teach at the world famous Arvon Foundation writing course and have distilled the essence of their course into this practical handbook with contributions from leading writers.
Writing Short Stories: A Writers' and Artists' Companion is an essential guide to writing short fiction successfully.
PART 1 explores the nature and history of the form, personal reflections by the editors, and help getting started with ideas, planning and research.
PART 2 includes tips by leading short story writers, including: Alison Moore, Jane Rogers, Edith Pearlman, David Vann, Anthony Doerr, Vanessa Gebbie, Alexander MacLeod, Adam Thorpe and Elspeth Sandys.
PART 3 contains practical advice - from shaping plots and exploring your characters to beating writers' block, rewriting and publishing your stories.
The writing throughout is exceptionally accessible yet clearly shows the writers' expertise. The information is useful and comprehensive. Throughout are suggestions for reading great short stories to see what works. Last are lists of sixty favorite short stories and fifty collections, a great bibliography, and an index. This is a must-have book for fiction writers.