The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great

How do widely published authors keep their stories burning hot? Learn how to supercharge every story with deep conviction and, conversely, turn fiery passion into effective story. The Fire in the Fiction shows you not only how to write compelling stories filled with interesting settings and vivid characters, but how to do it over and over again. With examples drawn from current novels, this inspiring guide shows you how to infuse your writing with life.

Summary: Great writing resource!
Rating: 5

This book has examples of techniques that Maass emphasizes. There's lots of advice to follow, too, which makes it practical. Would recommend.

Summary: Bravo
Rating: 5

Because Donald Maass's earlier book, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL was so good, I was afraid of being let down by his newest and didn't even touch it for a while when it arrived in mail.
What is he going to say that could be better? Is this going to be just a rehash of the old material in his earlier book?
Doubts swirled, but I finally convinced myself to read it.

What a ride.
He goes well above and beyond my highest expectations. Compared to his earlier book, the book is more tightly organized and focused, and comes with tons of practical tools to energize your manuscript with - something his earlier book didn't have. He really goes in depth with the most important topics of writing fiction, and Chapter 8 on micro-tension alone is worth the price of the entire book in my opinion.

It is extremely difficult to determine the cause from effects. What makes a good story? That is the million-dollar question I have been asking myself ever since I began writing seriously. I've read a fair number of books on writing but none of them seemed to do it for me. I groped further and read book after book, classic after classic in search of the holy grail of storytelling. But I couldn't figure it out. When I read Murakami, for example, I would lose myself in his world as if by magic and when I came back out of it, I could only say, "What the hell happened?"

And it looks like Mr. Maass could be the Galahad I have been looking for as he has a theory on the secret workings of this magic of good fiction. If not, at least he gives us a key to unlocking the mystery of The Good Story.

What's this key, this Holy Grail of Storytelling? That, my friends, you must find for yourself between the covers of this book.

A must read for any serious fiction writer.


Summary: One of the BEST!
Rating: 5

This book has lots of new information about writing. Though I haven't, nor would read some of the books Maas chose, the example was easy to understand. An excellent resource book.