The Complete Guide to Writing Fiction and Nonfiction: And Getting It Published

by Robert M. Howland and Pat Kubis

Book Overview

KEY BENEFITS: A comprehensive exploration of fiction and nonfiction -- from the fundamentals of writing simply and directly to preparing a complete manuscript to approaching a publisher. KEY TOPICS: Selecting characters; using classic "hooks," creating effective dialog; developing theme fiction, fantasy, and sagas; do's and dont's of query letters; writing an interview; finding an agent; and analyzing contracts and royalties.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0131610198
• ISBN13: 9780131610194
• Release Date: September 1989
• Publisher: Pearson
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Teaching and Learning Tool

I have been teaching various mainstream writing classes for twenty years now and have used several writing books; but this is by far the best teaching tool in my arsenal. I have been told time and time again by my students that this book actually helps them learn to hone their own writing. The examples used are short and on target. Many students who had taken previous college courses say that this book far surpasses any college text they used in the past. What I like about the book is that it shows the student how to take their own writing and make it better. It is NOT a book that intimidates students with long literary pieces written by famous authors. Instead it uses short paragraphs of literary pieces to prove the point of the lesson. I have worn out two books throughout the years and my third is now in sad shape. Soon I will order a fourth. If you are serious about learning the craft of writing then this is the book for you.

First class "how to" book

I have taken 4 Creative Writing classes, each given by a published author. I was one of the better students in each class. This book was the text of one of the classes. It was the only text book, and the class was the only class, that I actually learned how to write better. Other classes and other text books discussed how professional writers write but they gave me no usable tools that I could apply to improve my writing. This book will make a dedicated literate person into a very good amateur writer and it will tell that good amateur how to construct a manuscript that is publishable. It will not make a good amateur into a Steinbeck. The other "how to write" books I have read (and I have read quite a few) attempted to make me into a great artist. None of them, however, added anything to my toolbox of writing skills. I used this as a handbook for several years before I made the mistake of loaning it to a friend who had the good sense to steal it from me, so I am buying another copy.