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Now Write!: Fiction Writing Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers

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Ballet dancers exercise, so do gymnasts, magicians, violinists, and trapeze artists. In each of these performance arts there are STANDARD TECHNIQUES, which the artist must practice. Only writers seem to think it's all ineffable. One stares at the white page, and the muse appears-- or not. Well, no. There are standard techniques, and one should practice them. This book has a few. It is not by any means comprehensive, nor is it orderly or well organized, but it at least aims in the right direction. Beginning writers who do these exercises would inevitably fiind their work improving. What's missing is work on form-- standard forms that catch readers' attention-- and a discussion of what grabs human attention. For that, in essence, is the problem of ALL art: How to keep the paying bums in the paying seats? Once you keep them seated, you can feed them any content you want. But the main task is to keep the audience captivated. This is a function of the HOW, not the WHAT. Else political tracts would be considered art. This book goes a long way towards teaching some technical rudiments, though in episodic form. For more comprehensive treatments read Bickham's books (plot, and setting), or Chiarella's (Dialogue-- pure magic!), or Jessica Page Morell (Between the Lines). The last one in particular gets it almost entirely. Do all the exercises, then go write!