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The Plot (Elements of Fiction Writing)
 
 
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The Plot (Elements of Fiction Writing) (Paperback)

by Anson Dibell (Author) "If you're like me and most of the writers I've known over the years in writers' groups, at conferences and in classes, you're coming to..." (more)
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Writer's Digest Books (1 Mar 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0898799465
  • ISBN-13: 978-0898799460
  • Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 14.5 x 1.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 246,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #90 in  Books > Reference > Writing > Fiction

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
If you're like me and most of the writers I've known over the years in writers' groups, at conferences and in classes, you're coming to plot the hard way. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars A good read., 3 Sep 2002
By P. Holmes "Keba" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
While 'Plot' was a good read, I found that the author assumed that everybody has read every book he used examples from without much explanation, which detracted from the overall value of the book.

This is not a 'how to plot' book, but more of a 'generalist hints on writing' approach, where individual bits of plot were analysed in reasonable detail (along with a lot of other elements of writing). Putting all the bits together and advice on how to do so was missing from the picture however.

This book goes in one of my bookshelves - 'How to Plot your Novel' by Jean Saunders is the book on plot I will be keeping near me while writing...

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8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A cogent and informative discussion of plotting fiction, 18 April 2001
Using examples from classic literature the author leads the reader through the process of designing and developing the plot in a work of fiction. While concentrating its main attention on standard plot forms as most appropriate for novice authors it also gives some advice on more "arty" modes (eg. collage, where scenes are juxtaposed for their texture without being tied by a narative thread.) I am not a published author, and so I can not report authoritively on its veracity or completeness, but it certainly looks good to me, and will be an essential background and reference for anything I write from now on.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners, 26 Jul 2008
This review is from: Plot (Elements of Fiction Writing) (Hardcover)
For a beginner, I think this book is pretty handy. I don't have a problem with the titles the author refers to (Star Wars, Lord Of The Flies and so on) because they're books/films a lot of people have access to so if you're going to refer to other works, choose those which you can assume most people have read/seen.

Although the author uses other books as examples, in addition to this I would have preferred some written examples, such as in the case of "show, don't tell". A lot of beginners are confused by the show not tell thing, so some examples would have been good.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars This one stays on my bookshelf
I found the book interesting enough, but the good ideas are hidden in dense, lofty prose. Whilst I appreciate it is useful to mention great novels when writing about plot, Anson... Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2005

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