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First Sentence
You need to know only four things in order to write a solid story: how to group words into motivation-reaction units; how to group motivation-reaction units into scenes and sequels; how to group scenes and sequels into story pattern; how to create the kind of characters that give a story life. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
You need to know only four things in order to write a solid story: how to group words into motivation-reaction units; how to group motivation-reaction units into scenes and sequels; how to group scenes and sequels into story pattern; how to create the kind of characters that give a story life. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Techniques of the Selling Writer is a guide for those that above all want to write stories. This emphasis is important. Swain draws a distinction between stories and other kinds of writing. He doesn't try to denigrate "high" fiction but clearly states that his business is to teach you how to write stories that sell.
The good thing about this book is that while it doesn't cloud the fact that writing fiction is a difficult business, it does make you feel as if you can achieve something. Swain spends a lot of time bolstering your ego and assuring you that it can be done, saying that "A story is the triumph of ego over fear of failure." Sure, there is a lot of encouragement here but mostly the confidence you receive is from his step by step approach. Swain really does his best to arm you with useful, practical tools and techniques for producing stories.
The book takes you through the process of writing and what you should be doing at each stage. Fascinating, and for me revelatory, is its discussion of the writer's relationship with the reader; what this reader expects from a story and how the writer can provide this. Swain breaks everything down into easy to understand lists which he proceeds to explain in detail and with clear examples.
In its way I found this to be quite a philosophical book. Apart from the practical guidance there is much here on the nature of feeling and therefore what it is to be human. Swain has a deep insight into people and this is good as what else should you expect from a writer?
A few words of warning though: This book is quite old now. Much of it is outdated. Swain references many writers and works of fiction that the modern reader probably has never heard of. Swain uses slang and idioms straight from the early 1960s. This means that sometimes you need to reread his points just to be sure you understand. Finally there is much that today we would find politically incorrect.
Don't let these points put you off though. Though Swain's book could do with a bit of polishing up to bring it in line with the times the strength and quality of his advice is sound nonetheless. It certainly has made me think in a more analytically detailed way about how I write.
The good thing about this book is that while it doesn't cloud the fact that writing fiction is a difficult business, it does make you feel as if you can achieve something. Swain spends a lot of time bolstering your ego and assuring you that it can be done, saying that "A story is the triumph of ego over fear of failure." Sure, there is a lot of encouragement here but mostly the confidence you receive is from his step by step approach. Swain really does his best to arm you with useful, practical tools and techniques for producing stories.
The book takes you through the process of writing and what you should be doing at each stage. Fascinating, and for me revelatory, is its discussion of the writer's relationship with the reader; what this reader expects from a story and how the writer can provide this. Swain breaks everything down into easy to understand lists which he proceeds to explain in detail and with clear examples.
In its way I found this to be quite a philosophical book. Apart from the practical guidance there is much here on the nature of feeling and therefore what it is to be human. Swain has a deep insight into people and this is good as what else should you expect from a writer?
A few words of warning though: This book is quite old now. Much of it is outdated. Swain references many writers and works of fiction that the modern reader probably has never heard of. Swain uses slang and idioms straight from the early 1960s. This means that sometimes you need to reread his points just to be sure you understand. Finally there is much that today we would find politically incorrect.
Don't let these points put you off though. Though Swain's book could do with a bit of polishing up to bring it in line with the times the strength and quality of his advice is sound nonetheless. It certainly has made me think in a more analytically detailed way about how I write.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have studied this book over the years and despite all the five star ratings, and writing school plaudits, to me it waffles on and on without giving a single example of what he is talking about from any of the great classics, from any of the minor classics or indeed from any other author whatsoever. Does none of the five starrers find this extremely unhelpful?
22 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of the best books ever written for the aspiring fiction writer. I know, because it helped me become a published author. Swain writes in an engaging and entirely practical way. If you want to write, do yourself a favor and get this book
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One of the best
This book was written almost fifty years ago and has an antique style to it (the author calls the reader 'friend' on occasion), but there's a lot of good stuff here. Read more
Published 5 months ago by SJJones
The best book still
I've read a lot of books about fiction writing. This is still the best.
No alone does a lot of authors of the other books refer to this one, but one of the best parts about... Read more
No alone does a lot of authors of the other books refer to this one, but one of the best parts about... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Kim Anni M. Hansen
The Words You Write
In my edition of this book, Chapter Two is entitled 'The Words You Write'. I have just re-read this chapter. Read more
Published 22 months ago by What The Dickens?
Amazing!
This book does not try to teach you how to write. Instead it gives amazing techniques on how to tell a story. The stuff is simple, yet effective. Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2009 by Twiss
Just buy it!
If you are looking for a practical, pragmatic, straight forward, no nonsense guide to writing a book that will be marketable and sell; then just buy it. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2009 by AW
Stunning advice for writers
This book will save you years of study plus many hours of pain at the hands of members of your critique group. Get it. Study it. Do what it says. Read more
Published on 2 May 1999
Stunning advice for writers
This book will save you years of study plus many hours of pain at the hands of members of your critique group. Get it. Study it. Do what it says. Read more
Published on 2 May 1999
Absolutely THE bible on writing fiction--there is none finer
Dwight Swain reveals the intricacies of novel writing in a way that is comprehensive and easy to understand. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 1999
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