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Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror: Speculative Genre Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers
(Now Write!)
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Featuring speculative fiction-writing exercises from Harlan Ellison (R), Piers Anthony, Ramsey Campbell, Jack Ketchum, screenwriters of The Twilight Zone and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and many more.
The fifth volume in the acclaimed Now Write! writing-guide series offers a full toolbox of advice and exercises for speculative fiction writers hoping to craft an engagin ...more
The fifth volume in the acclaimed Now Write! writing-guide series offers a full toolbox of advice and exercises for speculative fiction writers hoping to craft an engagin ...more
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Start your review of Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror: Speculative Genre Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers
I used to have this big complex about buying books on writing. My father had always told me that good writers write and if I spend all my time reading about writing I'm never actually going to write anything. And he was right, to a degree.
A teacher friend, who also writes quite a bit, pointed out to me the other day, that just because I am a teacher, doesn't mean I stop reading books on teaching. I use those books to further my craft and to discover ways of doing things that I had never thought ...more
A teacher friend, who also writes quite a bit, pointed out to me the other day, that just because I am a teacher, doesn't mean I stop reading books on teaching. I use those books to further my craft and to discover ways of doing things that I had never thought ...more
Dec 01, 2015
James
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
arts,
writing,
entertainment-and-recreation,
mythology,
fantasy,
reference,
science-fiction,
horror,
fiction
A standout among the many books on writing I've picked up over the years - both down-to-earth and inspiring, with a lot of useful concrete information. I'd recommend this for any aspiring fiction writer, especially in the genres listed in the title.
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Very helpful book. I will be purchasing a copy.
Great inspiration for whenever I'm in a writing slump. Really helped me a lot :)
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With advice from writers from all areas, screenwriting, novel writing, short stories writing, (even a comic writer), this book explored areas pertinent to the speculative genre and gave exercises to grow your work. While not every article will be everyone's cup of tea, the articles are well thought out and great advice with interesting and sometimes unique suggestions on things to do to work on your project. This is not a book that has to be read in order or needs every piece read to understand
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Brief essays introduce over 80 exercises by writers of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. 15 of the essays/exercises go above humdrum advice, to truly inspire. "Catching Up with the Future" by Douglas McGowan and "Story Endings: Where Monsters Lurk" by Lois Gresh are two of those.
The rest, meh.
My biggest nitpick is how many of the contributors were from TV/movies. I would've preferred that all contributors have a background in literature, teaching or writing. (It's already tough enough to find spec fic ...more
The rest, meh.
My biggest nitpick is how many of the contributors were from TV/movies. I would've preferred that all contributors have a background in literature, teaching or writing. (It's already tough enough to find spec fic ...more
I am a reader who dabbles in writing. What most impressed me about this book was the incredible variety of exercises and ideas. I think the editor may have had in mind to hit as many bases as possible, to cover a variety of needs. The editor succeeded. I loved the chapters by the very famous authors whose names are on the cover. I also got quite a lot from the chapters called "The Setting in Horror" by Lisa Morton and "Break the Compass" by Lance Mazmanian. This book certainly put me on another
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This book is full of inspiration and great exercises. I will definitely check out the other books in this series.
Some very interesting insight and exercises are offered in this writing-help guide. I intend to follow through on quite a few of them.
Borrowed this from the library just to see if it could help my writing and ended up buying it because it has tons of helpful excercises in it, as well as advice from authors.
This book has some great tips
The tips contained within this book from the experts make it a must read for any aspiring author. I recommend this to anyone interested in writing.
The tips contained within this book from the experts make it a must read for any aspiring author. I recommend this to anyone interested in writing.
These exercise books are most useful after you've completed a first draft and need to consider revision strategies. I picked up some good ideas here.
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I'm not the biggest fan of this series, since entries are frustratingly brief. But some of these, such as entries on worldbuilding, were very useful. I never do the exercises, and perhaps that's part of the problem. It may be you should complete the exercises to get the most out of this book.
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Nov 30, 2017
Katy
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
writers of sf/horror/fantasy
Shelves:
nonfiction,
books-i-own
This is an excellent collection of essays and exercises for genre writers at any skill level. It covers a wide variety of topics from characterization to setting to plot to technique. The essays/exercises cover a variety of genres (sci-fi, horror, fantasy, etc.) and media (poetry, TV, film, novels, etc.) I think there’s a little something in here for everyone interested in writing genre fiction.
Overall, I found the exercises interesting, though I haven’t tried many yet. I also think the essays ...more
Overall, I found the exercises interesting, though I haven’t tried many yet. I also think the essays ...more
I will admit, I bought both the physical and electronic versions of this book. Now, I didn't do any of the exercises (okay, that's a lie, I did three of them), but I do intend to go back through the book and do more than a few of them. I also have used examples from this book in my panels at conventions, as well as suggesting them to my writer friends when they have been stuck.
Lamson has put together a collection of very short (often 1-2 pages) blurbs by authors/writers about their craft, follow ...more
Lamson has put together a collection of very short (often 1-2 pages) blurbs by authors/writers about their craft, follow ...more
A great resource for all writers of the speculative genre! Many true life examples given by today's (and yesteryear's) great writers. Containing short but detailed lessons (typically 3-4 pages each) that get right to the point in specific areas for improvement, this book not only presents examples but, in some cases, counter-examples (things NOT to do). I learn best with quick short lessons, backed with one or more exercises. That's exactly the format this book delivers.
Much better and more dire ...more
Much better and more dire ...more
The question I have after reading this book is, what audience is this meant for? For beginning writers who are looking to get more serious about it (me), this book has almost nothing on process. On the contrary, several of the established authors seem to be trolling beginners by stating that most people are not going to have the talent to write well. If you read a moderate amount, you know this is plainly not true. Shit writers are writing and publishing and selling every day.
Writing is a craft ...more
Writing is a craft ...more
I read this as I was preparing my Reading & Writing Science Fiction class, in hopes of finding some inspiration for in-class writing experiments. The book did fulfill that hope, but the contributions to this anthology are very uneven in terms of quality. Harlan Ellison's essay on titles, for instance, was brilliant--humorous and insightful. Jeremy Wagner's "The Art of Being Horrifically Prolific," on the other hand, seems like terrible advice for any writer, but especially for beginning writers
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As the cover states "Today's Best Writers and Teachers" which adds up to an absolutely wonderful book. I think authors at any publication level can find useful things here. I certainly did. Many of the contributors are well known and some are emerging but all seem fully in command of their craft. The level of advice and tips offered in each person's exercise range from very basic to extremely advanced and I for one appreciated this broad approach to the lessons. The cover art reminds me of my da
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It's a good refresher for inspiration and technical advice that as a writer I've received from attending SFF conferences. It's a keeper for easy to turn to advice. The sections are short and specific, and the titles easily explain what short piece of advice that writer is offering, so you can sample what you need when you need it without reading the entire book cover to cover.
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A fantastic set of exercises to help kickstart your genre-based creativity. Some of the exercises are exactly what you expect, you know the classic write every day stuff. But a good number of them are unique and very valuable. I definitely bookmarked several to return to time and time again whenever I'm stuck
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Great advice from authors in speculative fiction including Harlan Ellison, Jack Ketchum and Ramsey Campbell. The exercises are a little corny, but the advice is good. It's made up of essays from different authors on various topics.
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Now I realize my status update made it sound like the book had too much to read and that isn't the case, rather that I have too much to read at the moment. I'd go back and reread this book anyday! Fun exercises.
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Occasionally, I stalked through a short chapter and left wanting. However, the easily seen majority were inspiring. Several of those chapters churned over old stale ideas exposing fresh dirt I'm certain I can successfully seed and see a yield in the year to come.
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I loved this book. I read it straight through and did several exercises as I read through. Now I have a treasure chest of tricks to dive into when I need inspiration. The variety of contributors from screenwriters to teachers was perfect.
Impressive gathering of advice by many well-known writers. The exercises are many and varied.
This book is a must read for those who are looking to write fiction. The book has great exercises and insights to get past writer's block and into writing a great story!
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This is a great go-to book for writing exercises focused on SF/F. It really gets into the core of the field. I put it on my Kindle so I can write anywhere!
This is so great! I am seriously considering buying this book for all the great advice and exercises in this book. Fun, easy to read, A+ advice.
Useful tools for writers
A great many writing exercises from various people. Each one gives s different view point on proceeds. Choices helpful no matter your writing style.
A great many writing exercises from various people. Each one gives s different view point on proceeds. Choices helpful no matter your writing style.
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I'm a writer, book editor and filmmaker who loves helping tell great stories. Edited Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror; co-edited Now Write! Screenwriting and Now Write! Mysteries with my Aunt Sherry Ellis.
Write short stories, feature screenplays and educational videos. Three of my own scripts are in development with producers.
I was honored to serve as teleconference host for Intl. ...more
Write short stories, feature screenplays and educational videos. Three of my own scripts are in development with producers.
I was honored to serve as teleconference host for Intl. ...more
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