Here is a practical guide to writing short stories that explains all the essential techniques of fiction - from character and plot to flashback and foreshadowing - in a way that is both understandable and useful to the beginning writer. Long considered a classic in the field, WRITING IN GENERAL is the product of a lifetime of reflection by one of our best literary minds.
"There are now not enough commercial magazines regularly publishing literary fiction to count on the fingers of a single hand," says Rust Hills. So why bother writing literary short stories, or books about doing so? Because, says Hills, a longtime fiction editor at Esquire, "what young writers want to write, or ought to want to write, is literature." In Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular, Hills examines "the essential techniques of fiction and how they function." The short story is a tricky form, with no margin for error: "The successful contemporary short story," says Hills, "will demonstrate a more harmonious relationship of all its aspects than will any other literary art form, excepting perhaps lyric poetry." Many of the fictional elements discussed in this book will not be new to most fiction writers. We know that stories must have beginnings, middles, and ends; we know about epiphany and suspense and stock characters. But Hills claims that much of how we look at fiction derives from drama theory and from the formulas of "slick fiction" (fiction that once served the purpose mindless television now serves). Learned but not pedantic, Hills addresses these elements strictly in terms of literary short fiction.
An interesting side note here is Hills's discussion of the shift in support for American writers. "It is no longer the book publishers and magazines," he says, "but rather the colleges and universities that ... provide the major financial support for the great majority of American writers today." Given that, we might find it odd that this book comes from a man best known for his magazine editing. But we shouldn't. "Teaching fiction writing and editing magazine fiction have ... the same rather odd ultimate purpose in common: trying to get someone else to produce a fine short story." One caveat emptor: our copy of this edition fell quite apart upon our first, gentle reading of it. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Finally, a book on plot:
Written for short story writers, this literary book gave me a lot to think about. There are many good writing guides on description, character, dialogue, etc., but none had addressed my struggles with plot. Originally published in 1977.
Disparaging cynicism:
Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular' is directed at writers rather than readers. Yet in the introduction, Hills says "Everyone seems to know that, even those thousands all across the country sitting in creative writing workshops right this minute, either being paid to do the impossible or paying to have it done to them." (P. Viii). This sentence is typical of Rust's writing. It is riddled with long, meandering sentences, that often start with 'And' or 'But', have parenthesis in the... more info
Best in field:
Once read, twice read, an aspiring writer of short stories (or other) will not be needing another how-to book of its ilk.
Covers a lot in a slim volume:
I think I've read all I need to know or want to know for now on writing the literary short story. I learnt a lot from this book and liked the way Hills talks straight about the high-flown stuff. I found that his commentary was based a little too much on Henry James--for, against, etc. And in one too many areas I was irritated by his saying one thing and saying that the contrary works, too. The reading is sometimes arduous, but mostly it's worth reading this book and absorbing all the advice and good... more info
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