this book, prizewinning novelist and popular creative writing instructor Douglas Bauer (The Book of Famous Iowans) shares the secrets of his trade. Talent, as Bauer acknowledges, is the most crucial element for a writer and cannot be taught. But without a regular habit of work, and a perseverance of effort, no amount of talent can come forward and be recognized. His lively and candid essays on subjects critical to the fiction writer's success demystify the essential elements of fiction writing, how they work, and work together. Bauer's focus is on the building blocks of successful fiction: dialogue (the intimate relationship between characters talking and the eavesdropping reader), characters (the virtues of creating fictional characters that are both splendidly flawed and sympathetic), and dramatic events (ways to create moments that produce an emotional and psychological impact). There are also chapters on crafting effective openings and memorable closings of stories and on the vital presence of sentiment in fiction versus the ruinous effect of sentimentality. By assuming the point of view of someone at the task, engaged with the work, inside the effort to bring an invented world to life, The Stuff of Fiction speaks to writers of all ages in a pleasurable yet practical voice. Douglas Bauer is the author of three novels, Dexterity, The Very Air, and The Book of Famous Iowans, and one book of nonfiction, Prairie City, Iowa. He is also a core faculty member with the MFA Program at Bennington College and has received a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Massachusetts Artists Foundation grant, and two Harvard Danforth Excellence in Teaching Citations.
Author: Bauer, Douglas
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Illustration: N
Language: ENG
Title: The Stuff of Fiction: Advice on Craft
Pages: 00200 (Encrypted PDF)
On Sale: 2010-05-25
SKU-13/ISBN: 9780472031535
Category: Language Arts & Disciplines : Composition & Creative Writing
In this book, prizewinning novelist and popular creative writing instructor Douglas Bauer (The Book of Famous Iowans) shares the secrets of his trade. Talent, as Bauer acknowledges, is the most crucial element for a writer and cannot be taught. But without a regular habit of work, and a perseverance of effort, no amount of talent can come forward and be recognized. His lively and candid essays on subjects critical to the fiction writer's success demystify the essential elements of fiction writing, how they work, and work together. Bauer's focus is on the building blocks of successful fiction: dialogue (the intimate relationship between characters talking and the eavesdropping reader), characters (the virtues of creating fictional characters that are both splendidly flawed and sympathetic), and dramatic events (ways to create moments that produce an emotional and psychological impact). There are also chapters on crafting effective openings and memorable closings of stories and on the vital presence of sentiment in fiction versus the ruinous effect of sentimentality. By assuming the point of view of someone at the task, engaged with the work, inside the effort to bring an invented world to life, The Stuff of Fiction speaks to writers of all ages in a pleasurable yet practical voice. Douglas Bauer is the author of three novels, Dexterity, The Very Air, and The Book of Famous Iowans, and one book of nonfiction, Prairie City, Iowa. He is also a core faculty member with the MFA Program at Bennington College and has received a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Massachusetts Artists Foundation grant, and two Harvard Danforth Excellence in Teaching Citations.
Author: Bauer, Douglas
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Illustration: N
Language: ENG
Title: The Stuff of Fiction: Advice on Craft
Pages: 00200 (Encrypted PDF)
On Sale: 2010-05-25
SKU-13/ISBN: 9780472031535
Category: Language Arts & Disciplines : Composition & Creative Writing
