Books : Write Away: One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 808
EAN: 9780340832080
ISBN: 0340832088
Label: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: February 02, 2004
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Sales Rank: 3021178
Studio: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
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Product Description:
Elizabeth George is one of the most successful writers of crime fiction in the world. Her twelve novels have appeared on bestseller lists in the UK, USA and Australia, and several of them have been dramatised by BBC Television as the "Inspector Lynley Mysteries". She has also written a collection of short stories and edited a crime anthology. Now she shares this wealth of experience with would-be novelists, and with crime fiction fans. Drawing extensively on her own work, and that of other bestselling writers including Stephen King, Harper Lee, Dennis Lehane and many others, she illustrates her points about plotting, characterisation and technique with great clarity. She also includes extracts from her own Journals - the diaries she keeps as writes each of her novels - and these give us an unprecedented insight into the creative mind, with all its highs and lows.
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As a writer, I appreciate any advice from a known author. I've spoken to Elizabeth George at a reading in Manchester, Vermont and she gave me good feedback on my writing. I loved reading about place and interior landscape of characters and how important that was before the plot and story line.
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Write Away -- by bestselling novelist Elizabeth George -- explains the science as well as the art involved in crafting fiction. Topics covered include mapping out a story structure that will keep the reader engaged, creating fascinating yet believable characters (people who are slightly larger than life, but neither so perfect that your reader will hate them nor so loathsome that your reader won't want anything to do with them), researching potential settings (and then altering them to make them your own), and the hard work involved in completing a book-length piece of writing. This is one of the most practical guides to writing fiction I've read yet. Highly recommended.
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I've read many books on craft, some by supposed big name writers. Many have been disappointments. This one was finally what I'd been looking for, not merely a guide to what fiction is and how it works, but also how to put it all together. There is nothing vague about her approach to craft. And being a teacher as well as practitioner allows her to explain it with a clarity lacking in other guides.
If I had a choice of keeping one writing guide, this would be the one I'd choose.
After reading this, I started reading her novels and Ms. George is not merely good, she's one of the best. So her advice is definitely worth heeding.
Definitely get this book.
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Elizabeth George is one of my favorite authors. I've read all of her Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers novels, and marveled at the way a native Californian has been able to capture the nuances of life and police procedure in the UK. I was very excited when I found "Write Away" and was able to learn how she did it.
"Write Away" describes how George goes about the daily task of getting words on paper, and also a variety of techniques that she has found useful. But, for me, the most valuable aspects of the book were her observations about creating character and settings.
Stating that analysis of character is the highest human entertainment, George admonishes authors not to bring a character to a book unless he or she is fully alive before the book begins. Create an analysis of each character, including biographical facts and a full psychological profile. Know each character well enough to understand how he or she will react in the situations which the novel will then pose. Only then can you begin to write your story.
George tells us to reveal characters slowly, allowing the character to effect events and be effected. Show flaws, mistakes, lapses of judgment, and weaknesses. Characters, she says, are interesting in their conflict, misery, unhappiness, and confusion, not in their joy and security. Obvious, perhaps, but so easy to forget when you're writing.
George's approach to setting is just as rigorous as her approach to character. ... Read More
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You're not alone! Practical how to. Fun to compare passages from the novels with her descriptions of how the scenes were constructed.
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