The Glimmer Train Guide to Writing Fiction: Volume 1: Building Blocks

The Glimmer Train Guide to Writing Fiction #1

by Susan Burmeister-Brown (Editor), Linda B. Swanson-Davies (Editor)

Survey Our Literary Landscape From the Open Window of Glimmer TrainMany writing books offer instruction and inspiration, but never before has one pulled back the curtain and laid bare before you the joys, frustrations, struggles, and achievements of the literary life–as experienced by more than one hundred accomplished writers. In excerpts from interviews conducted over a sixteen-year period and preserved by the editors of the highly respected literary quarterly "Glimmer Train Stories" and its supplement "Writers Ask," contemporary writers who rarely discuss their craft present you with eye-opening techniques, diverse perspectives, and genuine encouragement–the kind of wisdom earned only from years at the writing desk.

Julia Alvarez, Edwidge Danticat, Robert Olen Butler, Sandra Cisneros, Andre Dubus, Ernest Gaines, Jamaica Kincaid, Antonya Nelson, Tim O'Brien, Ann Patchett, Annie Proulx, Tobias Wolff

The voices of these authors and many others resonate from the pages–sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, but always illuminating. A thorough treatment of craft and accessibility to engaging authors make "Building Blocks"–the first volume in this exquisite new series–the perfect guidebook for your writing life.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Essays

444 pages, Hardcover

First published November 24, 2006

About the author

You will not find much biographical information around the web about Susan Burmeister-Brown. She co-founded Glimmer Train with her sister Linda B. Swanson-Davis, and Susan and Linda are the current editors of Glimmer Train, one of the top literary journals in the country. If you walk on to a college campus or find someone who follows contemporary literature, they might not know Susan, but they will certainly know her achievements and influence in the literary world. Glimmer Train has been publishing for 18 years, and the publication is consistently outstanding. Susan is a lover of fiction and stories.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me six months to finish. It's not a how-to book, but rather a collection of author interview snippets arranged by theme: beginnings, character, research, etc. Illuminating stuff, all told from the what-I-do perspective, rather than an instructional perspective. I read the whole thing with a notebookbeside me.

[Bill Ibelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, this is a beautiful book—beautifully bound and gorgeous layout and typography. It is also quite fascinating at times. The problem, is that I (and I assume most people) will not know most of the authors. The book has it's share of heavy hitters, but the majority I've never heard of, or I've heard of them and never read their work. This doesn't have to be a problem, but the entries are clearly excerpts from longer interviews about particuar books in which the assumption is that you have read the book or are about to read it. As a result, rather the authors being interviewed are often answering questions about particular characters or situations in books you have never read. The difference between this collection and say, The Paris Review's Writers Chapbook, which is similar in format, is that the Paris Review interviews are with the great writers of the 20th century rather that authors of contemporary fiction. So you are well-read, you know the authors and most of works. The interviews are therefore much more engaging. For example, when David Long talks about his stort stories, I've neither heard of Long nor read any of his stories. That's not a knock on long. He's probably terrific and for those who know his work, his comments will be fascinating. But less so for me.

This said, there is still a lot of facinating reading and penetrating insights in these interview excerpts. I recommend it for writers. I would also recommend reading it slowly, in short intervals.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm trying to read this, but it's like when you order a burger and it looks really good on the menu but then it's so big and overstuffed because they put way too much of each ingredient on it and also the meat itself is way bigger than it needs to be so as you eat it it just falls all over the plate and your hands and turns into a big mess that you can't really finish, at least not in any normal burger-eating way.

I am bored. There is so much here, and I'm not sure most of it is any good. It's annoying to listen to some writers talk. I knew that going in, but I don't know, I thought it would be more about writing rather than just people talking about their own writing again and again and again. It doesn't help that I haven't read most of these authors. I'm calling it quits. It's too long to keep going.

[Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read this cover to cover. But I don't think it was meant to be read like that. It's been sitting around and I picked it up once in a while and now that my bookmark has found its way to the back I'm shelving it.

This one is really mistitled. It is certainly not a guide of any sort. It is a collection of excerpts of interviews and other peoples writings that may or may not inspire the reader. It is a cool looking book that is well bound and nearly pointless.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprised of excerpts from past Glimmer Train interviews, this book and its companion (Glimmer Train Guide to Writing Fiction: Inspiration & Discipline) are best for dipping into over time, rather than reading all at once.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

found this to be boring. didn't finish it . . . sad that i bought it. i think perhaps at another time it would have been great for me to read, but i am tired of reading about writer's processes. maybe that's a good thing - maybe it means less reading about other writers and more writing myself?

[Teresa]

Glimmer Train is a terrific literary magazine run by 2 sisters. They actually give free writing advice in their e-newsletters, but I read better from a printed page, so I bought this book.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's okay...kinda' scattershot...but not bad when you're brain is on pause.

[Sue Seeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of gems.

[Carla Catalano · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Glimmer Train: Guide to Writing Fiction & Building Blocks edited by Susan Burmeister-Brown and Linda B. Swanson Davies was the one of the best guides for a writer of all abilities -- especially new writers.

The 444-page book includes "the gathered knowledge and opinions of over one hundred accomplished literary writers gathered over a sixteen-year period."

The Table of Contents Chapters are divided as follows:
Foreword:
Chapter 1, Point of View:
Chapter 2, Voice:
Chapter 3, Theme:
Chapter 4, Place & Setting:
Chapter 5, Character:
Chapter 6: Description & Detail:
Chapter 7: Use of Language:
Chapter 8: Dialogue:
Chapter 9: Beginnings:
Chapter 10: Endings:
Chapter 11: Naming and Titles:
Chapter 12: Moving on to the Next Piece:
Chapter 13: Research:
Chapter 14: Punctuation, Tense, and Other Bits

Included at the back of the book are contributor biographies, interviewer biographies, copyright notices and an index.

Even if you are not interested in writing the novel of your lifetime -- the details culled from very significant writers over almost two decades was amazing and interesting to read. The curiosity and willingness of authors to remain focused on their ideas and passions that speak to them were fascinating to read. Now, I have a whole lot more titles to add to my Goodreads "want to read" folder. There are always too many books -- so little time!

There were so many quotes that spoke to me about the ideas that authors become obsessed with and there are so many nuggets of wisdom here for budding writers.

Theme:
"Change itself is what fascinates me. I am drawn, as a moth to the flame, by edge situations, by situations of metamorphosis and change, by things turning from one into another, by those little magic eggs within eggs, like those Russian dolls."

Point of View:
"One of the great pleasures of writing for me is to be God, to look at everybody as they stand there cupped in your hand. You actually can understand and be this person, and this person."

Character:
"...that no matter how much you instruct your children there is something that might happen that you have no control over -- a madman, a car accident, a needle in an apple they got for Halloween. That's the irony."

This is an invaluable tool for the writer who needs to write every day -- we learn by first imitating others and then we develop our personal style.

Well done!