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Aspects of the Novel
by E.M. Forster • 1927
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
3.80
5k+
Aspects of the Novel Summary
Aspects of the Novel 88%
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
by E.M. Forster 1927
3.80
5k+ ratings
Invisible Ink
by Brian McDonald • 2010
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
4.38
2k+
Invisible Ink Summary
Invisible Ink 88%
Forget formulas: the deep craft of story is a hidden framework of theme, pain, and dramatic irony.
by Brian McDonald 2010
4.38
2k+ ratings
Writing Deep Scenes
by Martha Alderson • 2015
Three layers power every great scene. Learn to weave them so readers feel, not just follow.
4.09
318
Writing Deep Scenes Summary
Writing Deep Scenes 88%
Three layers power every great scene. Learn to weave them so readers feel, not just follow.
by Martha Alderson 2015
4.09
318 ratings
The Anatomy of Story
by John Truby • 2007
The organic alternative to formula: how character, plot, and theme grow from a single premise's DNA.
4.25
7k+
The Anatomy of Story Summary
The Anatomy of Story 88%
The organic alternative to formula: how character, plot, and theme grow from a single premise's DNA.
by John Truby 2007
4.25
7k+ ratings
Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish
by Joseph Bates • 2015
Your novel, start to finish: a guide that treats structure as discovery's framework, not a cage.
4.21
184
Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish Summary
Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish 88%
Your novel, start to finish: a guide that treats structure as discovery's framework, not a cage.
by Joseph Bates 2015
4.21
184 ratings
Mastering Plot Twists
by Jane K. Cleland • 2018
Why your plot twists fall flat: the real conflict is never external.
3.88
199
Mastering Plot Twists Summary
Mastering Plot Twists 88%
Why your plot twists fall flat: the real conflict is never external.
by Jane K. Cleland 2018
3.88
199 ratings
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
by George Saunders • 2021
Seven Russian classics, read one line at a time, reveal the hidden machinery of great fiction.
4.53
26k+
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain Summary
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain 88%
Seven Russian classics, read one line at a time, reveal the hidden machinery of great fiction.
by George Saunders 2021
4.53
26k+ ratings
Make Believe
by Mac Barnett • 2026
How the most daring literature ends up for eight-year-olds, and what adults can learn from them.
4.38
3k+
Make Believe Summary
Make Believe 88%
How the most daring literature ends up for eight-year-olds, and what adults can learn from them.
by Mac Barnett 2026
4.38
3k+ ratings
The Emotional Craft of Fiction
by Donald Maass • 2016
Move past showing versus telling: design a story that gives readers their own emotional journey.
4.25
3k+
The Emotional Craft of Fiction Summary
The Emotional Craft of Fiction 88%
Move past showing versus telling: design a story that gives readers their own emotional journey.
by Donald Maass 2016
4.25
3k+ ratings
Dialogism
by Michael Holquist • 1990
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
4.09
88
Dialogism Summary
Dialogism 88%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 ratings
Story Engineering
by Larry Brooks • 2011
Six storytelling skills and a four-part map that transform an idea into a novel that works.
4.10
3k+
Story Engineering Summary
Story Engineering 88%
Six storytelling skills and a four-part map that transform an idea into a novel that works.
by Larry Brooks 2011
4.10
3k+ ratings
Description
by Monica Wood • 1995
Description isn't decoration: the craft of building a world readers can see, hear, and feel.
4.06
610
Description Summary
Description 88%
Description isn't decoration: the craft of building a world readers can see, hear, and feel.
by Monica Wood 1995
4.06
610 ratings
The Lonely Voice
by Frank O'Connor • 1961
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
3.89
246
The Lonely Voice Summary
The Lonely Voice 88%
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
by Frank O'Connor 1961
3.89
246 ratings
The Art of Intimacy
by Stacey D'Erasmo • 2013
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
3.93
248
The Art of Intimacy Summary
The Art of Intimacy 88%
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
by Stacey D'Erasmo 2013
3.93
248 ratings
About Writing
by Samuel R. Delany • 2006
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
4.26
459
About Writing Summary
About Writing 88%
The sentence, not the world, is science fiction's true unit of meaning. A master explains why.
by Samuel R. Delany 2006
4.26
459 ratings
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist
by Orhan Pamuk • 2010
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
3.95
3k+
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist Summary
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist 88%
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
by Orhan Pamuk 2010
3.95
3k+ ratings
How To Write a Page Turner
by Jordan Rosenfeld • 2019
Master the craft of tension: how to make every scene drive readers forward, word by word.
4.21
201
How To Write a Page Turner Summary
How To Write a Page Turner 88%
Master the craft of tension: how to make every scene drive readers forward, word by word.
by Jordan Rosenfeld 2019
4.21
201 ratings
How Fiction Works
by James Wood • 2008
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
3.99
8k+
How Fiction Works Summary
How Fiction Works 87%
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
by James Wood 2008
3.99
8k+ ratings
The Orbital Perspective
by Ron Garan • 2015
An astronaut's 71-million-mile view shows Earth borderless, and a plan for fixing global problems.
3.80
205
The Orbital Perspective Summary
The Orbital Perspective 87%
An astronaut's 71-million-mile view shows Earth borderless, and a plan for fixing global problems.
by Ron Garan 2015
3.80
205 ratings
Techniques of the Selling Writer
by Dwight V. Swain • 1965
Master the rhythm of conflict and emotional reaction that makes any story impossible to put down.
4.33
2k+
Techniques of the Selling Writer Summary
Techniques of the Selling Writer 87%
Master the rhythm of conflict and emotional reaction that makes any story impossible to put down.
by Dwight V. Swain 1965
4.33
2k+ ratings
Monkeys with Typewriters
by Scarlett Thomas • 2012
Fiction is craft, not chance: the rules for plot, character, and sentences that grip readers.
4.17
534
Monkeys with Typewriters Summary
Monkeys with Typewriters 87%
Fiction is craft, not chance: the rules for plot, character, and sentences that grip readers.
by Scarlett Thomas 2012
4.17
534 ratings
Science Fiction
by David Seed • 2011
How space voyages, aliens, and time travel turned science fiction into the literature of ideas.
3.31
554
Science Fiction Summary
Science Fiction 87%
How space voyages, aliens, and time travel turned science fiction into the literature of ideas.
by David Seed 2011
3.31
554 ratings
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy
by Tracy L. Bealer • 2012
What Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Derrida would make of Neil Gaiman's gods, graveyards, and dreams.
3.55
92
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy Summary
Neil Gaiman and Philosophy 87%
What Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Derrida would make of Neil Gaiman's gods, graveyards, and dreams.
by Tracy L. Bealer 2012
3.55
92 ratings
Hooked
by Les Edgerton • 2007
The inciting incident is page one. Cut the backstory and open with trouble: here is how.
4.02
2k+
Hooked Summary
Hooked 87%
The inciting incident is page one. Cut the backstory and open with trouble: here is how.
by Les Edgerton 2007
4.02
2k+ ratings
Writing the Breakout Novel
by Donald Maass • 2001
An agent's craft manual for fiction that breaks out: not talent, but specific, learnable choices.
4.08
4k+
Writing the Breakout Novel Summary
Writing the Breakout Novel 87%
An agent's craft manual for fiction that breaks out: not talent, but specific, learnable choices.
by Donald Maass 2001
4.08
4k+ ratings
Writing With Emotion, Tension, and Conflict
by Cheryl St. John • 2013
For novelists: how to build stories on emotion, tension, and conflict so readers cannot look away.
4.06
372
Writing With Emotion, Tension, and Conflict Summary
Writing With Emotion, Tension, and Conflict 87%
For novelists: how to build stories on emotion, tension, and conflict so readers cannot look away.
by Cheryl St. John 2013
4.06
372 ratings
The Missing Piece
by Shel Silverstein • 1976
A circle rolls with a gap and sings, certain the absent shape will make it whole.
4.28
32k+
The Missing Piece Summary
The Missing Piece 87%
A circle rolls with a gap and sings, certain the absent shape will make it whole.
by Shel Silverstein 1976
4.28
32k+ ratings
The Art of Fiction
by John Gardner • 1984
Master the craft that makes readers forget the page and live inside your story.
3.99
6k+
The Art of Fiction Summary
The Art of Fiction 87%
Master the craft that makes readers forget the page and live inside your story.
by John Gardner 1984
3.99
6k+ ratings
Hertzian Tales
by Anthony Dunne • 1999
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
4.26
125
Hertzian Tales Summary
Hertzian Tales 87%
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
by Anthony Dunne 1999
4.26
125 ratings
Make a Scene
by Jordan Rosenfeld • 2007
A novel lives or dies scene by scene. A blueprint for making every moment count.
4.07
1k+
Make a Scene Summary
Make a Scene 87%
A novel lives or dies scene by scene. A blueprint for making every moment count.
by Jordan Rosenfeld 2007
4.07
1k+ ratings
Write Your Novel From The Middle
by James Scott Bell • 2014
Forget outlining and pantsing. The one scene every novel needs sits exactly in the middle.
4.20
3k+
Write Your Novel From The Middle Summary
Write Your Novel From The Middle 87%
Forget outlining and pantsing. The one scene every novel needs sits exactly in the middle.
by James Scott Bell 2014
4.20
3k+ ratings
How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method
by Randy Ingermanson • 2014
From one sentence to a full novel draft, one step at a time, without the pain.
4.24
3k+
How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method Summary
How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method 87%
From one sentence to a full novel draft, one step at a time, without the pain.
by Randy Ingermanson 2014
4.24
3k+ ratings
Beginnings, Middles & Ends
by Nancy Kress • 1992
Three pages to lose an editor: a framework for beginnings, middles, and endings that deliver.
4.00
3k+
Beginnings, Middles & Ends Summary
Beginnings, Middles & Ends 87%
Three pages to lose an editor: a framework for beginnings, middles, and endings that deliver.
by Nancy Kress 1992
4.00
3k+ ratings
The Art and Craft of Storytelling
by Nancy Lamb • 2008
Fiction's core toolkit: structure that moves, characters who breathe, and revision that polishes.
4.06
204
The Art and Craft of Storytelling Summary
The Art and Craft of Storytelling 87%
Fiction's core toolkit: structure that moves, characters who breathe, and revision that polishes.
by Nancy Lamb 2008
4.06
204 ratings
A Little History of Literature
by John Sutherland • 2013
Myths, money, and modernism: how literature got from campfire tales to your e-reader.
3.82
2k+
A Little History of Literature Summary
A Little History of Literature 87%
Myths, money, and modernism: how literature got from campfire tales to your e-reader.
by John Sutherland 2013
3.82
2k+ ratings
The Fire in Fiction
by Donald Maass • 2009
An agent's field guide to the invisible craft that turns a flat manuscript into a page-turner.
4.17
2k+
The Fire in Fiction Summary
The Fire in Fiction 87%
An agent's field guide to the invisible craft that turns a flat manuscript into a page-turner.
by Donald Maass 2009
4.17
2k+ ratings
Making a Good Script Great
by Linda Seger • 1987
Script doctor's toolkit: structure fixes, subplot craft, and momentum rules that sell a screenplay.
3.88
1k+
Making a Good Script Great Summary
Making a Good Script Great 87%
Script doctor's toolkit: structure fixes, subplot craft, and momentum rules that sell a screenplay.
by Linda Seger 1987
3.88
1k+ ratings
Dr. Seuss and Philosophy
by Jacob M. Held • 2011
Philosophy hid on your childhood shelf. Horton on knowledge, the Lorax on ethics, Yertle on power.
4.14
441
Dr. Seuss and Philosophy Summary
Dr. Seuss and Philosophy 87%
Philosophy hid on your childhood shelf. Horton on knowledge, the Lorax on ethics, Yertle on power.
by Jacob M. Held 2011
4.14
441 ratings
The Writer's Guide to Beginnings
by Paula Munier • 2016
Agents stop reading on page one. The craft decisions that make them turn to page two.
4.31
190
The Writer's Guide to Beginnings Summary
The Writer's Guide to Beginnings 87%
Agents stop reading on page one. The craft decisions that make them turn to page two.
by Paula Munier 2016
4.31
190 ratings
Immediate Fiction
by Jerry Cleaver • 2002
A no-jargon writing method that centers on conflict and emotion, and how to finish the stuck draft.
4.14
755
Immediate Fiction Summary
Immediate Fiction 87%
A no-jargon writing method that centers on conflict and emotion, and how to finish the stuck draft.
by Jerry Cleaver 2002
4.14
755 ratings
Nonconformity
by Nelson Algren • 1996
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
4.07
268
Nonconformity Summary
Nonconformity 87%
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
by Nelson Algren 1996
4.07
268 ratings
The Sense of Style
by Steven Pinker • 2014
Why can't smart people write clearly? A cognitive scientist blames one mental blind spot.
4.04
9k+
The Sense of Style Summary
The Sense of Style 87%
Why can't smart people write clearly? A cognitive scientist blames one mental blind spot.
by Steven Pinker 2014
4.04
9k+ ratings
Elements of Fiction Writing - Scene & Structure
by Jack M. Bickham • 1993
Your novel drags because your scenes end well. End them badly and the pages turn themselves.
4.11
2k+
Elements of Fiction Writing - Scene & Structure Summary
Elements of Fiction Writing - Scene & Structure 87%
Your novel drags because your scenes end well. End them badly and the pages turn themselves.
by Jack M. Bickham 1993
4.11
2k+ ratings
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
by Renni Browne • 1993
The self-editing techniques that find and fix the flaws keeping your novel from publication.
4.25
7k+
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers Summary
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers 87%
The self-editing techniques that find and fix the flaws keeping your novel from publication.
by Renni Browne 1993
4.25
7k+ ratings
The Strength to Dream
by Colin Wilson • 1962
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
3.93
123
The Strength to Dream Summary
The Strength to Dream 87%
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
by Colin Wilson 1962
3.93
123 ratings
Writing Fiction
by Alexander Steele • 2003
The fiction curriculum from New York's most acclaimed writing workshop, now in book form.
4.20
2k+
Writing Fiction Summary
Writing Fiction 87%
The fiction curriculum from New York's most acclaimed writing workshop, now in book form.
by Alexander Steele 2003
4.20
2k+ ratings
Archaeologies of the Future
by Fredric Jameson • 2005
Utopia's function is not to predict the future but to prove the present is not inevitable.
4.04
596
Archaeologies of the Future Summary
Archaeologies of the Future 87%
Utopia's function is not to predict the future but to prove the present is not inevitable.
by Fredric Jameson 2005
4.04
596 ratings
The Emotion Thesaurus
by Angela Ackerman • 2012
Emotion drives story. This reference replaces clichéd sighs and shrugs with hundreds of body cues.
4.53
6k+
The Emotion Thesaurus Summary
The Emotion Thesaurus 87%
Emotion drives story. This reference replaces clichéd sighs and shrugs with hundreds of body cues.
by Angela Ackerman 2012
4.53
6k+ ratings
The Language of the Night
by Ursula K. Le Guin • 1979
Beauty is morality, prose is the novel, and fantasy speaks to the unconscious.
4.28
2k+
The Language of the Night Summary
The Language of the Night 87%
Beauty is morality, prose is the novel, and fantasy speaks to the unconscious.
by Ursula K. Le Guin 1979
4.28
2k+ ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 87%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
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