Writing Fiction 5th Edition: A Guide to Narrative Craft

Author: Janet Burroway

First line: You want to write.

Why you should read this book: There are a lot of instructive manuals for fiction writers at different levels; this one is perfect for college-level writers who have a love of prose stories to tell but not a lot of experience in writing for an audience. Intended for use in conjunction with a workshop-style creative writing class, it's also useful on its own for experienced writers looking to jump start their muse. Each chapter provides definitions, exercises, discussion questions, examples of great fiction, along with detailed instructions for understanding and crafting good literature.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Whenever someone criticizes your writing, you spend the next three days sitting in the dark composing stream-of-consciousness poetry about how nobody will ever understand you.