The Art and Craft of Fiction: A Writer's Guide

by Michael Kardos

With a focused approach, perfect to get beginning fiction writers inspired, Art and Craft of Fiction takes you from learning to writing with everything you need to craft compelling fiction.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, School, Reference, Crafts, Textbooks, Short Stories

416 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2012

About the author

Michael Kardos is a two-time Pushcart Prize winner and the author of the novels FUN CITY HEIST, BLUFF, BEFORE HE FINDS HER, and THE THREE-DAY AFFAIR, the story collection ONE LAST GOOD TIME, and THE ART AND CRAFT OF FICTION: A WRITER'S GUIDE.

Michael grew up on the Jersey Shore, received a degree in music from Princeton University, and played the drums professionally for a number of years before focusing on fiction writing. For 15 years he co-directed the creative writing program at Mississippi State University, where he was awarded the John Grisham Master Teacher award, the university's highest teaching honor. ​He currently lives with his family in Delaware. www.michaelkardos.com

Reviews

[steffie weffie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool but not 70-dollars-at-the-campus-bookstore cool.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a text I'm mining for stuff to use in the Creative Writing class - frankly, it reads like a text and it's dull. Wait, that might not be fair, it was actually a relatively fast read and there's some good stuff in the text, but it really does feel just like reading a text and nothing else. It's not inspiring, it's just a tool, and maybe that's OK for a text.

But I'm not using a text and this? This is why.

So I was able to mine a few useful things and that will be good.

I will admit that I didn't love the inclusion of a set anthology although I get why Kardos did it. At some point, probably because I knew I wasn't going to use the book as a text, I just found myself irked by the incessant references to the anthology - using snippets of stories I had no intention of reading or using - which made it difficult to keep caring. Meh, as an approach to a text it was fine, I just didn't like it for my reading experience.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best primers on writing fiction I've read in a long while. Slender, accessible, and packed with great stories and wise advice: I plan to use it in place of Janet Burroway's Writing Fiction the next time I teach my Fiction Writing workshop. For any beginning writer or any teacher of writing, I highly recommend this guide.

[Tyler McHaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, easy reading, but it gave plenty of information useful to both beginning and established writers.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[John Vanderslice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best craft textbook on fiction writing I've ever encountered. I've used it in numerous classes I teach, and have learned from it myself. Before I found The Art and Craft of Fiction I was literally going through different textbooks every semester, because none of them really had it all or did it well. This one has it all and does it great. It's also very pleasant to read! When's the last time you heard that said about a textbook?

[José Legaspi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, having had to read this book for my Creative Writing class, I appreciated the content. The only issue that I found, was the excessive use of examples that referenced short stories in the second half of the book. I understand the need for references, but at times, I felt that reading the short stories in the latter half was pointless as the author had already digested the pieces in the earlier chapters were he references the work.

[Ellie Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a creative writing class this past semester of college and loved it! It’s very easy to follow and understand, offers great writing prompts, and provides excellent published short stories (printed within the text) to read and gain insight from. This book was very helpful for me in my class.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty solid for beginners. Excited to use with some of my non-writers in class. Definitely provides many reasons as to why some rules are rules. These are well thought out, and I've longed for them a good long while.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has good advice. One thing about it that I liked is that there's an anthology of stories included in the book, and when he's trying to make a point about endings or dialogue or whatever, he refers to one (or more) of these stories and you can see where they did the thing he's talking about.

[Breanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic but not bad

[Kellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful!

[Darragh Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ready to loving craft my My Little Pony Fan fiction

[Peter P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're even mildly curious about the art of writing, this book is essential reading.

[Gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i want to fight this guy so bad

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate how concise it is and how easily I can reference it when writing.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful and easy to understand! Loved the short story anthology.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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).

[Billie Pritchett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good craft book. Where the reader might have trouble is that there are a ton of writing exercises. Best not to attempt them all. Also, the way in which the elements of fiction unfold throughout the book can get a little messy and unsystematic. I understand: it's hard to talk about fiction and break it down into its constituent parts that will be intelligible for readers. I don't blame the author.

[Kylie Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all fiction writers!

[Nicholas Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Vicky Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books on writing, and I think of all of them, this one might have been the easiest to understand. If you are coming into writing for the first time or are trying to get down to the basic of the craft, this book is the way to go, for sure.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone pursuing writing, students and teachers both. The anthology is fantastic, the book is conversational and easy to read, and Kardos definitely knows what he's talking about when it comes to the craft of fiction.

[McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for the writing tips that CAN be taught. At the end of the day, I still believe the definition of good writing is subjective, but Kardos gave me many things to consider when it comes to my writing, and I was very pleased with the guide all in all.

[Pearse Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reference book for writers. Easy to read and understand.

[Norren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and everything in a casual tone. One of the best textbooks I've ever read. I genuinely enjoyed it.