The Elements of Fiction Writing - Beginnings, Middles and Ends

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The Elements of Fiction Writing - Beginnings, Middles and Ends (Elements of Fiction Writing)

by Nancy Kress (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 718 ratings · 61 reviews

Get Your Readers' Attention--And Keep It--From the First World to the Final Page

Translating that initial flash of inspiration into a complete story requires careful crafting. So how do you keep your story from beginning slowly, floundering midway, and trailing off at the end? Nancy Kress shows you effective solutions for potential problems at each stage of your story--esse...more

Paperback, 176 pages

Published May 25th 2011 by F+W Media, Inc. (first published 1992)

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Oct 21, 2012 *Giulia* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: about-writing

Some [writers] work best when they write like a runner racing through a haunted graveyard late at night: full speed ahead and no looking back.

Secondo me è quasi sempre inutile dare un voto ai manuali, sopratutto se trattano aspetti più emotivi. Ma vorrei spender qualche parola per questo libro.
Nonostante i manuali di scrittura vadan presi per quello che sono, ovvero informazioni e consigli da chi c’è già passato; molte persone invece tendono a credere che leggendone un paio, poi il loro racconto...more Some [writers] work best when they write like a runner racing through a haunted graveyard late at night: full speed ahead and no looking back.

Secondo me è quasi sempre inutile dare un voto ai manuali, sopratutto se trattano aspetti più emotivi. Ma vorrei spender qualche parola per questo libro.
Nonostante i manuali di scrittura vadan presi per quello che sono, ovvero informazioni e consigli da chi c’è già passato; molte persone invece tendono a credere che leggendone un paio, poi il loro racconto si scriva da sé. E’ sbagliata l’idea di fondo di aspettarsi troppo da questo genere di guide, magari qualche trucco o scorciatoia, o chissà una formula magica.

Pag. 19 This isn’t a book about style, if you have trouble with sentence construction, find a book that is

Perciò, per quanto un manuale possa esser scritto bene o male, non tutti lo troveranno della stessa utilità. Ma me questo è piaciuto. Forse più di altri.

La divisione in tre parti (inizio, metà e fine) è molto più comoda come guida, rispetto al solito “pensa a un personaggio”, “scrivi le singole storie”, “ incorpora qui, e sposta là”... insomma, qui vi è più libertà, il lettore non è costretto a pensare alla sua storia per tappe obbligate, bensì ci si ritrova in un generico contesto che spiega come e cosa dovrebbero contenere le tre parti di una storia. Poi sta all’aspirante scrittore, valutare quale approccio sia per lui il migliore.

L’autrice scrive: “A climax that occurs off-stage is frustrating and disappointing to novel readers”; “Nor should the climax speed by in a few paragraphs.”. Non potrei essere più d’accordo! Vedi il ridicolo climax di Twilight!
“a saga of violent gangland warfare shouldn't end with a quiet talk between the leaders and a subtle symbol of ambiguous hope. In context, that will feel flat.” La Meyer non doveva sapere nemmeno questo; vedi il climax di Breaking dawn (la tanto attesa battaglia, che poi non avviene proprio) che personalmente considero una presa in giro per il lettore. Non è un libro sulla guerra tra bande, vero; ma non abbiamo forse aspettato 800 pagine per uno scontro tra due gruppi di vampiri?
Cita il climax di Jurassic Park di Crichton come ottimo esempio, e sono d’accordo con lei.

Inoltre ogni tanto, l’autrice consiglia degli esercizi, alcuni dei quali, seppur elementari, focalizzano l’attenzione dell’aspirante scrittore sui particolari più incisivi di un racconto. Il punto cruciale è applicare i parametri ai propri scritti, con egual obiettività.

Certo a volte il manuale perde di chiarezza. La scrittrice si è persa un po’ nell’introduzione dei personaggi secondari. E qualche esempio non è dei più brillanti.
Il cap. 6 è una mera chiacchierata sul blocco dello scrittore, con alcuni consigli ed esperienze riportate da vari scrittori. Alcune delle cose scritte si leggono anche in molti altri manuali, tant’è che ho saltato la lettura. Inoltre credo che sia inutile leggere le “tecniche di sblocco”, se non ci si trova in tale situazione. E anche in quel caso dubito della loro utilità.

Ma il mio giudizio generale rimane buono.(less)

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Apr 03, 2013 TKay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If I could recommend three books to every writer, this would be the third. Every writer has difficulty with either the beginning, the middle or the end of their book. Some books start strong, but end with a whimper. Some start slow but gain momentum and end with a bang. Others sag in the middle. This book addresses the causes of each problem, and presents solutions to combat the writer's weakness.

I'd been publishing short nonfiction for years, but never managed to finish a fiction manuscript. I...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Darcy Conroy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writing, wordplay, structure, language, instructional

Beginnings, Middles & Ends, by Nancy Kress is one of the best writing how-to's that I've read, yet. The book is targeted at both novelists and short story writers of any experience. Kress assumes little writing theory on the part of the reader and yet manages to be neither patronizing nor cliche when explaining basics (I swear some books are written from the same template - not this one!) Kress also takes care to emphasize that different writers work in different ways, addressing the "pantst...more Beginnings, Middles & Ends, by Nancy Kress is one of the best writing how-to's that I've read, yet. The book is targeted at both novelists and short story writers of any experience. Kress assumes little writing theory on the part of the reader and yet manages to be neither patronizing nor cliche when explaining basics (I swear some books are written from the same template - not this one!) Kress also takes care to emphasize that different writers work in different ways, addressing the "pantsters", who like to write without plotting, acknowledging that, for them, most of the advice will be relevant only after the first draft is done (but it will be relevant.)

So what's so good about this book? In short: it focuses on the writing. There's no showing off the author's understanding of Georges Polti, or proving that she bleeds Joseph Campbell. There are no structure formulas (three acts with seven turning points, no nine sequences, no 18 dips and crests of the roller coaster,) Kress has written a book which focuses on what you, the writer, need to know and do to organize your story's structure. Not that there's no theory, there's plenty, but it's all contextual, so it is clear how to apply it. How does Kress do this? Well - ahem - it's how the book is structured.

The title of the book is its structure. Starting with Beginnings, Kress discusses everything that needs to be considered when writing a beginning, which, of course, touches on everything from characterization, to language, to how the beginning effects the middle and the end. She acknowledges writers who find beginnings easy and offers assistance for those who find them difficult, addressing the various reasons one can become stuck while writing a beginning. Kress then gives the same detailed treatment for each of Middle and End, followed by a section on Revision.

I highly recommend this book to any writer, whether they are new to writing and don't know where to begin, or are wallowing uncertainly in a WIP. I particularly recommend this book to structure-phobics because, whether they think about it consciously while writing a first draft or not, a writer needs to know their craft and this book is a pain-free way to learn. I'll be putting this one on the #storycraft Book Chat list.(less)

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Sep 28, 2012 David Helton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“The story that comes out on the page isn’t the same as the story in your head,” Nancy Kress says on the very first page. I know this feeling intimately, and from this moment on I was hooked.

I’m very serious about writing, and I also have a tendency to research things I’m interested in very thoroughly. I’ve done this with every RPG and MMO I’ve ever played. I’ve done it with shows that have complex mythologies. So, it probably comes as no surprise that I’ve read quite a few books about writing....more

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Feb 23, 2009 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writing

This is an excellent resource book for writers who want to learn more about what goes into the construction of a good novel or short story. Kress is a Hugo and Nebula award winner, author of dozens of novels and short stories, and a frequent contributor to Writer's Digest. She knows the territory very well and shares her extensive knowledge clearly and concisely.

The book is divided into the three sections of its title. Beginnings focuses on the first two scenes.
From the very start a good story...more This is an excellent resource book for writers who want to learn more about what goes into the construction of a good novel or short story. Kress is a Hugo and Nebula award winner, author of dozens of novels and short stories, and a frequent contributor to Writer's Digest. She knows the territory very well and shares her extensive knowledge clearly and concisely.

The book is divided into the three sections of its title. Beginnings focuses on the first two scenes.
From the very start a good story sets the stage for what's to come with conflict, character development, and interesting details. A strong beginning will usually evoke emotion from the reader as well.

By the time a writer completes a draft of the first two scenes, he'll know enough to decide whose story it is, which point-of-view to present, and what the main plotline will be. This information is important for the bulk of the story: the middle.

The Middle is where the writer develops the story's implicit promise—the reason the reader is reading. It may be simply to be entertained, to live vicariously through the story's characters, to learn something new, etc. A strong Middle delivers on the story's promise and dramatizes events to increase conflict, reveal character, and set the forces in motion that will lead to the story's climax. The Middle is the long bridge between the Beginning and the End.

The End is largely the story's climax where the conflicting forces that have been building up during the long Middle finally collide. In novels, the End also includes the denouement, where the final details of the story are wrapped up. Most short stories end with the climax itself.

Kress' book includes three chapters for each of the three sections. Each chapter concludes with exercises to help beginning writers understand the material in greater depth.

Throughout the work, Kress is careful to note the differences between writing a short story and a novel. Her guidelines are equally valuable for both types of stories. She does an excellent job presenting the material and then provides examples to illustrate her points.

Beginnings, Middles & Ends is an excellent guidebook for beginning writers. At 150 pages it's a quick read and a great addition to a writer's reference shelf. Website: http://www.sff.net/people/nankress/(less)

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Aug 01, 2010 Jared Mason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been on some sort of kick lately - the one where I learn more about writing. It is proving beneficial.

This book, and the series to which is belongs, is great. Short books, easy to finish, to the point. So often, "how to" books are littered with personal revelry and tangents. These books don't have the luxury of length.

The general overview this book gave me of the entire entity that is a story was like being back in a writing class in school. It's so refreshing to have basic rules and regu...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Meike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I am sitting on the fence with how-to-writes.
...Well... Considering what I just said - no, I'm not sitting on the fence, I usually avoid how-to-writes like a plague. >.<

Reading how-to-writes to me is like reading cook books - it doesn't teach you the kind of cooking I do (spontaneous and creative cooking away from anything even looking like a recipe) not does it fill your belly. And sure I don't need no bloody someone telling me that the first paragraph of any text will determine whether...more

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Aug 15, 2012 James Schmidt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

[Review coming soon]

Making a Promise to the Reader...and Keeping It

"Learning **about** writing won't help you write better..." (Introduction)

And that's how I've always felt, but as I make a transition from writing nonfiction to writing fiction I feel like I do need some advice from successful writers on what makes a good story and the best ways to "hook" a reader from the beginning and so I have started reading some books on the craft of writing and story structure, including this one. And the q...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Christina Vasilevski rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, how-to, non-fiction, writing

Review originally posted on www.christinavasilevski.com

Overview: Author Nancy Kress identifies three types of writers and their respective weaknesses: Those who have trouble writing beginnings, those who have trouble writing middles, and those who have trouble writing endings. The book is broken up into three sections and analyzes the types of problems each writer faces during the process of crafting a story.

What I liked: I recognized myself throughout the book. In each section, when Kress descr...more Review originally posted on www.christinavasilevski.com

Overview: Author Nancy Kress identifies three types of writers and their respective weaknesses: Those who have trouble writing beginnings, those who have trouble writing middles, and those who have trouble writing endings. The book is broken up into three sections and analyzes the types of problems each writer faces during the process of crafting a story.

What I liked: I recognized myself throughout the book. In each section, when Kress described a problem that writers encounter in the process of working on a story, I thought “that’s me!” to myself over and over again .For each problem she provides a hypothetical plot that exemplifies it and suggests several solutions. She never categorically states that a solution “must” or “will” work – just that it has proven useful to others. In addition, she provides examples of existing published stories that have already overcome the same structural problems. On top of this, the book extensively discusses the different problems that short stories face in comparison to novels, and vice versa. I found her acknowledgement of the structural problems inherent to each format to be reassuring.

What I disliked: Almost nothing. I originally gave this book 4 stars out of 5, but I bumped it up to 5 when I realized that I couldn’t name any major problems with it. If anything, it’s overwhelming in its bounty of good writing advice. There’s only one thing I’d change about the book, and that’s a small passage at the end that contains an interview with the author. In the interview, Kress states that the best piece of writing advice she’d ever received was from Gene Wolfe, who told her to “have two different things go on a story and then at the end have the two things impact each other.” Since the book doesn’t go much into the intricacies of subplots, I think it would have been helpful to include this tidbit in the body of the book rather than in an extra at the end, but this is a small quibble at best.

The verdict: If you have the chance to buy Beginnings, Middles and Ends, take advantage of it. The book contains lots of solid, useful advice, dispensed in a clear, engaging manner; Nancy Kress is full of empathy for her readers, and it shows. The structure of the book is natural and intuitive, and the recommendations within it are exhaustive. This book is a keeper – I can certainly see myself referring to it as I progress with my own narrative writing.(less)

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Dec 26, 2009 Denis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like the title says, Kress concentrates on beginnings, middles, and ends, on how to flow from one to the next, and of course she dissects each. She doesn't go into great detail about scene, character, dialogue, etc, as much as other writing books I've read, but she does touch on most aspects.

This writing book serves as a great roadmap. It's very practical and accessible. And btw, it applies to genre and mainstream literary, and both the short-story and the novel.

The gist of this reference book...more

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Nov 30, 2007 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writing, nonfiction, not-on-kindle

I love Nancy Kress's books about writing, especially since she writes science fiction and will touch on speculative literature particularly.

This book is way more helpful than I had expected it to be. The way she approaches plot -- beginning, middle, and end -- is helpful, and having read the book has made it much easier for me to pinpoint exactly what I haven't liked about some novels and exactly what mistakes I don't want to make. She says that a story, from the beginning to the end, is a promi...more

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May 02, 2013 Jade rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was first introduced to Nancy Kress with this book and found much of the advice very useless and helpful. I mentioned this in my other reviews of her other guide books, but I feel like she's in the room with me, talking to me directly one-on-one.

She gives plenty of examples, some from her own books, other books she's analyzed and some she makes up in the moment to help better explain. She's very clear, succinct, well organized, has a good sense of humor and isn't critical or hard like some gui...more

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Feb 21, 2009 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, writing

I have no problem coming up with the beginning and end of the book, but I do have troubles with the middles of my stories. I read this book when I was switching over to writing fiction, and I found the advice most useful. If you have trouble keeping your story on track or need help structuring your story effectively, this book will be a tremendous help.

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May 20, 2012 Sara Ansted rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't really know if this book was that much better than other writing books. Maybe it was just the right place, right time thing. But whatever it was, this book was absolutely perfect for me. Other writing books were good and interesting, but this one had all the right things to say, exactly when I needed to hear them, and I learned a TON.

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Jun 23, 2009 James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, arts, entertainment-and-recreation, reference, suspense-and-mystery, writing

I've found Nancy Kress's work, in this book and in the columns she's written in Writer's Digest, to be clear, well organized, and interesting - very useful. I'd recommend this book to anyone writing fiction. Even for experienced writers, it will probably offer some tips that will be helpful in creating the best possible story.

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Dec 17, 2010 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writing

This book takes the structure of a story--the beginning, middle, and end--and highlights typical trouble spots along with stategies and exercises for beating them. Kress's instructional writing is wonderfully clear and direct, infused with a sense of humor. Highly recommended for anyone who writes, whether stories or novels.

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Aug 13, 2012 Ruth Jacobs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Writers

Shelves: books-on-writing

Yet another book I read to learn how to write better. As the title explains, beginnings, middles and endings. It taught me how these should be paced in the novel, what should and shouldn't be included, and also how each scene and chapter needs a beginning, middle and end.

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Jan 15, 2012 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-on-writing, nonfiction

Nancy had a lot of good things to say. A lot of it seemed a little obvious to me, but perhaps that's because I've read a bunch of these kind of books. In general she seems to know what she's talking about. This would be great for beginning authors.

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Sep 24, 2012 Doug Farren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a good book to help newer writers focus on what is important in writing a book. It provides a good overall set of rules and things to consider when writing anything from a short story to a massive novel. One thing I did like was the acknowledgement that not all writers write in the same way which makes it difficult to write a book on writing. Overall, I thought it was a good book.

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May 20, 2012 Lire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like the advice was solid and something that I understood how to apply. I'm looking forward to using it the next time I start a first draft.

(Which will hopefully be soon!)

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Oct 01, 2012 Serge Pierro rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writing

Nancy Kress's contribution to the "Elements of Fiction Writing" series is a welcome one. She instructs the reader/writer in a clear and insightful manner.

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Jan 16, 2012 Kevin Lever rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lots of practical information, helped clarify the certain ingredients to make a satisfying story for the reader and for yourself. I'd recommend it for those looking for a rehaul of some of their story threads.

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Dec 08, 2011 Daryoung rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writing

I really like Nancy Kress's "Beggars in Spain" series, so I picked this up and found it helpful on the subject of structuring a novel or short story.

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May 14, 2013 Brad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Very decent guide to writing both novels and short fiction. It reminds me of a great deal I should always keep in mind while reading, as well. My appreciation for novels might just improve some more with these kinds of reminders. :)

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Jan 26, 2013 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book works as a basic overview for a writer who is just starting out, but shouldn't be taken as a rulebook.

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Jun 11, 2012 Lydia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very helpful for my writing. Not outstanding, but has a certain amount of informative information.

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Dec 31, 2011 Snott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

Great book on writing. Nancy Kress gives tips, examples from all types of literature and encourages you to consider your stories in different ways than you may have previously - this book is not formulaic. It's full of exercises to try as well. She discusses writing short stories as well as novels. She writes a mean short story herself and this book does not skimp on effective ways to improve short stories as many writing books do. Obviously, this book is for writers with who are having difficul...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Sigrid Ellis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: on-writing

Every so often I re-read this, since I have a hell of a time writing middles.

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Feb 15, 2013 Helena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good book. And a great help for one of my greatest problems: plotting. I kind of, sort of, feel a story brewing now. And this time, I'm going to give it time to brew. And attention, and patience, and an open mind. And hopefully it'll become something. Maybe, one day.

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Oct 26, 2011 Tiffany Haynes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

LOOOOVVVEEEE this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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About Nancy Kress

Nancy Kress is an American science fiction writer. She began writing in 1976 but has achieved her greatest notice since the publication of her Hugo and Nebula-winning 1991 novella Beggars in Spain which was later expanded into a novel with the same title. In addition to her novels, Kress has written numerous short stories and is a regular columnist for Writer's Digest. She is a regular at Clarion...more

More about Nancy Kress...

Books by Nancy Kress

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