This book is a first-rate guide for writers who are looking for ways to improve their output. It focuses on: fiction writing and the world of genre fiction - science, romance, horror and crime; ways of drawing on personal experience in order to write non-fiction articles on a wide variety of topics in a number of different styles; and, writing for children which requires specialist skills that, once mastered, bring enormous satisfaction to both the writer and the reader. Crucially, there is also a chapter on presenting your work to a publisher and getting it into print.
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Review
An excellent book for the beginning writer...with plenty of hints and advice that really will improve the way you get your words down on paper.
-- Writers' News
This is a book which merits a place on every writer's bookshelf.
-- Writers' Bulletin
-- Writers' News
This is a book which merits a place on every writer's bookshelf.
-- Writers' Bulletin
About the Author
Adèle Ramet enjoys enornous success as a writer of short and twist-in-the-tale stories and non-fiction articles. She also leads creative writing classes and writing workshops and is a frequent guest speaker at literary festivals.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Ms C Wild
I was dissapointed with this book. From the outset I got the feeling it was written for those who wanted to write very basic stuff, magazine stories etc. (It turned out the author was in fact mainly into writing for women's magazines.) It was almost 'telling' you what to write, most of which was a cliche. For instance, the author stated that no-one wanted to read about the love life of a mechanic and secretary unless he was designing formula one cars and she worked for a high-powered executive; try telling that to the millions of people who watch Eastenders every day! The advice about writing romantic fiction states that the ending msut also be upbeat. I don't recall Romeo and Juliet having an upbeat ending the last time I looked, or Wuthering Heights! Overall, it doesn't really offer much advice to those wanting to fine-tune their writing. I think it would only be of use to those who are very new to writing.Those wanting to develop thier skills would need something more challenging.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Adele Ramet is best known for her ideas and advice on short story writing, her expertise probably most firmly focused on short story writing for women's magazines in the UK. It's easy to disparage this market - but it takes real skill to break into it, and there are very real lessons to be learned by any short story writer from the economy of structure and plot necessary to be published in this market.
This is a basic entry guide to creative writing - if you're already a confident, experienced, published writer, maybe you should know all this stuff already. But then you wouldn't be reading this book, would you.
If you're new to writing, if you're trying to find your way and your confidence, Ramet offers straight forward advice. If you want to write, you need to find the time, the place, the space, and the confidence to do so. Writers write - so get into the routine, learn the discipline, build your confidence, learn and relearn the skills.
Keep an open mind - read extensively - learn to spot ideas, to get ideas, to develop ideas. Read, read, read. Learn.
Straight forward advice - clear, concise, well delivered. Ramet is an excellent teacher, and this is a book which shouldn't be undervalued. If you're new to writing, get the basics right, learn good habits from the start. This is a good starter.
This is a basic entry guide to creative writing - if you're already a confident, experienced, published writer, maybe you should know all this stuff already. But then you wouldn't be reading this book, would you.
If you're new to writing, if you're trying to find your way and your confidence, Ramet offers straight forward advice. If you want to write, you need to find the time, the place, the space, and the confidence to do so. Writers write - so get into the routine, learn the discipline, build your confidence, learn and relearn the skills.
Keep an open mind - read extensively - learn to spot ideas, to get ideas, to develop ideas. Read, read, read. Learn.
Straight forward advice - clear, concise, well delivered. Ramet is an excellent teacher, and this is a book which shouldn't be undervalued. If you're new to writing, get the basics right, learn good habits from the start. This is a good starter.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Phil O'Sofa
Now hear this: if you want to be a writer you'll need to make time to write and find a quiet place to write in. No kidding! You'd never have figured that out, right? Okay, let's be fair, it's not all as basic as that, but even so, while this book may have some value to a real beginner, I would say that it's too limited to be of much use to anybody who is already beyond the basics. The author apparently takes creative-writing classes, but frankly I'd feel rather cheated if I paid to attend a course and didn't learn more than is contained within the pages of this book.
There are a fair number of comparisons of good and bad examples of writing, plus analysis of short passages from published books by well-known writers, but the conclusions tend to be statements of the obvious, something this book specializes in. There are also some aspects of novel writing that aren't touched on at all, such as the merits of writing from a first or third-person viewpoint.
I suppose a few years ago this fairly short guide would have been useful for budding writers, but most of the points covered are out there on the internet, for free, if you put the right words into your search engine.
There are a fair number of comparisons of good and bad examples of writing, plus analysis of short passages from published books by well-known writers, but the conclusions tend to be statements of the obvious, something this book specializes in. There are also some aspects of novel writing that aren't touched on at all, such as the merits of writing from a first or third-person viewpoint.
I suppose a few years ago this fairly short guide would have been useful for budding writers, but most of the points covered are out there on the internet, for free, if you put the right words into your search engine.
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