25 books with Fiction Writing exercises
Discover 25 must-read books packed with fiction writing exercises to boost your creativity, improve your craft, and master storytelling techniques. Perfect for aspiring and seasoned writers alike!
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A Writer's Workbook
by Caroline Sharp
The result of years of blood, sweat, and story writing--along with an MFA, some published stories, an optioned screenplay, and a million cups of coffee--"A Writer's Workbook" is Sharp's ingenious collection of exercises to inspire, encourage, warm up and jump-start anyone who writes.
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The Observation Deck
by Naomi Epel
"Offers inspiration and practical advice from today's greatest writers ... secrets to approaching work with renewed creativity --Container.
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3 AM Epiphany
by Brian Kiteley
Discover Just How Good Your Writing Can Be If you write, you know what it's like. Insight and creativity - the desire to push the boundaries of your writing - strike when you least expect it. And you're often in no position to act: in the shower, driving the kids to school...in the middle of the night. The 3 A.M. Epiphany offers more than 200 intriguing writing exercises designed to help you think, write, and revise like never before - without having to wait for creative inspiration. Brian Kiteley, noted author and director of the University of Denver's creative writing program, has crafted and refined these exercises through 15 years of teaching experience. You'll learn how to: • Transform staid and stale writing patterns into exciting experiments in fiction • Shed the anxieties that keep you from reaching your full potential as a writer • Craft unique ideas by combining personal experience with unrestricted imagination • Examine and overcome all of your fiction writing concerns, from getting started to writer's block Open the book, select an exercise, and give it a try. It's just what you need to craft refreshing new fiction, discover bold new insights, and explore what it means to be a writer. It's never too early to start--not even 3 A.M.
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What If?
by Anne Bernays
What If? is the first handbook for writers based on the idea that specific exercises are one of the most useful and provocative methods for mastering the art of writing fiction. With more than twenty-five years of experience teaching creative writing between them, Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter offer more than seventy-five exercises for both beginners and more experienced writers. These exercises are designed to develop and refine two basic skills: writing like a writer and, just as important, thinking like a writer. They deal with such topics as discovering where to start and end a story; learning when to use dialogue and when to use indirect discourse; transforming real events into fiction; and finding language that both sings and communicates precisely. What If? will be an essential addition to every writer's library, a welcome and much-used companion, a book that gracefully borrows a whisper from the muse.
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A Creative Writer's Kit
by Judy Reeves
Judy Reeves provides direction, support, and practical tips for the novice and seasoned writer alike. An experienced workshop leader, Judy evokes the muse in every writer through engaging exercises and clear instructions. Her kit offers dynamic tools for creative writing: a perpetual book of days with a year's worth of writing topics, a deck of inspiration cards, a journal, and elegant writing instruments--all packaged in a portable, attractive, portfolio-style tri-fold box that features gusseted envelopes, pen loops, lay-flat binding, and an embedded magnet closure. The book of days offers evocative writing prompts, culled from hundreds of writing workshops, and is a muse in itself. The journal is liberally sprinkled with sophisticated literary quotations, and it features an embedded elastic strap to contain all the ephemera that writers collect.The unique Portfolio Box will be shrink-wrapped. A detailed product shot and descriptive copy will be displayed on a removable sticker on the back of the box. Upscale design. Object value.
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Gotham Writers' Workshop: Writing Fiction
by Gotham Writers' Workshop
Gotham Writers' Workshop has mastered the art of teaching the craft of writing in a way that is practical, accessible, and entertaining. Now the techniques of this renowned school are available in this book. Here you'll find: - The fundamental elements of fiction craft-character, plot, point of view, etc.-explained clearly and completely - Key concepts illustrated with passages from great works of fiction - The complete text of "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver-a masterpiece of contemporary short fiction that is analyzed throughout the book - Exercises that let you immediately apply what you learn to your own writing Written by Gotham Writers' Workshop expert instructors and edited by Dean of Faculty Alexander Steele, Writing Fiction offers the same methods and exercises that have earned the school international acclaim. Once you've read-and written-your way through this book, you'll have a command of craft that will enable you to turn your ideas into effective short stories and novels. You will be a writer. Gotham Writers' Workshop is America's leading private creative writing school, offering classes in New York City and on the web at WritingClasses.com. The school's interactive online classes, selected "Best of the Web" by Forbes, have attracted thousands of aspiring writers from across the United States and more than sixty countries.
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Writing Fiction Step by Step
by Josip Novakovich
Writing Fiction Step by Step gives you more than 200 exercises that will sharpen your writing skills while helping you develop complete short stories, even novels. &break;&break;In this sequel to his very popular Fiction Writer's Workshop, Whiting Award-winning author Josip Novakovich shows you that writing fiction is about making connections–between character and plot, setting and conflict, memory and imagination. You'll make these connections by linking the exercises. A character invented in chapter two can appear in a scene outlined in chapter eight and can speak in a voice developed in chapter ten. &break;&break;Embark on a unique writing journey and learn step by step how to craft fiction that captivates readers.
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Fiction Writer's Workshop
by Josip Novakovich
Master the Elements of the Writing Workshop &break;&break;The great paradox of the writing life is that to be a good writer, you must be both interested in the world around you and comfortable working in solitude for hours on end. Fiction Writer's Workshop is designed to help you foster a strong sense of independence–of being and thinking on your own, of becoming self-evaluative without being self-critical–in order to accomplish what others seek in classroom groups. &break;&break;In this comprehensive guide, award-winning writer and teacher Josip Novakovich explores every aspect of the art of fiction and provides all the tools and techniques you'll need to develop day-to-day discipline as well as a personal writing style, such as: &break;&break; More than 100 writing exercises, including dozens that are new to this edition, that challenge you to experiment with diverse writing styles&break; Specific statements of purpose for each exercise, to help guide you and instruct you at every step of the creative process&break; Self-critique questions to help you assess your work and identify strengths and weaknesses before moving on to the next lesson&break; The full text of eight acclaimed short stories, with analysis and exercises, to provide models for your own writing and help reinforce the lessons you've learned &break;&break;The practical, insightful methods offered in this workshop will clarify your voice, broaden your perspective, and strengthen your fiction.
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Word Painting
by Rebecca Mcclanahan
Let Rebecca McClanahan guide you through an inspiring examination of description in its many forms. With her thoughtful instruction and engaging exercises, you'll learn to develop your senses and powers of observation to uncover the rich, evocative words that accurately portray your mind's images. McClanahan includes dozens of descriptive passages written by master poets and authors to illuminate the process. She also teaches you how to weave writing together using description as a unifying thread.
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Dialogue (Write Great Fiction)
by Gloria Kempton
Craft Compelling Dialogue When should your character talk, what should (or shouldn't) he say, and when should he say it? How do you know when dialogue--or the lack thereof--is dragging down your scene? How do you fix a character who speaks without the laconic wit of the Terminator? Write Great Fiction: Dialogue by successful author and instructor Gloria Kempton has the answers to all of these questions and more! It's packed with innovative exercises and instruction designed to teach you how to: • Create dialogue that drives the story • Weave dialogue with narrative and action • Write dialogue that fits specific genres • Avoid the common pitfalls of writing dialogue • Make dialogue unique for each character Along with dozens of dialogue excerpts from today's most popular writers, Write Great Fiction: Dialogue gives you the edge you need to make your story stand out from the rest.
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Description & Setting (Write Great Fiction)
by Ron Rozelle
Build a Believable World How essential is setting to a story? How much description is too much? In what ways do details and setting tie into plot and character development? How can you use setting and description to add depth to your story? You can find all the answers you need in Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting by author and instructor Ron Rozelle. This nuts-and-bolts guide - complete with practical exercises at the end of each chapter - gives you all the tips and techniques you need to: • Establish a realistic sense of time and place • Use description and setting to drive your story • Craft effective description and setting for different genres • Skillfully master showing vs. telling With dozens of excerpts from some of today's most popular writers, Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting gives you all the information you need to create a sharp and believable world of people, places, events, and actions.
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Creating Character Emotions
by Ann Hood
In this unique book, Ann Hood will help you find fresh, creative images, words and gestures to evoke feelings in your fiction. In 36 "mini-lessons," Hood sheds new light on love, hate, fear, grief, guilt, hope, jealousy and other major emotions. Each lesson offers instruction on rendering that particular sentiment; "good" and "bad" examples illustrating how writers have succeeded and where others have gone wrong; and imaginative exercises for putting the feeling into words.
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Immediate Fiction
by Jerry Cleaver
The Only Writing Book You'll Ever Need From the legendary creator of the Writer's Loft in Chicago, comes a writing course for those who want to see results now. Immediate Fiction covers the entire process of writing including manuscript preparation, time management, finding an idea, getting words on the page, staying unblocked, and submitting to agents and publishers. With insightful tips and advice, Jerry Cleaver helps writers manage doubts, fears, blocks, and panic all while helping to develop their writing in minutes a day. A practical and accessible resource, this book has everything the aspiring writer needs to write and sell novels, short stories, screenplays, and stage plays.
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Writing the Wave
by Elizabeth Ayres
Catch a wave of creativity . . . There's a vast ocean of creativity within you -- and even if you're doubtful, intimidated, or blocked, you can tap into its power, simply by following the exercises in this book. Broken into small steps, each exercise is easy and takes only minutes to do. Yet each one forms a wave in your inner ocean that brings with it a rush of ideas, images, and scenes as it crests. The words surge out of your pen and flow freely. A joyous writing ride brings you to new heights of creative accomplishment, no matter what your level of experience. The surf's up. The water is warm and blue. Are you ready to take the plunge?
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Fiction
by Michael Seidman
This complete manual on writing fiction in all genres takes readers through each phase -- from story idea to manuscript to submission -- with a step-by-step guide to the editing and publishing process (including negotiating a contract with or without an agent), and an informative section on writer's conferences and workshops.
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Writing from the Heart
by Nancy Slonim Aronie
With warm, lively, often humorous anecdotes, advice, and lessons, this unique approach to creative writing as a path to healing the self shows how to reverse the damaging effects done to writers in school, where red pens disciplined grammar and taught them to mistrust their natural ability as storytellers--freezing them in their creative tracks NPR sponsorships .
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The Lie that Tells a Truth
by John Dufresne
Finally, a truly creative--and hilarious--guide to creative writing, full of encouragement and sound advice. This book is essential to writers in general, fiction writers in particular, beginning writers, serious writers, and anyone facing a blank page.
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The Writer's Idea Workshop
by Jack Heffron
This volume draws on the success of its idea generating predecessor "The Writer's Idea Book" and takes readers to the next step--assessing their ideas and growing them into finished pieces.
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Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories
by Margaret Lucke
Margaret Lucke highlights the essential elements of a short story, its characters, conflict, plot, setting, and narrative voice and explains how each contributes to the success of the story. The text also includes a number of practice exercises.
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Writing Down the Bones
by Natalie Goldberg
A collection of essays in which the author explores methods of writing based on her experience in Zen meditation.
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Stein On Writing
by Sol Stein
Professional secrets from a renowned editor, prize-winning author, and award-winning instructor make this book the #1 practical choice for fiction and nonfiction writers of all levels of experience.
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Deep Writing
by Eric Maisel
A nationally recognized psychotherapist and creativity consultant shows writers how to overcome psychological blocks in order to create with passion, power, and ease.
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Becoming a Writer
by Dorothea Brande
A reissue of a classic work published in 1934 on writing and the creative process, Becoming a Writer recaptures the excitement of Dorothea Brande's creative writing classroom of the 1920s. Decades before brain research "discovered" the role of the right and left brain in all human endeavor, Dorothea Brande was teaching students how to see again, how to hold their minds still, and how to call forth the inner writer.