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The Alien Guidebook #1
The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now
The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now, provides the basic tools that every beginning writer needs to get published. Packed with real examples and practical exercises, this Guide is written by someone who had to learn it all the hard way over many years and wants to give YOU a break. This is YOUR shortcut to getting published.
264 pages, Trade Edition
First published January 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Nina Munteanu
42 books89 followersNina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist and SF, fantasy and eco-fiction writer. She has published eight novels and a dozen award-winning short stories translated into several languages. Her novels are mostly eco-fiction and thrillers that explore humanity's tense co-evolution with technology and Nature.
Nina is also editor of several publishing houses and ezines. She teaches writing at the University of Toronto and George Brown College. Her three textbooks "The Fiction Writer", "The Journal Writer" and "The Ecology of Story" are used in colleges, universities, and writing institutions throughout the world. Her latest non-fiction book "Water Is..." explores the many identities of water (www.TheMeaningOfWater.com). Find more on Nina and her work at www.ninamunteanu.ca.
The books that appear on my bookshelf are all books I recommend. You will not find a book on my shelf or a book review from me that is not a recommended book; if I don't like it, it won't be here.
Nina is also editor of several publishing houses and ezines. She teaches writing at the University of Toronto and George Brown College. Her three textbooks "The Fiction Writer", "The Journal Writer" and "The Ecology of Story" are used in colleges, universities, and writing institutions throughout the world. Her latest non-fiction book "Water Is..." explores the many identities of water (www.TheMeaningOfWater.com). Find more on Nina and her work at www.ninamunteanu.ca.
The books that appear on my bookshelf are all books I recommend. You will not find a book on my shelf or a book review from me that is not a recommended book; if I don't like it, it won't be here.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 23, 2009
This book gets to the point, quickly. It is a digest of all the how-to’s of writing fiction propounded by masters of the craft over the last century, easily packaged into 26 concise chapters that run from A to Z. Munteanu practises one of her principles of “show, don’t tell” by having the lessons come from the experts themselves and avoids the preaching herself.
She begins by using the building of a house as the metaphor for writing the novel and takes us step by step through the various stages of house construction—blueprint, excavation, foundation, framing, plumbing, heating, electricity, wallboard, plaster and paint—and relate these components to parallel processes in the creation of a novel. Munteanu also intersperses exercises throughout the book to make the lessons more interactive—I wish there had been more.
Although aimed at the writing student, this is a handy book for the emerging or mature writer as well, as it is a great resource to refresh one’s memory on every aspect of the writing process. In particular, I found the sections on archetypes, metaphors, scenes and sequels, sensory detail and voice to be very useful.
Some older maxims were reinforced in more refined or humorous terms as well:
• Write what you know inside
• Proof read backwards
• Live, then write, then live again
• The Beatles song “Paperback Writer” as a how-not-to write a query letter
• Add how many more books you have inside you, in the query letter
I feel that the book, given its conciseness, sometimes strays into areas where it shouldn’t go, as the subject matter in those sections is vast and all Munteanu does is dip her foot in the water: grammar being one. Being a science fiction writer, she also draws examples heavily from that genre and I would like to see more balance with mainstream fiction.
Despite letting her sources do most of the talking, Munteanu is most powerful when her own voice intrudes, in the section on the Muse for example, and when she opens herself to us to see her rejection letters—that takes courage and binds us poor scribblers in a symbiotic relationship with this author.
And to crown it all off, in the last chapter, “The Zen of Passionate Writing”, Munteanu hands off to Auschwitz survivor Victor Frankl, who reminds us that, “Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself...” What a noble observation to surround ourselves with as we ply our trade in solitude and isolation!
I am keeping this book my desk as I plunge into the writing of my next chapter...
She begins by using the building of a house as the metaphor for writing the novel and takes us step by step through the various stages of house construction—blueprint, excavation, foundation, framing, plumbing, heating, electricity, wallboard, plaster and paint—and relate these components to parallel processes in the creation of a novel. Munteanu also intersperses exercises throughout the book to make the lessons more interactive—I wish there had been more.
Although aimed at the writing student, this is a handy book for the emerging or mature writer as well, as it is a great resource to refresh one’s memory on every aspect of the writing process. In particular, I found the sections on archetypes, metaphors, scenes and sequels, sensory detail and voice to be very useful.
Some older maxims were reinforced in more refined or humorous terms as well:
• Write what you know inside
• Proof read backwards
• Live, then write, then live again
• The Beatles song “Paperback Writer” as a how-not-to write a query letter
• Add how many more books you have inside you, in the query letter
I feel that the book, given its conciseness, sometimes strays into areas where it shouldn’t go, as the subject matter in those sections is vast and all Munteanu does is dip her foot in the water: grammar being one. Being a science fiction writer, she also draws examples heavily from that genre and I would like to see more balance with mainstream fiction.
Despite letting her sources do most of the talking, Munteanu is most powerful when her own voice intrudes, in the section on the Muse for example, and when she opens herself to us to see her rejection letters—that takes courage and binds us poor scribblers in a symbiotic relationship with this author.
And to crown it all off, in the last chapter, “The Zen of Passionate Writing”, Munteanu hands off to Auschwitz survivor Victor Frankl, who reminds us that, “Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself...” What a noble observation to surround ourselves with as we ply our trade in solitude and isolation!
I am keeping this book my desk as I plunge into the writing of my next chapter...
September 6, 2016
Nina Documentare Munteanu (N.M.) a avut curajul să scrie despre cum e, sau ce ar trebui să faci pentru a scrie creativ (ficțiune). Fiind de origine română, biolog și iubitoare de SF, personal m-am regăsit în cartea sa, de multe ori având senzația stranie că autoarea mi se adresează direct… Această senzație e unul din acei indici care prevestesc o carte bună sau utilă mie și a cărui gen îmi place să-l definesc prin “cartea asta îmi spune exact ceea ce vreau eu să aud“. În rest… un manual care explică “regulile jocului”, necesar a fi cunoscute de către orice începător în ale ficțiunii și pe care dacă ți le însușești, nu ai decât de câștigat.
Restul aici.
Restul aici.
August 6, 2009
This is a very well written book, informative with a humorous slant. Some excellent tips and pointers. Highly recommend to the beginning writer.
November 16, 2017
Exceptional! It is my writing "bible" :D
February 13, 2018
This book takes you from ground zero to published work!
July 19, 2019
keeper for the fiction writer's bookshelf.
February 22, 2025
Această carte este un ghid detaliat și bine structurat pentru scriitorii aspiranți sau pentru cei care vor să își îmbunătățească tehnicile narative. Nina Munteanu abordează procesul scrierii de ficțiune dintr-o perspectivă practică, oferind nu doar explicații teoretice, ci și exemple aplicate, exerciții și sfaturi utile.
🔹 Ce oferă această carte?
✔ Tehnici esențiale de storytelling – Structura narativă, dezvoltarea personajelor, stilul și vocea autorului sunt explicate clar și concis.
✔ Exemple și exerciții practice – Pe lângă teorie, cartea include exerciții de scriere care ajută la aplicarea conceptelor.
✔ Ghid pentru construcția unei povești solide – De la premisă și conflict, până la scene și dialoguri autentice.
✔ Sfaturi despre procesul creativ și disciplina scrisului – Cum să-ți organizezi munca, cum să depășești blocajele scriitoricești și cum să-ți perfecționezi stilul.
🌱 Este o carte valoroasă pentru scriitori?
Da, absolut! 📌 Dacă ești la început de drum sau vrei să-ți rafinezi stilul, această carte îți oferă un cadru clar pentru dezvoltarea unei povești bine scrise. Este practică, ușor de parcurs și plină de insight-uri utile.
📌 Recomand această carte celor care:
🔹 Vor să învețe cum să construiască o poveste captivantă și coerentă.
🔹 Sunt interesați de tehnicile fundamentale ale scrierii creative.
🔹 Caută un ghid structurat, dar prietenos, cu sfaturi aplicabile imediat.
🔹 Ce oferă această carte?
✔ Tehnici esențiale de storytelling – Structura narativă, dezvoltarea personajelor, stilul și vocea autorului sunt explicate clar și concis.
✔ Exemple și exerciții practice – Pe lângă teorie, cartea include exerciții de scriere care ajută la aplicarea conceptelor.
✔ Ghid pentru construcția unei povești solide – De la premisă și conflict, până la scene și dialoguri autentice.
✔ Sfaturi despre procesul creativ și disciplina scrisului – Cum să-ți organizezi munca, cum să depășești blocajele scriitoricești și cum să-ți perfecționezi stilul.
🌱 Este o carte valoroasă pentru scriitori?
Da, absolut! 📌 Dacă ești la început de drum sau vrei să-ți rafinezi stilul, această carte îți oferă un cadru clar pentru dezvoltarea unei povești bine scrise. Este practică, ușor de parcurs și plină de insight-uri utile.
📌 Recomand această carte celor care:
🔹 Vor să învețe cum să construiască o poveste captivantă și coerentă.
🔹 Sunt interesați de tehnicile fundamentale ale scrierii creative.
🔹 Caută un ghid structurat, dar prietenos, cu sfaturi aplicabile imediat.
January 22, 2021
Dacă nu știți prea multe despre arta scrisului, e neapărat de citit. Dacă aveți o idee vagă despre ce înseamnă să scrii, cu atât mai mult trebuie studiată. Chiar dacă stăpâniți teoria redactării unei opere e suficientă pentru a actualiza unele informații. Este o carte utilă, un compendiu care tratează diverse aspecte ale actului scrisului de la cât de lungi să fie paragrafele și cum să produci dialog credibil și până la informații despre publicare, documentare sau reacția în fața unei scrisori de refuz. Cu adevărat un volum de neevitat.
Singurul dezavantaj pentru ediția românească de la Paralela 45 pe alocuri se simte engleza din spatele traducerii, fără a afecta cu mult lectura.
Singurul dezavantaj pentru ediția românească de la Paralela 45 pe alocuri se simte engleza din spatele traducerii, fără a afecta cu mult lectura.
April 15, 2026
"I'm very impressed...Nina shares the hard-won knowledge she's accumulated...I'm thoroughly enjoying the book, and even learning a thing or two!" -- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of Rollback
Author's note: this is actually a 2009 book (copyright should be updated) published originally in Canada by Pixl Press, January 2009. Pixl Press is currently an Imprint of Starfire World Syndicate (USA) and the book will soon be available as a U.S. publication (ISBN 9780982378304; Library of Congress Control Number: 2009903756) in large chain stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Author's note: this is actually a 2009 book (copyright should be updated) published originally in Canada by Pixl Press, January 2009. Pixl Press is currently an Imprint of Starfire World Syndicate (USA) and the book will soon be available as a U.S. publication (ISBN 9780982378304; Library of Congress Control Number: 2009903756) in large chain stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Read
February 27, 2016I skimmed this. It didn't teach me anything, mostly because it contains really commonsense stuff. Like really really really commonsense.
February 10, 2020
O carte care merita recitita...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews