Telling Lies for Fun & Profit - Paperback

by Lawrence Block (Author)

Characters refusing to talk? Plot plodding along? Where do good ideas come from anyway? In this wonderfully practical volume, two-time Edgar Award-winning novelist Lawrence Block takes an inside look at writing as a craft and as a career.

From studying the market, to mastering self-discipline and "creative procrastination," through coping with rejections, Telling Lies for Fun & Profit is an invaluable sourcebook of information. It is a must read for anyone serious about writing or understanding how the process works.

Block's candid, indispensable advice covers every part of the fiction writer's life, from process to profession:

• Plot and Story Structure: Turn a plodding plot into a page-turner by learning to distinguish ideas from structure and making things relentlessly difficult for your hero.
• Character Building: Breathe life into characters that refuse to talk by creating plausible, sympathetic, and original personalities drawn from your own unique experience.
• Dialogue and Voice: Master the art of "He Said She Said" with strong verbs and natural rhythms that let your characters speak for themselves.
• The Writing Life: Go from aspiring to professional by mastering self-discipline, handling rejection, and even using "creative procrastination" to your advantage.

Back Jacket

Characters refusing to talk? Plot plodding along? Where do good ideas come from anyway? In this wonderfully practical volume, two-time Edgar Award-winning novelist Lawrence Block takes an inside look at writing as a craft and as a career.

From studying the market, to mastering self-discipline and "creative procrastination," through coping with rejections, Telling Lies for Fun & Profit is an invaluable sourcebook of information. It is a must read for anyone serious about writing or understanding how the process works.