Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy (Writing Series) Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Whether you are new to the genre or looking for inspiration, this book provides the tools you need to succeed. Develop believable fantasy worlds Challenge your readers’ imaginations Practical techniques you can apply today Written by a successful author of SF and fantasy novels Master the craft of magical worlds Are you struggling to get started on your science fiction or fantasy novel? Stuck at chapter two or need a fresh approach? Find new direction and inspiration with this unique guide to creating original and convincing stories. Written by a successful author of more than ten science fiction and fantasy novels, Writing Science and Fantasy takes an in-depth look at these two best-selling genres. Kilian delves into the origins and conventions of science fiction and fantasy and goes over the many subgenres, including nanotechnology, space opera, and sword and sorcery. He forces you to ask yourself crucial questions about your own novel, and also offers practical advice on how to prepare and market your manuscript to publishers, editors, and agents. With this book as a guide, both novice and experienced writers can learn how to make their work both a literary and financial success. Learn about: Constructing a scene Showing versus telling Avoiding clichés Developing good writing and research habits Creating plausible fantasy worlds Using symbolism and imagery effectively Highlights of the CD: Ten steps for pre-editing Exercises on character and dialogue Scores of links to relevant websites
Series: Writing Series
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Self-Counsel Press; 2nd edition (February 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1551807858
ISBN-13: 978-1551807850
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #2,032,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #82 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Science Fiction & Fantasy #1531 in Books > Textbooks > Reference > Writing Skills #6113 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Writing Skills
This book, published by Self-Counsel Press, now comes with a CD-ROM (second edition, 2007; original publication 1998). It promises to be a one-stop shop for writing and selling speculative fiction. It does show a pretty good breadth, from the basic elements of fiction writing (such as characters, plot, dialog) to genre-specific issues (creating fictional worlds, handling magic, understanding the conventions of the various subgenres, etc.)Most of what appears here will be of some help to novice writers in the field. Kilian is especially forceful in pointing out the dangers of using cliches or producing formula fiction, which is something many new writers will need to hear (people often start writing by imitating fiction they have enjoyed). An early chapter on the history of the genre is an interesting read, and may be especially helpful for young writers to get a sense of context. The book is easy to read, and his explanations of good writing practice are clear enough.Nevertheless, I found the book rather unsatisfying. The problem, I think, is that it is just too short a book for all it tries to cover: genre conventions, the art and craft of writing fiction, and the publishing business, all in a paperback of about 200 pages. So we end up with things like 10 pages on plot, which is really just enough to let us know that plot events should come from character motivations, and to share a storyboarding approach to plotting using index cards. No time to get into the differences between plots in literary and commercial fiction, how to handle subplots, or any of the ways of analyzing plot structure (three-act plot, hero's journey), or any practical advice on how to regain control of a drifting or dragging plot, and so on.
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