Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

Whether you are an accomplished professional, a novelist, story writer, or a writer of nonfiction, you will find a wealth of immediately useful guidance not available anywhere else. As 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."

You will find one of the great unspoken secrets of craftsmanship in Chapter 5, called "Markers: The Key to Swift Characterization." In Chapter 7, Stein reveals for the first time in print the system for creating instant conflict developed in the Playwrights Group of the Actors Studio, of which he was a founder. In "Secrets of Good Dialogue," Stein gives you usable techniques that not only make verbal exchanges exciting but that move the story forward immediately. You won't have to struggle with flashbacks or background material after you've read Chapter 14, which shows you how to bring background into the foreground.

Writers of both fiction and nonfiction will relish the amphetamines for speeding up pace, and the many ways to liposuction flab, as well as how to tap originality and recognize what successful titles have in common. Nonfiction writers will find a passport to the new revolution in journalism and a guide to using the techniques of fiction to enhance nonfiction. You'll discover literary values that enhance writing, providing depth and resonance. In Chapters 32 and 33 you will learn why revising by starting at page one can be a serious mistake, and how to revise without growing cold on your manuscript.

I'll be posting giveaway books throughout the day each day this week. If you're interested in this book, leave a comment below. I'll draw all of this week's winners on Sunday, July 3, 2011 and post them that day. You will need to check back and send me your mailing address by Sunday, July 10, 2011 CDT if you are one of the winners.