Writing Fiction – Review

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Blogging means writing, and as I wrote in my last post, I dabble in poetry too. So when the opportunity to review a book on writing came up, I was keen to be involved. Although this book is specifically about fiction, I imagined that there are various principles which span all genres of writing. Read on to find out more …

‘Writing Fiction is a little pot of gold… Screenplay by Syd Field for film, Writing Fiction by James Essinger for fiction. It’s that simple.’ William Osborne, novelist and screenwriter

Writing Fiction – a user-friendly guide is a must-read if you want to write stories to a professional standard. It draws on the author’s more than thirty years of experience as a professional writer, and on the work and ideas of writers including:

  • Anthony Burgess
  • Joseph Conrad
  • George Eliot
  • Ken Follett
  • Frederick Forsyth
  • Dan Harmon
  • Ernest Hemingway
  • David Lodge
  • Norman Mailer
  • John Milton
  • Ben Parker
  • J.K. Rowling
  • William Shakespeare
  • Martin Cruz Smith
  • J.R.R. Tolkien

The twenty-four chapters cover every important matter you need to know about, including: devising a compelling story, creating and developing characters, plotting, ‘plants’, backstory, suspense, dialogue, ‘show’ and ‘tell’, and how to make your novel more real than reality.
Also featuring special guest advice from legendary screenwriter Bob Gale, who wrote the three immortal Back to the Future movies (1985, 1989 and 1990), and novelist and screenwriter William Osborne, whose many screen credits include the co-writing of the blockbuster Twins (1988), this highly entertaining book gives you all the advice and practical guidance you need to make your dream of becoming a published fiction writer come true.

Buy on Amazon

Author Bio

James Essinger has been a professional writer since 1988. His non-fiction books include Jacquard’s Web (2004), Ada’s Algorithm (2013), which is to be filmed by Monumental Pictures, and Charles and Ada: the computer’s most passionate partnership (2019). His novels include The Mating Game (2016) and The Ada Lovelace Project (2019).

Social Media Links – 
https://www.facebook.com/james.essinger   
https://twitter.com/jamesessinger

What did I think?

It all sounds impressive, but what did I make of the book?

Writing Fiction is an easy book to read. Which is not to say that it lacks depth, rather that it is structured logically. The chapters flow smoothly, each building upon the last. The detail is punctuated with examples, and advice from other editors and writers. The chapter titles describe clearly the subject of each section, while an index makes it easy to refer back through the book. As a paperback, the book is also very portable, so is easy to carry with you, to dip into while out and about. I shall certainly carry my copy with me, along with a notebook. 

Did I learn anything? Yes, I did. Written by someone with both writing and publishing experience, the book combines advice from both perspectives. James Essinger approaches the guidance from a “how to” standpoint, as opposed to a “how not to”. This means that the book has a positive feel, imparting advice much as a mentor would. As one might expect, particular attention is on plot and character development. James draws on his own background, as well as citing advice from colleagues within the industry. He also uses case studies from older work, including writers such as Dickens and Eliot. Some of the historical anecdotes connected to these examples are fascinating.

Much of the content of the book reads as being common sense. This being the skill of somebody who excels in their area. By making their craft seem effortless, through distilling information in an accessible manner, they share, and they teach. There are indeed many transferable lessons here which apply to non-fiction as well as fiction. Particularly around research, structure, and how to appeal to the audience. I commend this book to anyone who writes, or wishes to write. As the front cover says, this is ‘Writing Fiction, a user-friendly guide’.

Disclosure notice: I was gifted a copy of this book in return for a review. All views expressed are my own.