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Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories
This guide to writing compelling, memorable short stories gives you all the essentials without wasted words. It tells you how and where to get ideas, how to establish and sustain excitement, how to create live, colorful characters, and how to plot, develop and bring home your story. It even includes exercises to help you perfect your story-telling skills. Full of tips and techniques that work, it makes an indispensable, reliable collaborator. You'll find it ideal whether you're studying alone or supplementing a creative or fiction writing course, conference or workshop.
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
27 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Lucke
16Ìýbooks8ÌýfollowersMargaret Lucke flings words around in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is fascinated by the power of stories and the magic of creativity. She writes tales of love, ghosts, and murder, sometimes all three in one book. Her novels include the Claire Scanlan Haunted House Mysteries and two mysteries featuring artist and private eye Jess Randolph: Snow Angel and A Relative Stranger (nominated for an Anthony Award). A former president of the Northern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America, Margaret teaches fiction writing classes, writes about the craft of writing, and has published more than 60 short stories, feature articles, and scripts for mystery weekends.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 29, 2022
great guide for learning everything you need to know about writing short stories. Also has lots of great tips and helpful sheets that you can use for your stories and characters.
Three sure-fire ways to get better at writing short stories, according to this book:
1. Start Writing
2. Keep Writing
3. Write Some More
Three sure-fire ways to get better at writing short stories, according to this book:
1. Start Writing
2. Keep Writing
3. Write Some More
September 21, 2024
read for my fiction writing class! lots of great tips for writing short stories
December 31, 2008
This is the best book I have come across to encourage the writing of short stories. It's light, yet full of wisdom. It doesn't assume the reader is an expert, but neither does it assume idiocy. It gets, in my view, the balance exactly right.
There are chapters on getting started, creating people, conflict, plot, setting and voice. Each one has plenty of examples of what is being described, and a good selection of exercises at the end of each one. These exercises don't require the writing of every possible genre - they are general enough that any writer can choose his or her own style and type of story.
I didn't do all - or even most of - the exercises, but I found the techniques and ideas extremely helpful. I've dipped into it many times over the past year, and will no doubt continue to do so.
Highly recommended to anyone who has ever considered writing short stories, including those who have already had some published.
There are chapters on getting started, creating people, conflict, plot, setting and voice. Each one has plenty of examples of what is being described, and a good selection of exercises at the end of each one. These exercises don't require the writing of every possible genre - they are general enough that any writer can choose his or her own style and type of story.
I didn't do all - or even most of - the exercises, but I found the techniques and ideas extremely helpful. I've dipped into it many times over the past year, and will no doubt continue to do so.
Highly recommended to anyone who has ever considered writing short stories, including those who have already had some published.
March 10, 2017
Great advice for amateur or unpublished authors. I have been writing for years but never really looked into professional writers' experiences and suggestions. I have burnt or thrown away more than one short story. Now I know how to improve it instead of giving up.
Although I don't intend to publish my stories I will come back to this book for ideas and exercises.
Although I don't intend to publish my stories I will come back to this book for ideas and exercises.
January 17, 2016
Curiously, only the very first chapter talks specifically about short stories. And that is "read more short stories" or the amount of words in one. Not exactly thrilling, is it?
The rest of the book can be applied to any kind or size of writing. And those counsels were pretty good, but the title is misleading, it doesn't focus on short stories, it even gives examples of long length novels.
I guess it would be a pretty good book for beginner writers, but again, be warned that the title is a bit misleading.
The rest of the book can be applied to any kind or size of writing. And those counsels were pretty good, but the title is misleading, it doesn't focus on short stories, it even gives examples of long length novels.
I guess it would be a pretty good book for beginner writers, but again, be warned that the title is a bit misleading.
January 26, 2019
It was a dry read. I think it contained good information. It wasn't very useful to me. To be fair, I was looking for specific information about transitioning from long fiction to short story fiction. This did not touch on my needs until late in the book, and only a brief paragraph. Someone starting out would find it more helpful.
April 25, 2022
4 stars.
Margaret lucke created a wonderful first book on crafting stories. I would recommend it to a complete novice or someone who wants to review some of the basics of craft in an organized way.
Margaret lucke created a wonderful first book on crafting stories. I would recommend it to a complete novice or someone who wants to review some of the basics of craft in an organized way.
February 8, 2018
Useful in some regards, not so much in many others.
June 10, 2019
This was one of my writing course books. I found it to be very interesting and informative. It definitely had some helpful tips for writing.
September 23, 2021
I shall now recommend this book to everyone who ever wants to write. SO SO SO helpful and chock full of amazing tips and guidance.
February 28, 2022
This was a great little book full of resources, ideas and practices. Although marketed as a short story writing guide, I felt that everything in the book reinforced the fundamentals of writing.
January 12, 2022
The first chapter was very informative, and I enjoyed doing the exercises in that chapter, then the rest of the book was very basic in comparison.
October 6, 2021
A useful book if you are a beginner, but not much to learn if you have read a few writing craft books.
There are chapters on character creation, conflict, plot and structure, setting and atmosphere and narrative voice. The chapter on narrative voice I found particularly useful as it breaks it down for you and gives you a simple explanation.
The book also explains some other terms that you might not be familiar with like i.e. explaining what creating a three dimensional character actually means. I liked that. Some writing books do waffle on with pompous language but not this one. It brings clarity to the table. It gets four stars from me.
There are chapters on character creation, conflict, plot and structure, setting and atmosphere and narrative voice. The chapter on narrative voice I found particularly useful as it breaks it down for you and gives you a simple explanation.
The book also explains some other terms that you might not be familiar with like i.e. explaining what creating a three dimensional character actually means. I liked that. Some writing books do waffle on with pompous language but not this one. It brings clarity to the table. It gets four stars from me.
March 28, 2014
solid guide for beginning fiction writers. direct, practical, and concise, with contemporary examples and exercises to get you started. not just applicable to short fiction either; the sections on character, conflict, setting, and narrative voice transcend the medium.
made me wonder why i'd never heard of margaret lucke before; will have a look at her fiction now.
made me wonder why i'd never heard of margaret lucke before; will have a look at her fiction now.
January 12, 2011
Lucke does a fantastic job going through several topics important to short fiction writers. Honestly, I think this is the best book on fiction writing I've ever read. This book should be on every fiction writer's bookshelf-- short form or novel length.
March 21, 2013
I finished this book awhile ago. I found it to be boring but I did learn a few things from it. It was part of my course to read this and I am sure it can be more interesting to others then it was to me.
September 19, 2016
I don't really think that much of the advice in this book is that different from the "how to write a novel" manuals. But seeing as most of my short stories start out as novels with too little butter spread over too much bread, perhaps this is worth a reread. :p
January 9, 2017
Some decent advice in here, but not a lot that hadn't been said elsewhere. Perhaps the best features are the well structured layout, to the point discussions, and the FAQs part the end. I made quite a few notes.
November 6, 2011
A nice, quick, practical introduction to writing short stories. This is the book used in the Veritas Press Fiction Writing Workshop
February 22, 2013
A very basic overview on writing short stories. Good information.
February 15, 2013
It was a simple read, but full of great information. I'd recommend it for a novice writer or even a veteran who wants a reminder of writing basics.
April 21, 2014
practical, straight-forward, nice list of focused exercises and example short stories
July 29, 2015
Useful information for short story writing!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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