marycatelli: (Golden Hair)
marycatelli ([personal profile] marycatelli) wrote in [community profile] books2024-12-20 02:51 pm

Scene & Structure

Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham

Most how-to-write books need a grain of salt. I regret to say that this one, despite a lot of useful thoughts, needs a salt shaker.

In particular when he talks about the writing process. The final structure of the story can be arrived at in many ways. Still, he's useful about the details of writing, the importance of order, and how to trap your characters in your plot. He just overdoes the relentlessness of it. (One step forward to three steps back is part of a structure as complex as a novel.)