From the massive
archive…
For many
writers, attending graduate school or a writing conference to work on their
craft is simply not possible. The point of Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in
Writing Popular Fiction is that one can get much of that knowledge from this
book. Editors Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller assembled over sixty
expert contributors, many of them connected to Seton Hill University’s MFA
program in Writing Popular Fiction for this over 350 page textbook. A book full
of wisdom that you can work through at your own pace.
Published in
2011 by Headline Books, Inc., the book is broken into roughly three sections
titled “Craft “and “Genre,” and “The Writer’s Life.” Each section has several
sub-sections related to the main topic of the section. This design allows
readers to move back and forth through each section or the book as a whole to
find the information they need at the time they need it.
The “Craft”
section opens the book with a sub-section on “Style Ad Process.” Information on opening lines, how to handle
point of view and how not to information dump is here among other items of
interest. Each article is of several pages and features a brief author bio at
the end. This same format is used throughout the book.
“Character And
Dialogue” is the next sub-section starting on page 64. This section is all
about making your characters realistic, making them suffer, and in the end,
making them as well as your writing and the story stronger.
“Plot And
Structure” follows next with interesting pieces such as “Demystifying What
Editor’s Want” by Venessa Giunta. Now
that you have strong characters and know what the editors want in them, it is
time to put your characters into a good story. A good story is made up of a lot
of elements such as pacing, characters that can save themselves, find romance
when warranted, as well as the setting they are placed into for the story.
In the novels by
James Lee Burke, the setting is as important as the characters. The sub-section
on “Setting” comes next starting on page 111. While Susan Crandall does not
reference Burke in her piece “Setting as a Character: It’s More than a Backdrop” she uses plenty of
other references to make the same point while also explaining how to do it. She
isn’t the only author to discuss setting as there is a lot more information
here on this key part of your tale.
Starting on page
129 with “Genre” it is on to specifies. After a general sub section on “Genre
and Originality” which makes the point there are certain expectations for each
genre, their limitations, and how to deal with those while pursuing
originality, it is on to the various genres with each section getting their own
detailed sub section.
“Romance And
Women’s Fiction” begins on page 150.
While some are arguing for a clear distinction between the two, in this
book they are grouped together. In a poignant and inspirational essay by
Crystal B. Bright titled “Write from the Heart” she explains how she pursued
her dream and the novel she wanted to write despite the “no’s.” Her
inspirational story does not apply just to romance novelists, but to all
writers in all genres. That fact ties into a key point noted in the
introduction of the book and constantly reinforced though many examples
throughout Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction.
Regardless of the genre you write in, you can learn from those in other genres
because there are universal principals that link all types of writing together.
Following the
essays on many types of romance is the subsection titled “Science Fiction And
Fantasy.” Pieces on world building,
cyberpunk, using myths, realism and more are here and provide a lot of
interesting reading.
Then it is on to
those of us who want to kill people for fun and profit, have no underworld
connections, and don‘t want to be arrested.
“Horror, Mystery and Suspense Thrillers” begin on page 196 with essays
on plotting, getting the dialogue correct, surprising readers and lots of other
good information. Along with an excellent piece on plotting by Victoria
Thompson there is an excellent advice piece by David Morrell about thrillers.
“Children’s And
Young Adult Fiction” are their own deal and have a section starting on page
227. Getting those readers into your work and how not to lose them is the point
of this section. It is not just about those teen readers either. How to properly do picture book illustrations
based on the text and other information is present here.
While the book
is primarily about novels it also explores other approaches in the sub-section
“Alternative Approaches.” Prolific
author Michael Bracken leads off this section with his essay, “I Write Short
Stories” that begins on page 264. He makes the point that short stories can be
more lucrative than novels while also making you a stronger writer. He also
helpfully explains how to find those short story markets, how to write for
them, and how to be productive. As he points out on page 249 – “Writing short
fiction requires the same skills as writing novels: the ability to create
coherent plots, to develop believable characters, to write realistic dialogue,
and to mesmerize readers into suspending disbelief for the length of a story.”
Also included in
this section are essays on topics such as magical realism, how magna is gaining
in popularity and how to write for that market, and movie tie in books.
Having moved
through the genres and then some it is back to advice that will definitely help
all with “The Writer’s Life.” Starting on page 269 this nearly 90 page section
is devoted to sub sections on. “Learning” and “Working” and “Promoting.”
“Learning” as a
writer never ends and can come in many forms. This can be from graduate school,
brutal critique, workshops, or just about anything. Even TV shows that are
hated in the beginning as Catherine Mulvany explains in “Lessons from the
Vampire Slayer.”
“Working”
starting on page 289 is all about productivity. Writing more, pleasing readers
in multiple genres, and time management among other topics are covered here. As
Lee McClain points out in her essay “Time Management: Creative Paths to
Productivity.” . . . unlike literary fiction, genre fiction requires you to be
prolific. Stephanie Meyer wouldn’t have had the same success if she’d waited
two years before bringing the second Twilight novel to completion.” (Page 297)
As a genre writer, you simply have to be productive and get a lot of work out
because readers expect and demand it. Her informative essay is about how to be
productive in terms of novels, but this piece also ties in nicely to Michael
Bracken’s essay referenced above about why he chose to pursue short stories
over novels and editing anthologies.
Also in this
section are excellent essays by Shelly Bates titled “The Seven Habits That Got
Me Published” and “How to Get an Agent” by Ginger Clark among other very
informative pieces. Professionalism in how you act and your work is a key part
of both pieces and the others. That includes adjusting to the rise of e-books
as well as being dumped by your publishing house. A very informative section
and one that will help you no matter where you are as a writer.
Marketing your own
work is a job many of us dread and hate. After all, the book should sell
itself, right? These days, if it ever
did, things don’t work that way which is why a section titled “Promoting” is
necessary. With essays on the basics of author bios, contact information, press
releases, book reviews and more, this section gives you the framework to tell
the world about your book. Getting information on your book out there so
readers/buyers know about it is key here with lots of basic yet very good
information.
The book closes
with a detailed “Resources And References” section that covers where to go for
more information imprint and online.
An extensive and
inspirational book filled with lots of practical advice for any writer at any
stage in his or her career, Many Genres, One Craft: Lesson in Writing
Popular Fiction is one of those books that writers just have to have on
their shelves. Unlike many of the courses and books bandied about online, this
book features practical and realistic advice and tips from writers who have
managed to build prolific and solid careers stretching back decades. No matter
your particular writing interest, the information in this book will not only be
specific to that interest, but to the craft of writing as a whole. Simply put
--this is an excellent book that you must have and use.
Material
supplied by the publisher quite some time ago in exchange for my objective
review.
Kevin R. Tipple
©2012, 2023
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