Nancy B. reviewed Creating Short Fiction : The Classic Guide to Writing Short Fiction on + 22 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Although Damon Knight is no longer with us, he wrote a lot of short stories and imparts his knowledge in this book.
Although this was highly-recommended on one of the writers' sites I post on, I didn't get much from it, probably because of the way my brain is wired. I can understand why he sold a lot of his short fiction, but when he included something of his own and took it apart as to why it worked, a feeling of inferiority overcame me.
Strange, but true.
After that point in the book, I could no longer look at it. I have no doubt it's an excellent throughout (and I did gain some knowledge in the first few chapters of it), but after looking at how he wrote (and he wrote very well), I just couldn't overcome the fact that my writing was never going to be that good.
Inferiority complex? Probably. I admit it. But as my brain is on another plain or planet, I'm sure most people who want to write short stories will benefit from it where I did not.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. BTW, since his forte was science fiction/fantasy, he tends to give examples in those genres. However, what he teaches you can help you in whatever genre you choose to write in.
Although this was highly-recommended on one of the writers' sites I post on, I didn't get much from it, probably because of the way my brain is wired. I can understand why he sold a lot of his short fiction, but when he included something of his own and took it apart as to why it worked, a feeling of inferiority overcame me.
Strange, but true.
After that point in the book, I could no longer look at it. I have no doubt it's an excellent throughout (and I did gain some knowledge in the first few chapters of it), but after looking at how he wrote (and he wrote very well), I just couldn't overcome the fact that my writing was never going to be that good.
Inferiority complex? Probably. I admit it. But as my brain is on another plain or planet, I'm sure most people who want to write short stories will benefit from it where I did not.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. BTW, since his forte was science fiction/fantasy, he tends to give examples in those genres. However, what he teaches you can help you in whatever genre you choose to write in.
