Writing the Short Story: A Hands-On Program

by Jack M. Bickham

The author here conducts an index card based ''workshop on paper'' - a programme founded on his successul Writer''s Digest magazine Blueprint series. Bickham guides readers through the steps needed to plan, organise, write and revise a short story.'

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1994

About the author

Pseudonyms:
Jeff Clinton, John Miles, Arthur Williams

Reviews

[X · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was kind of a waste of time.

To its credit, I will say, yes, if you follow the instructions you will end up with a complete short story and you will have put enough thought into it that you won't have to do an insane amount of revision later. But this course is hardly the most effective or efficient way to get that result.

The author insists that you put all your notes - notes on everything from things you're passionate about, to bits of inspiration, to character traits to your goddamn plot outline - on index cards. Maybe this works for him, but for me it's an organization nightmare. Yet he insists that you 100% must do this.

He also condescends to the reader about everything. Half the time it reads like he's writing to hear himself talk rather than to help anyone. He gives really stupid advice, for example, "Use physical index cards instead of a computer, so you can carry them around everywhere and add to them when you're inspired. Besides, they're cheaper than a computer." Like okay, cool if this works for you but I'm not carrying around a collection of index cards the size of a hatbox so I can jot down notes on that weird conversation I overheard my customers having in line that I could potentially use for a story someday, and no shit no one is going to buy a computer just to do their coursework for this book, but if you own a computer anyway (which most writers do, but this book is from the nineties so I'll ignore that) it's not a bad idea."

There was a bit of good advice on revision, but nearly everything else was common sense or just not helpful. Not to me at least.

[Phil Nicholls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack M Bickham presents a comprehensive, step-by-step program for learning to write short fiction. The reader is invited to complete a long series of index cards detailing taste, character, plot, snippets of dialogue and so much more.

I stuck closely to the system for at least the first half of the book but felt a growing sense that this methodology was not for me. I enjoyed many of the insights and observations within the course, but I am not such an elaborate planner as this. The difference in approach was underlined when Bickham outlined the extensive planning regime needed for a short story. My current writing method relies upon a much shorter outline process than suggested here.

Overall, I am probably adopting about half of the suggested method. This is enough to earn the book a place on my limited bookshelf.

[Lazette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing A Short Story: A Hands On The Program, [return]Jack M Bickham, [return]Writer's Digest Books, ISBN 0-89879-670-9[return][return]I was really amazed at how much this book must have affected my writing when I read it several years ago. I remember feeling as though I had found vindication in how I work, and I know now that I picked up a lot of basic ideas from here without ever realizing it. Much of what Bickham wrote about in this book were things I had already been doing. Re-reading it a decade later has only reinforced some of my approach and perhaps refined and added a few new steps in.[return][return]I never did get caught up in his card file system, though. That just seemed a little excessive for me, even though I have note cards stacked up everywhere in the room still delete that and occasionally use them for notes.[return][return]Bickham does a comprehensive overview if a way to create a professional short story career. He believes in thoroughly laying out story ideas and working everything up before you write. He missed trusts the work of inspiration alone and believes that is where a number of writers get into serious trouble.[return][return]The fact that I agree on some serious levels with this book does not mean that I think everything in it will work for every writer. However, he does have a good, solid sense of how to put a story together. More than that, the book covers just about every phase of writing and offers insights that can help with longer works, as well.[return][return]I recommend this book for anyone who is looking for help and direction in writing short stories. I would even suggest that you try his notecard system at least once. You never know when something different is going to be just what you need to break through at some level.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time I became involved in an online community that involved amateur writing and I decided I wanted to participate. To that end, I bought this book, which was the first I ever bought on creative writing. Later, I'd read the blog of an editor who once offered this rule of thumb: Pay attention to who is offering advice on writing. They should either be an author you admire or someone who has gained best-selling status or someone who is or has been a gatekeeper--an acquiring editor or agent. By those terms Bickham doesn't really qualify from what is offered about his background. And I can't put this at the top rank of books on writing I've since acquired and read by Stephen King, Elizabeth George (both bestselling writers) or Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (by two acquiring editors) or books by agents such as Noah Lukeman or Donald Maass. But it is a good, lucid basic introductory text on the architecture and devices of the short story I found valuable with some useful tips to try.

[Everett Marx · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hands-On" is no lie. Bickham expects a lot of work from would-be short story writers. It takes a bit of time but no expense beyond a few colored pencils and some index cards.

Teaches some good habits.

[Giuseppe D'Antonio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pragmatico.

[James Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can write songs, plays, screenplays, skits, novels, letters, emails, presenations, speechs and ransom notes, but for the life of me I don't know what it takes to write a short story.

[Jeremy]

Short Story Writing with Dr. St. John.

[Dearwassily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay.