A 4*
“Plotting is an organic, and wildly inefficient process of trial and error.”
Caution, mild spoilers ahead.
Writing Great Fiction is a book that has 24 chapters, each a 30 minute lecture on writing (well) great fiction. Each of the chapters, or lectures, explores a different subject, sometimes overlapping, sometimes not related at all.
The format of the book, with 24 different lectures, makes each subject being explored in a short but extensive, concise but comprehensive manner.
Each point being made by James Hynes is backed up by the examples from classic and popular works of fiction and makes the lecture much more understandable.
The tips given by James Hynes are easy to follow, interesting, and helpful. They might be repetitive at times, but it makes it easier to remember.
This book is good not only for starting writers but also for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of what they are reading and in what way it is bad or good, what makes it memorable or easy to forget.
Writing Great Fiction will be useful for aspiring writers. Just don’t forget to sit in front of your computer, writing pad, or anything else you use to write and actually do that. Write. It is the only way to learn the craft.
