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yikesofikeso's review against another edition
4.0
His tips were kind of hit or miss for me, but I really like most of the short stories and I feel like I learned a few things.
readorrot's review against another edition
4.0
I am a little biased because Michael Kardos is my thesis director, but this is probably the best basic craft book I've ever read (minding that I haven't read terribly many). It never comes across as "this is exactly what you have to do if you want to be right," which is something that I find off-putting about the craft books I've read in the past. Additionally, it isn't only focused on "do what you feel is good," as other writing/creative books I've read have preached. It's a great balance between the two that gently takes your hand and shows you all the foundations you need to understand. The core idea is that if you want to break the rules, you need to understand them, and you need to understand why so many consider them the rules. It's a fantastic introduction that is as readable as it is informative. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in writing (and maybe even reading, if you want a little scientific look at the stories you enjoy).
alexauthorshay's review against another edition
3.0
READ FOR CRWR 404
Not bad for a general education/literary writing "textbook". It includes all the basics a new writer needs to know, but also a few more advanced things. Chapters on how to end your stories and pace the plot are particularly helpful, especially with what to avoid. The book is geared towards short stories specifically, but I feel it could have some application to longer works as well, whether novella or novel. How to keep readers interested while being authentic to your characters and not over-determining the plot are all covered to a various degree in these chapters; even researching your topic and how it relates to relevant detail for a story is covered.
Not bad for a general education/literary writing "textbook". It includes all the basics a new writer needs to know, but also a few more advanced things. Chapters on how to end your stories and pace the plot are particularly helpful, especially with what to avoid. The book is geared towards short stories specifically, but I feel it could have some application to longer works as well, whether novella or novel. How to keep readers interested while being authentic to your characters and not over-determining the plot are all covered to a various degree in these chapters; even researching your topic and how it relates to relevant detail for a story is covered.
pearseanderson's review
4.0
A brief but informative guide with a lot of rules that I would've liked expanded on some more (much like King's guide). The mini-anthology and the draw-ins to it was a really smart decisions that worked. Enough to talk about in class with Janet and others. Good, good.
nicknelson07's review
4.0
Excellent book for beginning writers! The way Kardos explains the art and craft of fiction is easy to understand and gives the reader insight on how to manipulate story lines and characters in a way that you want. I've only just started writing, but this book will be my guide into future endeavors.
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