SummaryHere's what I tell my students on the first day when I
teach one of my creative writing courses: You will be
published if you possess three qualities -- talent,
passion, and discipline. In Write Away, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth
George offers would-be writers exactly what they need to
know about how to construct a novel. She provides a
detailed overview of the craft and gives helpful
instruction on all elements of writing, from setting and
plot to technique and process. To illustrate her points,
George presents excerpts from a number of well-known
writers, including Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Lee, E. M.
Forster, John Irving, Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Ernest
Hemingway, and Alice Hoffman. In addition to being a clear and concise guide to fiction
writing, Write Away also opens a window into the life of
Elizabeth George. It reveals the inspiring personal story
of how the distinguished author came to be published and
how she meticulously researches and crafts her novels. I have a love-hate relationship with the writing life. I
wouldn't wish to have any other kind of life . . . and on
the other hand, I wish it were easier. And it never is. The
reward comes sentence by sentence. The reward comes in the
unexpected inspiration. The reward comes from creating a
character who lives and breathes and is perfectly real. But
such effort it takes to attain the reward! I would never
have believed it would take such effort. Elizabeth George started her career as a teacher and has
spent several years teaching creative writing. She has a
solid understanding of the craft and a storyteller's
enticing way of passing along helpful information, all of
which comes through marvelously in this informative book.
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