The Write Stuff

by Barry B. Longyear

Writing By award winning author Barry B. Longyear, a step-by-step course in developing the outlook, method, and skills that will enable you to write the best stories of which you are capable.About Barry B. Longyear's The Write Stuff . . ."Don't read this book. Please. You'll only make my job harder. You see, it's true that we receive about 700 manuscripts a month. But the truth is that of those 700, 600 of them can go right back. It's easy to tell the writer doesn't yet have the right stuff. But reading this book will put you miles ahead of the rest of the pack. And the more people who read this book, the bigger the pack grows—the pack of real stories, the ones that make it hard for me choose which ones to publish, the ones I actually want to read. So don't read this book unless you want to make my job tougher . . . or want me to publish your stories someday." —Gordon Van Gelder, Editor, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction"I've enjoyed it and overall been quite impressed. There are a lot of really good insights and advice in there, presented in a thoroughly engaging way."—Stanley Schmidt, Editor, Analog Science Fiction and Fact

Genres: Nonfiction

616 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2011

About the author

Barry Brookes Longyear was an American science fiction author who resided in New Sharon, Maine.

Reviews

[Scott Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really a blueprint for how to become a professional author. The Write Stuff is Longyear at the top of his form, meaning that the how-to book itself is a pleasure to read. If you actually do the exercises, such as making a comprehensive list of all your media influences (TV, movies, books, games, etc.) and then analyzing them for the themes that resonate with you as a creator, well, you will go a long way towards becoming the writer you've always dreamed of. Of course, after that you have to keep writing.

[Elfbiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read his previous writing book _years ago_ and actually did that "check everything you like"-practice. That was three computers ago, unfortunately. Of course, by now I have found my way of doing things (not perfectly, of course)