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The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises That Transform Your Fiction
by
Brian Kiteley (Goodreads Author)
Discover Just How Good Your Writing Can BeIf you write, you know what it's like. Insight and creativity - the desire to push the boundaries of your writing - strike when you least expect it. And you're often in no position to act: in the shower, driving the kids to school...in the middle of the night.
The "3 A.M. Epiphany" offers more than 200 intriguing writing exercises d...more
The "3 A.M. Epiphany" offers more than 200 intriguing writing exercises d...more
Paperback, 261 pages
Published
August 5th 2005
by Writer's Digest Books
(first published July 21st 2005)
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(This review was originally published in The Practicing Writer, September 2005 and was based on a copy provided by Writer's Digest Books.)
I first learned about fiction writer and teacher Brian Kiteley some years ago when I discovered his name in my research on writing historical fiction. Then I found a set of writing exercises he'd posted online, and I was impressed once again. So while I have yet to meet or work with Kiteley in person, I was familiar enough with his background to know that when...more
I first learned about fiction writer and teacher Brian Kiteley some years ago when I discovered his name in my research on writing historical fiction. Then I found a set of writing exercises he'd posted online, and I was impressed once again. So while I have yet to meet or work with Kiteley in person, I was familiar enough with his background to know that when...more
If you like to write, and want to write better, this is definitely the book for you. Stuffed full of exercises to stretch all different sorts of writing muscles, from point of view to vivid description, interview and voice, Brian Kiteley has genuinely delivered on the tagline promise - writing exercises that transform your fiction.
No. 1, for example, is to write 500 words in first person while only using the personal pronoun 'I' twice in the whole piece. Surprisingly hard and really rewarding. I...more
No. 1, for example, is to write 500 words in first person while only using the personal pronoun 'I' twice in the whole piece. Surprisingly hard and really rewarding. I...more
This is one of the best books on writing exercises out there. Lots of fun, original exercises, and I use them in my own writing and also in the classroom.
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Hey, who said erotic stories had to be predictable?
With titles like FUNHOUSE MIRROR, NUDES, LISTFUL, RUSSIAN DOLL IN REVERSE, CAUGHT ON TAPE and many more, these writing exercises really shake up your style and get your creative juices juicing.
I have bought and read just about every book ever published on creative writing and this is one of four I kept.
What I like about it is that many of the exercises can be applied to whatever you are are writing at the moment. You don't have to stop what you...more
With titles like FUNHOUSE MIRROR, NUDES, LISTFUL, RUSSIAN DOLL IN REVERSE, CAUGHT ON TAPE and many more, these writing exercises really shake up your style and get your creative juices juicing.
I have bought and read just about every book ever published on creative writing and this is one of four I kept.
What I like about it is that many of the exercises can be applied to whatever you are are writing at the moment. You don't have to stop what you...more
Feb 12, 2011
Aimee
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Writers of all shapes and sizes
Recommended to Aimee by:
Heather Sellers
This book is excellent! Even if you aren't a serious writer but you love to write for the sake of it, this book will get your creative juices flowing for sure. It makes you think about characters and stories in a way that you didn't before (like the exercise "Public Space vs. Private Space"). The heavily literary exercises will be good for the literature-phile while the simpler exercises will definitely pique the interest of the casual writer, with concepts inbetween.
The cover design is also gor...more
The cover design is also gor...more
For us writers that need swift and frequent kicks in the ass when it comes to shaking off the writing doldrums, The 3 A.M. Epiphany is precisely the tonic you'll need to cure the writer's block blues.
Daniel Kiteley's exercises are indeed uncommon. Broken down into categories like Point of View, Characters, Women and Men, Children and Childhood, Conversation, Thought and Emotion, Biography and Autobiography, History, Work, and Travel, just to name a few, the writing prompts you'll find here will...more
Daniel Kiteley's exercises are indeed uncommon. Broken down into categories like Point of View, Characters, Women and Men, Children and Childhood, Conversation, Thought and Emotion, Biography and Autobiography, History, Work, and Travel, just to name a few, the writing prompts you'll find here will...more
I'm not the biggest fan of writing prompt books. Not because I don't think they can be useful in sparking ideas, but because the ideas typically have nothing to do with a current project, and then I find myself just wanting to write something else. Did any of that make sense? ;)
However, I truly love the prompts in THE 3 A.M. EPIPHANY. They aren't of the standard, over-used, cliche variety. There's true and complex inspiration here.
However, I truly love the prompts in THE 3 A.M. EPIPHANY. They aren't of the standard, over-used, cliche variety. There's true and complex inspiration here.
Succeeds where a lot of writing exercise books fail. Kitely is kind enough to not treat his reader like an idiot, and there's a lovely mix of insight and playfulness to the exercises. I had a lot of fun with these. Remember that? When writing was FUN??? I know! Only wish I'd had it as a reference when I was teaching intro to creative writing a million years ago.
Great collection of writing prompts. Even got a short story published based on one of these: Lucid: A Collection of Experimental Flash Fiction
A book I'll go through many times.
A book I'll go through many times.
This book is another book that is one in progress, there is so much in there to better your writing that it takes a long time to work through it. The exercises in the book are awesome and teach you to see your writing in a new light. I am really enjoying this book and getting a lot from it.
I love this book for jump-starting writing exercises for myself and my creative writing students. Many resources just give you prompts and scenarios to write about; this book categorizes the prompts, and explains how the exercise with improve a certain aspect of your writing.
Brian Kiteley's brilliant exercises (which can also be used for nonfiction, poetry, and playwriting) come at writing from different angles than usual exercises. I'd take this book to a desert island, and I teach from it all the time.
I REALLY loved this book for writing prompts. It got my brain moving, and more importantly, my fingers typing. Many writing exercise books are very dull and uninspiring. This is the best I've seen yet.
This is a pretty good book of very practical writing exercises. Although the exercises themselves are very straightforward and easy to follow, they quickly move into some abstract areas of theory. In his explanations Kiteley lets you know where you are headed, but always he is focused on providing direction to get words down on a page. There are hundred of exercises and a sequel. I've been following them in order, and I'm still in the POV section. The title is a problem, but clearly has more to...more
I am slowly doing the exercises in this book of exercises for fiction writers. I am very pleased with them so far. They are far from being humdrum fiction exercises.
As good of a writing manual as any I've read. Pithy, concise, and creativity. Thank you Brian Kiteley. I write better now.
One of the best books about writing fiction and story development I have read for a long time.
One of my stand by books, when I get really hung up and can't write, but feel I must.
Good writing prompts in this book, even for advanced writers who just need inspiration.
The ideas were great, but the pages were too white. They hurt my eyes.
Some great writing exercises: a straightforward instruction manual for writers.
This is preliminary because I have only spent an hour or so with this book, but it wasn't what i expected. I was looking for a book with writing exercises and it was very highly rated on Amazon, with several glowing review, plus the title is sexy. But the introduction and how to use this book chapters are annoying to me. They are basically bulleted lists that read more like fashion magazine copy than writing advice. And the exercises haven't intrigued me much yet. Maybe I need to try a few more...more
Awesome writing exercises.
my favorite writing book of all time!
Bought from Amazon on 6/1/12
Super helpful book with so many wonderful exercises that your head will spin.
Sep 28, 2008
Kristyn Hammond
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone!
Recommended to Kristyn by:
Amazon.com
Unusual and incredible. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for creative prompts. Though I've read every prompt, I couldn't put this book on my "read" shelf because it's constantly in use. The prompts range from complicated to simple and can be combined for more complex writing experiences. If you're looking for something to help break the tedium or snap you out of writers block, or just something fun to do for an afternoon, this book is great!
This is required reading (and, through the exercises, writing) for my MFA. Looks interesting. The author is self-admitting to his tendency to be a layered, thicker-styled writer. From my brief pages thus far, he has moments of brilliant-ness...and, in my opinion, areas where conciseness would do, more than the ramble. But who am I to complain? He's the head of a PhD in writing program and has credits to his name. I'd better sit up and take notice, eh?
This is probably the first collection of writing impetuses I've encountered that hasn't bored/irritated me. Quite the contrary, the collective purpose of these prompts seems less about encouraging mass output (though that may prove a happy result) than it is about gently tricking you into adopting potentially unfamiliar narrative styles and POVs that you may never have previously considered or cottoned to. A legitimate and worthwhile tool.
Skimmed it. A GREAT book of prompts, but not fitting my needs right now.
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