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Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques cover art

Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques

By: James Hynes, The Great Courses
Narrated by: James Hynes
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Summary

Whether you're huddled around the campfire, composing an email to a friend, or sitting down to write a novel, storytelling is fundamental to human nature. But as any writer can tell you, the blank page can be daunting. It's tough to know where to get started, what details to include in each scene, and how to move from the kernel of an idea to a completed manuscript.

Writing great fiction isn't a gift reserved for the talented few. There is a craft to storytelling that can be learned, and studying writing techniques can be incredibly rewarding - both personally and professionally. Even if you don’t have ambitions of penning the next Moby-Dick, you'll find value in exploring all the elements of fiction.

From evoking a scene to charting a plot to revising your drafts, Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques offers a master class in storytelling. Taught by award-winning novelist James Hynes, a former visiting professor at the famed Iowa Writers' Workshop, these 24 insightful lectures show you the ins and outs of the fiction writer's craft. Get tips for developing believable and memorable characters, explore how to craft plausible dialogue that serves the purposes of your narrative, compare the advantages of different points of view, and more. A wealth of exercises will inspire you to practice the many techniques you learn. Professor Hynes is an able guide, showing you what has worked for him and other novelists, and pointing out pitfalls to avoid. Writing Great Fiction is truly an exceptional course for anyone interested in storytelling.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2014 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2014 The Great Courses

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Excellent

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this series of lectures which seem to cover just about anything you wanted to know about the craft of fiction beyond the basic rules of construction, grammar and spelling (it's assumed you already have those skills).

Professor Hynes is a warm, modest but clearly very knowledgeable narrator and he draws examples from across the literary spectrum - all the way from the great American and British novelists of the 19th Century to their modern counterparts. From literary masterpieces to genre fiction including "A Song of Ice and Fire" and, later on, "The Lord of the Rings". Examinations of the work of George Elliot, Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain rub shoulders with George RR Martin, Dashiell Hammett and Hynes himself. Having such a wide range of knowledge and examples to illustrate his points demonstrates how the art of fiction, despite surface appearances, is much as it always was.

My only criticism is the lack of notes - it would have been really helpful to have had an accompanying website with handouts. Like most people (I imagine), I listened to the lectures on the move and couldn't write anything down or easily add bookmarks. However, I've learned enough just by listening to know where I need to concentrate my efforts and I can always go back to the specific lecture if needed,

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47 people found this helpful

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How to improve your writing and your reading

After nearly five decades of reading and enjoying fiction I thought it was high time I understood a bit more about the process of creating a good book. Professor James Hynes is a successful writer and an extremely proficient teacher. Using examples from his own works and from a diverse bunch of novelists he explains how and why great books engage and inspire their readers and the techniques used to maintain suspense and continued interest.
If you are considering writing a book, he is realistic but also encouraging. If you can master the techniques (and the exercises at the end of each chapter are a great start) then you will have all the skills necessary to embark on your own writing project and even if you only produce something for your own self-satisfaction that surely must be a reward in itself. I found this course informative but also incredibly entertaining and will be returning to listen to the professor’s wise words as time goes on.

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18 people found this helpful

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A gift from the gods of storytelling

This is, hands down, the best time investment I've made since embarking on the lonely, massively frustrating, thankless path to writing fiction. With two mediocre, self-published romantic comedies under my belt I was desperate to join a writing course, but life (or rather, family) kept getting in the way.
However I was able to listen to these lectures in the car on the return leg of the (long) school run and whilst ironing (I know - kill me now).
I whooped with joy at references to some of my favourite novels (Middlemarch, Mrs Dalloway) and have already bought copies of other books to read asap (The Maltese Falcon, Catch 22, Aspects of the Novel)
I can't recommend this course highly enough to any writer at any stage of their game.
James Hynes is knowledgeable, eloquent and very modest about his own (impressive) writing on the rare occasion he uses it to illustrate a point.
I have learnt heaps, been inspired and already started a new short story to try and put some of the theory into practice.
Thank you, Mr Hynes, for sharing your experiences and insights. I look forward to tracking down copies of your own novels - mysteriously elusive on Amazon UK. Us Brits are missing out on a hugely talented writer.

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16 people found this helpful

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Enlightening

It really touches the core of what it means to write fiction. I want to thank prof. Hynes for sharing the world of writing with us with such a passion and competence. I have already started reading his The Wild Colonial Boy, to keep learning and enjoying his passion for writing. Thank you very much, prof Hynes!!!

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6 people found this helpful

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This book is packed with valuable information

If you have an interest in creative writing you could not do better than buy this book. Professor Hynes has an amazing level of expertise - seriously, it's amazing. He also seems to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of literature and uses examples to explain his meaning on every page of the book.
He seems to know everything about the writing process, the technical and the more arty/abstract. He puts all of this across in a down to earth way. He gives practical advice but at the same time discusses the theoretical aspects without confusing or boring the reader/listener.
I am so impressed by this author and this book.

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Really Lucid and Practical

This is really useful stuff. I've listened to the whole thing twice and I find James Hynes' approach easy to digest. If you've read a lot of waffly nonsense and are looking for something a little more direct, then this is the right writing book for you.

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Useful for anyone interested in fiction writing

What was one of the most memorable moments of Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques?

The example in the last chapter when he used different draft versions of his own book 'The Lecturer's Tale' to demonstrate how the techniques from the previous chapters can help hone the helpless initial draft into a fine piece of prose fiction.

What about Professor James Hynes’s performance did you like?

Everything. Very good pace of narration. Down-to-earth, feels like somebody who really tries his best to help you understand fiction writing.

Any additional comments?

Author combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience as a writer very well. Contains a lot of useful advice. Has a lot of examples. It also inspires to write. Gives you confidence on how to approach it in a structural manner without being too prescriptive. I can strongly recommend this series for anyone even remotely interested in writing fiction.

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5 people found this helpful

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A precious book for novelists

I loved it. Methodically revealing... inspiring and full of insights...

Valuable knowledge and experience shared with passion.

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4 people found this helpful

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Thanks!

I loved this set of lectures. Informative, engaging, and with a balance of useful theory, examples and personal experience. There's even a little well placed humour. What more could you want?

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2 people found this helpful

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loved these writing lessons

super helpful if you have the time to really listen. helped with my novella :)

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