- Paperback: 208 pages
- Publisher: Del Rey Books; Reprint edition (Feb 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0345465512
- ISBN-13: 978-0345465511
- Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 1.4 x 20.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,259,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In Sometimes the Magic Works, author Terry Brooks mixes advice on writing with stories from his personal experience in publishing. A seasoned fantasy writer with 19 books under his belt, including the New York Times bestseller The Sword of Shannara, Brooks began his career in middle-age when he gave up life as a lawyer to pursue writing full-time. This change for Brooks was fuelled by his obsession with writing, ("If I don't write, I become restless and ill-tempered"), inspiration by JRR Tolkien, and constant encouragement from publisher Lester del Rey. Some of Brooks' advice is very specific and useful, such as a chapter dedicated to the importance of outlining. However, the lessons he tries to tell through his own adventures tend to be self-serving. Still, his experiences could be particularly interesting and valuable to fans of Brooks's fantasy novels--and aspiring authors of their own. --Lacey Fain, Amazon.com
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
In Sometimes the Magic Works, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks shares his secrets for creating unusual, memorable fiction. Spanning topics from the importance of daydreaming to the necessity of writing an outline, from the fine art of showing instead of merely telling to creating believable characters who make readers care what happens to them, Brooks draws upon his own experiences, hard lessons learned, and delightful discoveries made in creating the beloved Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover series, The Word and The Void trilogy, and the bestselling Star Wars novel The Phantom Menace.
In addition to being a writing guide, Sometimes the Magic Works is Terry Brooks’s self-portrait of the artist. “If you don’t think there is magic in writing, you probably won’t write anything magical,” says Brooks. This book offers a rare opportunity to peer into the mind of (and learn a trick or two from) one of fantasy fiction’s preeminent magicians.
In addition to being a writing guide, Sometimes the Magic Works is Terry Brooks’s self-portrait of the artist. “If you don’t think there is magic in writing, you probably won’t write anything magical,” says Brooks. This book offers a rare opportunity to peer into the mind of (and learn a trick or two from) one of fantasy fiction’s preeminent magicians.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
IT'S TRUE I'm not all here. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
While not a writer myself, I was looking forward to reading the new book by one of my favorite authors, and I am pleased to say I was not disappointed.
Sometimes the Magic Works contains two parts; a memoir of Brooks' own experiences in becoming a bestselling author and the second part, giving advice to aspiring writers, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed
The autographical aspects of the novel were excellent, I particularly liked reading about Terry's love for 'make believe' when he was growing up, the challenges he faced and conquered in getting his first book published, and how amazed he was when it landed on the New York Times Trade Paperback bestseller list.
Terry also tells us of the disappointments he has faced throughout his writing career, and how a determined novelist must be prepared to go through these trials. One of my favorite parts of the book was the tales of the people who have influenced him in his career, especially the stories of the lessons he learned from his grandson Hunter.
Although I don't write myself I found the advice Terry offers to would-be writers both enlightening and enjoyable. He provides thoughtful and useful insights into the techniques he uses to write a bestselling novel, while keeping the reader entertained and amused throughout.
All through the novel I felt I could identify with Terry's love of books, and I also felt I learned more about what it takes to become a published author. At the end of the book I was left with the inspiration that if you believe in yourself and work hard enough you can accomplish anything. If you write or if you don't you will find this novel to be informative, thought provoking and entertaining.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
29 reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
It Works for Writers of All Genres
30 Oct 2003
Format:Hardcover
Like Stephen King's book `On Writing,' `Sometimes the Magic Works' is part autobiography and part writing advice. Brooks addresses the general and the specific, teaching writers how to avoid some of the biggest blunders while growing and developing into a writer of more depth.
Brooks had a very interesting beginning. He was a lawyer for several years, yet when he decided to write, he wasn't interested in becoming a legal thriller writer like Grisham or Turow. He settled on fantasy. (By the way, Brooks advises that you write in as many genres as possible until you determine which genre is for you.) His first book, `The Sword of Shannara,' made publishing history by becoming the first trade paperback to make the New York Times Bestseller list. So it was a bed of roses for Brooks from that point on, right? Hardly.
`Sometimes the Magic Works' is valuable for the writing advice, but also for a glimpse into the writer's life and the journey that Brooks has taken. Readers will see Brooks as a passionate writer and a dedicated family man. (Yes, you CAN be both!) This is a book that all writers, regardless of their genre, will want to read.
197 pages
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
a wonderful little book
18 Mar 2003
Format:Hardcover
Terry Brooks is the author of the Shannara fantasy series. The series began in 1977 when The Sword of Shannara was published, the early books have been compared often with Tolkien. Sometimes the comparison was favorable, sometimes not. Brooks himself said that he wanted to tell an adventure story like Tolkien, but he had no intention of going into the linguistic detail that Tolkien is known for. The Shannara series has been on top of the bestsellers lists with each new volume in the series.
Sometimes the Magic Works is part memoir, part writing guide as written by Terry Brooks. He writes about how his first book was published, some of the difficulties in writing the book that would become The Elfstones of Shannara , and about the book adaptions of Hook (horrible experience) and The Phantom Menace (wonderful experience). The other half of the book focuses on tips and thoughts for aspiring writers. Brooks writes about things that a writer should do, what they should not do, and what works for Brooks himself. There is an interesting chapter about outlining (yes, an author talking about outlining is actually interesting). Brooks talks about how he has to outline the major plot and characters and while he believes it is an invaluable tool (and the reason he does fewer drafts of the book than many writers), he was at a conference and as he was extolling the virtues of outlining, fantasy author Anne McCaffrey (The Dragonriders of Pern, and author of dozens of books) leaned over and told him that she has never outlined anything in her life.
Sometimes the Magic Works is written with a very easy writing style, and feels almost conversational, as if an old friend is telling us some personal stories. This was a very interesting book to read and it was nice to get into the personal thoughts of one of my favorite fantasy authors.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Winning Us Over
10 Nov 2003
Format:Hardcover
Shame on me, I know...I've never read a Brooks novel. As a writer, though, I was interested to read his insights on the writing life. The book looked readable. Helpful. Witty.
I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I read the entire thing in one evening. From peeks into the labor of the editing process to the debacle of writing the novelization of a movie, Brooks is honest and informative. He gives glimpses into his own beginnings and inspiration without seeming self-absorbed. He points future writers in the direction of hard work and quality craft. He offers a wonderful look into the joys of fiction.
Stephen King and Anne Lamott have written sublime books on the world of an author, and now Terry Brooks adds to the list a book worthy of his predecessors. If I had any doubts about his writing, I've now put those aside.
Time for me to grab one of his novels!
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