Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies

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Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies

4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 · rating details · 1,002 ratings · 123 reviews

Stein on Writing provides immediately useful advice for all writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether they are newcomers or old hands, students or instructors, amateurs or professionals. As the always clear and direct Stein explains here, "This is not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions--how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published January 25th 2000 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published 1995)

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Apr 29, 2011 Chris Blocker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sol Stein is pompous. If I judge correctly from his writing, he is a curmudgeon with a serious personality defect. His view is very narrow and it is the only right view. I wouldn't want to be his friend, his client, or even his trashman. I was not impressed with Stein.

That being said, Stein does know something (not everything) when it comes to writing. Though there were times during my read of Stein on Writing when I wanted to fling the book across the room, there were more instances where I jot...more Sol Stein is pompous. If I judge correctly from his writing, he is a curmudgeon with a serious personality defect. His view is very narrow and it is the only right view. I wouldn't want to be his friend, his client, or even his trashman. I was not impressed with Stein.

That being said, Stein does know something (not everything) when it comes to writing. Though there were times during my read of Stein on Writing when I wanted to fling the book across the room, there were more instances where I jotted down helpful notes and immediately followed his advice. The results were amazing. Stein says cut “had” so I cut “had” from my manuscript. He's right! He says get rid of the adverbs, so I did. Over and again, I found Stein's simple rules to have a significant effect on my own manuscript. Rarely does he justify his reasoning—he doesn't have to, he's “a master editor of some of the most successful writers of our century”—but he's often right. Sure, you have to listen to his rants about how brilliant he and his students are—really, they're not—but in the end, it's worth it.

If you choose to read this book, it's important you know what you're getting into. First, know that Stein doesn't like you. He's not going to like your book. Your idea isn't original and your voice never was. He doesn't like the way you bake cookies. If you own a cat, he's a dog person. Own a dog and, well, cats aren't so bad after all.

Next, know that Stein feels no need to explain himself and that some of his examples are absurd. Perhaps I shouldn't say this about a “master editor,” but sometimes Stein is just way off. Take a look at the following examples, and please let me know if I'm missing something:

As an example of how to begin a piece of fiction, Stein recommends the story “The Eighty-Yard Run.” Stein writes, “See how much Irwin Shaw accomplished in the first sentence.” He never explains what it is that we're supposed to see in this passage, so it is up to the reader. Let's take a look at the passage: “The pass was high and wide and he jumped for it, feeling it slap flatly against his hands, as he shook his hips to throw off the half-back who was diving at him.” That's it. That's the brilliant opening sentence. What exactly “hooks” us in this sentence? Does Shaw really convey as much as Stein argues? Well, we know that we're entering right in the middle of action—a football game. The focal character is receiving the ball. The quarterback's throw was a little off. We know the receiver has hands, and that they're capable of feeling. We know that another player is diving at him. And that the receiver is trying to shake him off. Most important, we learn the receiver can jump and has hips. I make fun, but do you see my point? I repeat Stein's set-up for this passage: “See how much Irwin Shaw accomplished in the first sentence.” Sorry, Sol, I don't see it.

Stein argues that his examples excite the reader's curiosity, introduce a setting, and lend resonance to the story. They should tell as much as possible in as short a space as possible. He also argues that great opening sentences should be unusual or shocking. I have no problem with Stein's ideas of what makes a great opener. He is right on. But how exactly does this sentence exemplify these principles? It is certainly vivid in its tight space. It's pretty clear what is happening too. Otherwise, in my opinion, it's a dud. It's a football game. The characters are doing what's expected. There is nothing revealing or hooking about this sentence. Unless you're a huge fan of football, I see no reason to continue reading “The Eighty-Yard Run.”

One more, and then I'll get off my soapbox. Stein writes, “A layman might say, 'Ellen looked terrific in her gown.' That's top-of-the-head writing, which can be improved: 'In her gown, Ellen looked like the stamen of a flower made of silk.'” Stein goes on to say that the first sentence “doesn't say anything particular about either Ellen or the gown.” He's right there. It's not the most revealing sentence. “The second is visual,” Stein argues, “and tells us how Ellen and the gown came across in a way that made them both look good.” “Ellen looked like the stamen of a flower made of silk.” Really? First of all, I think the simile is wordy and confusing. Why not just say “the stamen of a silk flower.” Secondly, a “flower made of silk” does not make me think she “looks good.” It makes me think she's fake, pretentious, cheap, etc. And, finally, the stamen of a silk flower? What does this mean? She's slender? She's the representation of a reproductive organ? This is the advice of “a master editor”? A student writing this in undergrad would be torn apart. Hell, published authors would be ridiculed for this line.

(This is where I welcome taunting for my ignorance. If I have really misunderstood the brilliance of these lines, please gently let me know.)

So, my advice is to take Stein on Writing with a grain of salt, but if you're a student of writing, do read it. When Stein makes a point, he makes it well. It is the single most helpful craft book I have read. So much so that I hope someday to reread it. I'll still want to fling it across the room (if I own my own copy, I probably will), but I know I'll be a better writer for having made the small sacrifice.(less)

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Jun 29, 2011 Charlie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have not found many books about the craft that I want to read. Most of what I have seen of the "how to write" genre is focused on overcoming personal and emotional insecurities and the variety of techniques writers use for staying with the "pen and page", or sticking to the work (wow, get obsessed, drink more coffee and abandon having a real social life, and boom, no more writer's block.) Stein goes much deeper and so I have yet to put him down. For one, he focuses more on the reader's experie...more

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Apr 08, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ambivalence is the perfect word to describe my feelings about this book. When concentrating on the fundamentals of construction, it was incisive. When illustrating how to formulate a story line, I found it vapid.

Stein is excellent when discussing sentence structure, the use of adjectives and adverbs (minimize) and the use of tools such as aphorisms, etc. When discussing plot and story structure, his recommendations are often clichéd and formulaic.

He also has the annoying habit of using his work...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, how-to-write, 5-star-nonfiction

Excellent advice and many examples for better writing.

Stein is an author, editor, and publisher. His advice is geared toward fiction, with some thoughts for nonfiction. I am a reader and reviewer of books, not a writer. I have strong likes and dislikes about books I’ve read. I’m reading some “how to write books” to see if I agree with the experts. I’m delighted to say that writers who follow Stein’s advice will very likely make me happy when reading their books. I am more liberal than Stein in t...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Gary Lawrence rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: guide-to-good-writing, audible-com-audiobook

Editorially Intensified Reading Experience
Seventy plus reviews already should be enough, especially when most have them have been written by aspiring writers, given a free kick at the head of an editor.

This one is written from the viewpoint of a reader. I will never read a book again without the experience being enhanced by the practical editorial knowledge passed on by Sol Stein in this book. My reading of Stein's how to manual is adding savour to my reading. Absorbing any book now, whether f...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Kym McNabney rated it 5 of 5 stars

STEIN ON WRITING by SOL STEIN is clearly to date the most impactful book on writing I’ve read. If you were to glance inside my copy you’d find dog-eared pages, highlights galore, asterisks, and notes written throughout.

STEIN ON WRITING is precise information, right to the point with useful examples. The language isn’t over the top. A must read for writers at any stage of their journey, but especially for those new to the craft and unpublished.

Here are a few notes I took pertaining to specific...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Seth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great tutorial on writing. The book isn't just for fiction authors. I wish it had more instruction on characterization and plot building. The brevity is also the strength of the book. Stein encourages and even inspires writers to take pride in their work. I found some of the editing exercises to be immediately helpful. The book surveys many areas where authors struggle the most. The advice is detailed enough to be useful yet clearly explained. For example, Stein suggests using adjectives and adv...more

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Jun 02, 2009 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

If you can slog through the Stein ego and attitude, there are some useful things here. But it's hard not to question a self-titled "master editor" on his editorial skills when he sees no problem with quoting his own fiction as masterfully written and obvious models for all of us. And his students' fiction, too. At best, these examples are uninspiring; at worst, they are actively horrible. So my main question is--why would you do that, when you have thousands of years of perfectly marvelous liter...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

I may have to keep this one on the Currently-Reading shelf forever. Stein is a master of fictional structure and craft. On his website Sol Stein explains, “This is a not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions; how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place.”

I especially like the chapter on markers, the use of key traits that swiftly and powerfully create memorable characters, an art that takes a long time...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Dipa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant book. I'd recommend it for anyone who's looking to polish their writing - especially literary fiction.

Like any 'how to write' book, Stein offers a lot of good advice, although you OBVIOUSLY don't have to follow everything he says. A lot of the stuff in the book you might already know subconsciously, but thank him for refreshing your memory.

In my opinion, Stein's written this book as an editor and not a writer. He doesn't offer much 'emotional support' (if you're looking for that, rea...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Tyra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I really enjoyed this book, as well as Stein’s How to Grow a Novel. In On Writing, he takes the struggling writer under his wing and attempts to show him/her a clearer path to good writing. “How to Show Instead of Tell,” “Choosing a Point of View,” “Flashbacks: How to Bring Background to the Foreground,” are just some of the helpful chapters, as well as the short but important “Tapping Your Originality.”

There were also some weaknesses, in my opinion. One was his lauding and applauding of Elia Ka...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: unemployment_read

Week 5 - a little late, but well worth the wait!

There are a lot of different books on writing out there and I have picked up a lot of them. Most of them I've also put back down and never gotten back to picking them up. Stein on writing is completely different. It is a compelling read with great insight for both writers and readers. Stein does an excellent job of breaking down the components of a good story and describing how to recognize those pieces and include them in your work.

I would highly...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Sheli Ellsworth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Stein reminds us that editing is not writing, publicity is not writing and publishing is not writing. No doubt that Stein is and was an excellent editor and writer, but I must always keep in mind that literature evolves and what was a convincing motive in 1995 may not be one in 2015. Writing style changes (I can't believe I said that!), and what is considered plausible and possible also evolves. While Stein has noteworthy advice, an emerging writer should continue to seek out advice from his or...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Bucket rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-about-writing

Almost perfect. If you're serious about writing, read Stein. He doesn't fuck around. I also recommend his other book, "How to Grow a Novel" (with only 1/2 cup soil, some fish meal, and an egg carton... just kidding! god, I'm hilarious).

Ahem.

Here is why I gave it four stars instead of five:

1. His persistent sexist treatment of women. (Steeeeeein, my man, I wanna be on your side but you gotta *work* with me here--what, in particular, is up with the rape scene that YOU wrote in a chapter called LOV...more

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Jan 17, 2008 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

The risk in recommending a book on writing is that too much weight will be placed on how well-written the review is. I doubt Stein would want these sentences to serve as testimony to his expert tutelage. Be that as it may, I will still raise my voice in praise like the gospel choir at the Triple Rock Church. (In one section he said metaphors could be effective, though I'm not sure references to James Brown and The Blues Brothers were what he had in mind.)

Anyway, the book is full of useful tips....more

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Aug 14, 2011 Tyra Masters-heinrichs rated it 5 of 5 stars

If this book isn't a must read for anyone serious about popular fiction, it should be. I suggest you go to the library and take this book out. Then, after you have to return it (Yes, you HAVE to return it), get your own copy, a nice cup of tea/coffee, a highlighter and tabs, then take a weekend and go through it again. I have written in my book, made notes, etc. I found sticky notes were just not good enough. Those permanent tabs and the little one are what you need.

And NO, you can't borrow my...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Stephanie Lorée rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: writers, editors, journalists

Shelves: favorites, nonfiction, reviewed

To date, this is the best book I have read regarding how to write and sell a novel. Sol Stein explains exactly what a budding writer needs to learn in order to see his novel in print. He breaks it down for you in topics by chapter and even gives you helpful things to review at the end of each chapter. Nonfiction and fiction writers will both benefit from Mr. Stein's book. I've read a significant amount of books on the craft and "On Writing" is the one I recommend above all others.

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Jul 22, 2012 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, reading-writing

Sol Stein wants you to be either a literary fiction (or non-fiction) bestseller. To that end he wrote this book based on his years of experience as a writer and editor. His advice boils down to being precise and being immediate. Most sub-ideas are great in the abstract, but the concrete examples he chooses often weakens his case. Good writing can be subjective, and Stein's advice on the whole is worthwhile, even if you don't aspire to make the NYT list.

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Sep 20, 2011 Louise Silk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: self-help, non-fiction

Once again, Sol Stein, gives me the information I need to continue with my writing.

Here are some of the best tidbits:
Show rather than tell.
Create tension and suspense.
Dialogue deals with character and plot simultaneously.
Use all six senses: smell, taste, touch, hear, see and it.
Less is more.
The purpose of a title is to sound exciting and exude resonance(prolonged response).
If figures of speech are overdone, they backfire.

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Feb 20, 2013 Rok rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book offers great advice on the craft of writing, both for writers of fiction as for non-fiction, and gives extremely useful insight to popular as well as literary writers.

I was listening to it in audiobook format. When it came to the words the end, I immediately grabbed for my phone, browsed for my audiobook app, and touched the play from beginning option.

I recommend this to anyone that thinks of writing as anything more than just a biweekly hobby.

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Jan 09, 2012 Heather Zuber-Harshman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was so naive before reading Stein on Writing. I thought I knew how to write a novel; I didn't. Within the first one-hundred pages I learned enough about how to write that I spent two weeks gutting and heavily editing many chapters I had written. This was a humbling yet exciting experience because I began to see my characters and plot come alive.

Reading this book can be overwhelming if you do so too quickly. Stein gives so many thought provoking, brilliant tips on how to improve writing, I had...more

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May 05, 2011 Jim Kettinger rated it 5 of 5 stars

A comprehensive study of writing that touches on topics such as characterization, building and sustaining suspense, dialog, and the art of creating a compelling plot. It provides a practical approach to addressing each element of fiction, exposing the "man behind the curtain" in regards to the books I've read. Not only has it improved my writing, but it has changed the way I read.

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Apr 16, 2012 Pranada Comtois rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Writers

Master writers can teach writing, and Stein comes through in this book. As he writes in his first sentence, "This is not a book on theory. It is a book of usable solutions--how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place."

Stein says much of what he has learned is in this book. Whether he was able to capture all he learned about writing I doubt, but I know is that it's an important book in my library.

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Sep 25, 2010 Joshua Graham rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a must read for any aspiring writer. Stein leverages his experience as a playwrite, novelist and editor to teach critical elements of writing. You will find many principals that you can apply to your writing regardless of the stage of your career.

If you are looking to learn or bring your current professional writing to the next level, you need to read this book.

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Mar 22, 2012 Ross Browne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I learned more from this book in my training to be an editor than just about any other one I can think of. (With the possible exception of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, but I’m not very objective when it comes to that title.) Stein’s follow-up, How to Grow a Novel was very helpful as well and highly recommended!

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May 09, 2008 February Four rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to February by: amazon reviews

This was the first time I returned a book to Amazon and asked for a refund. What persuaded me? He doesn't like the sentence, "Ellen looked terrific in her gown." Okay, sure. I'll buy that. But he thinks this sentence better: "In her gown, Ellen looked like the stamen of a flower made of silk."

... sorry, buddy. I wasn't happy with the book, though I forced myself through the preceding pages, and you finally lost me with that one. Flower made of silk, or stamen made of silk? Why not "silk flower"?...more

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Mar 17, 2010 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is what a writing class should be- but almost never is. Stein taught me more about writing than anything since...reading! For fiction writers of all genres I cannot recommend the book highly enough. (Nonfiction help is included as well, but as I'm not a nonfiction writer, I cannot comment on that.)

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Dec 30, 2008 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found the book educational and a great resource. I borrowed it from the library but I believe I will purchase this book for reference. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because he is biased against my favorite type of novels, entertaining, or as he puts it transient.

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Nov 20, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really brakes writing down into a science. Shows you all the different aspects to consider for writing both fiction and nonfiction effectively. Make no mistake, this is a book for someone who wants to write, and wants to publish, but does not have a clue about how to go about it.

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Mar 13, 2013 Malrubius rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks

Audiobook. Pretty good book even though the narrator at one point says "mis-cheev-i-ous." Takes a little getting used to the the author's authoritative tone, but contains somewhat more advanced analysis and instruction than many of the other writing books I have read.

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About Sol Stein

Born in Chicago on October 13, 1926, Stein is the son of Louis Stein and Zelda Zam Stein. The family moved to New York in 1930. In 1941, while living in the Bronx, Stein wrote his first book, "Magic Maestro Please," followed shortly by "Patriotic Magic." Stein attended DeWitt Clinton High School, where he served on the Magpie literary magazine with Richard Avedon and James Baldwin.[1] He graduated...more Born in Chicago on October 13, 1926, Stein is the son of Louis Stein and Zelda Zam Stein. The family moved to New York in 1930. In 1941, while living in the Bronx, Stein wrote his first book, "Magic Maestro Please," followed shortly by "Patriotic Magic." Stein attended DeWitt Clinton High School, where he served on the Magpie literary magazine with Richard Avedon and James Baldwin.[1] He graduated in 1942 and enrolled at CCNY, which then provided a free education.

Between the time of Stein’s enlistment in the Army Air Corps in 1944 and being called to active duty on March 1, 1945, Stein had completed nearly three years of infantry ROTC at CCNY. After qualifying for pilot and bombardier training, a backlog of pilots caused Stein to voluntarily transfer to the infantry. Overseas, he served as an Information & Education officer in the Headquarters of the 1st Infantry Division (United States) in Germany as Commandant of Division Schools, located in three cities, Regensburg, Ansbach, and Triesdorf. On 5 November 1946 Stein was cited by Lt. General Geoffrey Keyes for having organized and commanded the best occupational training schools in the Third Army Area in the American Zone of Germany.

Upon returning from Europe in 1946, Stein completed work for his degree at CCNY and simultaneously with his graduation in 1948 was employed at the college as a lecturer in social studies. While teaching, he took his Master’s degree in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in 1949 and was accepted for the famed doctoral seminar conducted jointly by Lionel Trilling and Jacques Barzun, both of whose writings Stein was to later to edit.

From 1951 to 1953 Stein was employed by the Voice of America, eventually as senior editor of the Ideological Advisory Staff of the Voice of America. He wrote daily scripts that were translated into 46 languages and broadcast to two million people risking their lives listening behind the Iron Curtain. It was at the Voice that Stein’s association with Bertram Wolfe began; Stein was instrumental in causing the re-publication of Wolfe’s masterpiece, Three Who Made a Revolution, which had been allowed to go out of print. The book subsequently sold half a million copies in a few years and was adopted in almost all Soviet Studies programs in the U.S. and elsewhere.

In 1953 Stein, a centrist, was appointed Executive Director of the American Committee for Cultural Freedom, an organization of 300 leading American intellectuals of left and right working together in support of civil liberties[2] and battling Senator Joseph McCarthy in the U.S. and Soviet propaganda and influence among intellectuals in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.[3] It was in this period that the eventual publisher supervised the writing and publication of McCarthy and the Communists, which made The New York Times Bestseller List for 13 weeks and was credited with contributing to the unseating of Senator McCarthy.

In 1952 Stein was granted a leave of absence from the Voice of America to accept back-to-back fellowships at Yaddo, an artists’ colony, and the MacDowell Colony.[4] At MacDowell, Stein completed his first play, Napoleon, under the watchful eye of Thornton Wilder, a fellow at the same time. The verse drama was produced the following year by the New Dramatists organization at the ANTA Theater in New York and was chosen by the Dramatists Alliance as “the best full length play of 1953.”

Stein completed a second play, A Shadow of My Enemy, originally intended as an adaptation of Whittaker Chambers' best-selling memoir, Witness (1952), but, when denied rights, based on public record and published in 1957.[5] The play, whose synopsis runs "A senior editor of Time magazine accuses his closest friend of being a Communist,"[6] was originally commissioned by the Theater Guild and subsequently produced on Broadway by Roger Stevens, Alfred deLiagre Jr., and Hume Cronyn. The cast starred Ed Begley and Gene Raymo(less)

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