2024 the best writers of the 21st century review

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Capture the minds, hearts, and imaginations of 21st century readers! Whether you're a commercial storyteller or a literary novelist, whether your goal is to write a best-selling novel or captivate readers with a satisfying, beautifully written story, the key to success is the same: high-impact fiction. Writing 21st Century Fiction will help you write a novel for today's readers and market, filled with rich characters, compelling plots, and resonant themes. Author and literary agent Donald Maass shows you how to: Create fiction that transcends genre, conjures characters who look and feel more "real" than real people, and shows readers the work around them in new ways. Infuse every page with an electric current of emotional appeal and micro-tension. Harness the power of parallels, symbols, metaphors, and more to illuminate your novel in a lasting way. Develop a personalized method of writing that works for you. With an arsenal of thought-provoking prompts and questions, plus plenty of examples from best-selling titles, Writing 21st Century Fiction will strip away your preconceived notions about writing in today's world and give you the essential tools you need to create fiction that will leave both readers and critics in awe.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group (October 16, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1599634007
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1599634005
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.02 x 5.98 x 0.51 inches
Reviewer: Cora L. Foerstner
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I Love This Book!
Review: Donald Maass’ book Writing 21st Century Fiction: High Impact Techniques for Exceptional Storytelling is my favorite how-to book for writers.Maass take both a common sense and analytical approach to evaluating 21st century fiction. He points out that novels have also evolved to meet the needs and wants of readers, and successful writers understand this.“High-impact comes from a combination of two factors: great stories and beautiful writing . . . The publishing industry has a convenient term for these wonder books: literary/commercial fiction.” (2-3)Maass argues that successful 21st century novels are high-impact novels. They appeal to the masses and cross over from genre or literary fiction to the bestseller lists.What they have in common is that like genre fiction, they tell great stories, and like literary fiction, they are beautifully written and explore character.He also says, “[High-impact] panders to no one. It speaks to everyone.” Sounds like good news for writers!“Commercial and literary successes are the result of hard work, instinct, study, and the honing of craft. They are not mutually exclusive . . . strong storytelling and beautiful writing are the twin elements that make a big lasting impression on readers.” (208-09)His chapters give writers the tools for hard work, study, and honing your craft.Here’s a breakdown of the chapters:Chapters 1 & 2: Current trends and rising above a category.Chapters 3 & 4: The writer’s inner and outer journeys.Chapter 5: Standout Character; this is an excellent chapter.Chapter 6: Three levels of story; his breakdown of scene writing is impressive.Chapter 7: Beautiful Prose; this chapter highlights high-impact novels by showing the relationship between great plots and beautiful writing.Chapter 8: The writer and the process; he comes full circle and turns to earlier discussions to bring his points together.Chapter 9: Element of Awe; he inspires the reader “to make good art” as Neil Gaiman would say.Each chapter ends with “21st Century Tools,” sets of questions related to the chapter and designed to guide a writer through the creative process. As I read, I worked my way through most of the questions, which is the primary reason this book took so long to finish.If you’re the kind of person who is inclined to dismiss the questions and be satisfied with reading the chapter, I would advise against that strategy.I found the questions invaluable. As I explored the questions, I felt as if I were in a workshop. I’m in the middle of revising a novel and took the time to apply the questions to my project. The questions and suggestions were helpful as I revised scenes.Because of my background in teaching, I realize the work and refining that goes into creating questions, which are helpful and practical. Maass’ questions are not busy work. If the results I’ve had working through these questions is any indication, I’d say they are a valuable part of the book.

Reviewer: Dr.C.J.Singh.Wallia
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: High-Impact Tools for Writing 21st Century Fiction
Review: .Reviewed by C. J. Singh (Berkeley, CA).HIGH-IMPACT TOOLS for WRITING 21st CENTURY FICTIONIn the opening chapter, Donald Maass introduces his book's basic premise: In the 21st century "high-impact novels utilize what is best about literary and commercial fictions," transcending the dichotomy (pages 2-3). Maass equates "high-impact" with a novel's inclusion on the New York Times bestseller list: the longer it stays on the list, the higher its impact.The second chapter's title "The Death of Genre" proclaims assimilation of commercial or genre fiction into literary fiction: "A curious phenomenon has arisen in recent years. It's the appearance of genre fiction so well written that it attains a status and recognition usually reserved for literary works" (page 13). As examples, he cites Robert Stone's "Damascus Gate" -- literary and thriller; and Michael Chabon's "The Yiddish Policeman's Union"--literary and murder mystery.However, the dichotomy flourishes in MFA programs in American universities. "Literary fiction differs from genre fiction fundamentally in the fact that the former is character-driven, the latter plot-driven....Many, perhaps most, teachers of fiction writing do not accept manuscripts in genre." That's a quote from Janet Burroway's Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (8th Edition), the most widely used textbook in fiction-writing courses. (See my review on amazon.) This dichotomy first arose from early twentieth century modernist and mid-century postmodernist literary movements. Recently, the excesses of postmodernism have led to a reaction for which literary theorists have not yet found a label and are calling it post-postmodernist literary works. (See my note at the end of this review for a brief exposition of these movements.)Maass's subsequent chapters present tools for writing high-impact fiction. Some of these tools are similar to those in his earlier books such as The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose and Techniques. (See my review on amazon.). Can this book be comprehended without reading his earlier books on craft? Yes.The third chapter, "The Inner Journey," presents excerpts from several novels such as Joshilyn Jackson's "gods in Alabama," published in 2005, and Jamie Ford's "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," published in 2009. Can these excerpts be understood without having read the novels? Yes. Maass skillfully presents synopses of each novel excerpted.The fourth chapter, "The Outer Journey," focuses on plot, citing excerpts from Jonathan Safran Foer's "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," published in 2005, and Abraham Verghese's "Cutting for Stone," published in 2009.The fifth chapter, "Standout Characters" cites examples from Markus Zasuk's "The Book Thief," published in 2005 and Lorrie Moore's "A Gate at the Stairs," published in 2009. Also Abraham Verghese's "Cutting for Stone," cited in the previous chapter, underscoring high-impact novel's requirement of both plot- and character-driven writing.The sixth chapter, "The Three Levels of Story," focuses on subplots, citing detailed examples of Pamela Morsi's "Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar," published in 2009, and Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden," published in 2009. This chapter also discusses strong endings, citing J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," published in 2007.The seventh chapter, "Beautiful Writing," cites many examples, including Kathryn Socket's "The Help," published in 2009; Daniel Depp's "Losers Town" (2009); and George R. R. Martin's "A Feast for Crows,"(2005).In the eighth chapter, "The 21st Century Novelist," Maass writes, "You no doubt have noticed my contempt for the three Rs of inactive literary writing: reaction, reflection, and remembering." He cites an excerpt from Helen Simonson's "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand," replete with three Rs and does have underlying tension. Will this chapter's title become the title of Maass's next book?Thanks to Maass's persuasive comments and synopses, I have added five novels to my "must read asap" list: Lorrie Moore's "A Gate at the Stairs'; Helen Simpson's "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand"; Jamie Ford's "The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"; Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief"; Tatiana de Rosnay's "Sarah's Key."Five-star book.--------------------------[The following is an appendix to the above review. The origin of literary modernism goes back to at least the early twentieth century. In a 1924 essay, Virginia Woolf wrote: "On or about December 1910 human character changed." She was referring to an art exhibition titled "Manet and the Post-impressionists" that included paintings by Cezanne, van Gogh, Gauguin, as well as younger post-impressionists such as Picasso and Matisse. Inspired by this movement in visual arts, fiction that's planned to be different from traditional forms of the past, came to be created and later called modernist. The term is applied to the experimental and avant-garde writings of the early 20th century. Its techniques include: aesthetic self-consciousness and extreme subjectivity leading to unreliable narrators; stream of consciousness; interior monologue; nonlinear chronology. Modernist novelists writing in English include Joseph Conrad, James Joyce of Ulysses, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner.Literary postmodernism arose after World War II. It's characterized by ironic parody, inter-textuality, the foregrounding of the process of its own creation, and the rejection of "grand narratives." Postmodernist novelists writing in English include: James Joyce of Finnegan's Wake, Vladimir Nabokov of Pale Fire, John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Kurt Vonnegut, Ishmael Reed, Thomas Pynchon, and Don DeLillo.Some aspects of postmodernism have led to negative reactions such as from James Wood, currently Professor of the Practice of Literary Criticism at Harvard University and a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine, who introduced the term "hysterical realism" as his denigration. Others have suggested post-postmodernism. Why not simply "21st Century Fiction."]

Reviewer: Mortpen
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I feel like I have found the Holy Grail.
Review: I am half way through this. I bought it about 6 hours ago. I am an experienced writer, and have had three books published with Big Five publishers in narrative non-fiction. My agent always told me I should be writing fiction as that is the way I write already...however, being told that, and doing it in practice are completely different things. I have completed two shortish novels to try to teach myself, and recently had a 70,000 word partially-completed manuscript back from a developmenal editor ( that I paid for myself, just to see if it was working).... but I knew there were things lacking in my WIP that the editor hadn't picked up, and that I could 'feel' still needed improving. This book has all the answers. It is for an intermediate or advanced writer in my opinion, because until you are knee deep in a manuscript or two, you may not be able to understand how helpful all he has to say is. I have read so many books on writing, plotting etc - you name it, it is on my shelf or on my Kindle. This book surpasses all of them. Feeling very grateful Donald Maass wrote this.

Reviewer: k84
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 9章で構成されています。2章から9章にはそれぞれ20か30か、場合によってはもっとたくさんの質問項目があります。Inner JorneyとかOuter Journeyとかのお題に沿った質問が並んでいて、場合によっては「原稿をプリントアウトして、以上の3つの質問を各ページごとに繰り返す。冗談抜きに全部のページに」とかあります。書き上げた原稿が一応はあるのが前提で、ジャンル分けについての考え方を変えることから始まって、伏線の張り方、シンボルの使い方など、チェックリスト状態で項目がずらずら並んでいます。これだけ注意して原稿を手直しすれば、多分全面改稿になるだろうけど、質はそりゃあ向上するだろうと思います。質問項目が具体的で、どうすれば良いのか、3つの伏線を張れとか、3つが多いですが、とにかく、チェックリスト状態で使いやすいです。また、内面の変化から、外面的なストーリー、その他のキャラクターと進むので、発想の順番も自然な感じがします。

Reviewer: Sabine
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Auf den Namen des New Yorker Literaturagenten Donald Maass stieß ich vor einiger Zeit bei Twitter. Seine Gastartikel in einem amerikanischen Autoren-Blog machten mich neugierig genug, um in sein Buch reinzuschnuppern – und es hat mich auf Anhieb überzeugt.Was heißt überzeugt, es hat mich fast umgehauen. Das war genau das Buch, das ich seit Jahren gesucht hatte! Endlich ein Schreibratgeber, der sich nicht mit Plattitüden für Anfänger aufhält. Fast höre ich das Aufjaulen im Off: “Geh mir weg mit Schreibratgebern!” – aber das ist in diesem Fall nicht gerechtfertigt.Writing 21st Century Fiction richtet sich an Autoren, die schon lange genug schreiben, um all die üblichen Standardsprüche rückwärts aufsagen zu können, wenn man sie nachts um halb drei wachrüttelt. Und was noch besser ist: Es liefert konkrete, sofort anwendbare Vorschläge, mit denen ein guter Text das besondere Etwas erhält.Donald Maass redet keinem Sicherheitsdenken das Wort, sondern fordert auf, sich mutig über Genre-Grenzen hinwegzusetzen und etwas Neues, Besonderes, Aufsehenerregendes zu schreiben. Ein Buch, das neue Trends setzt, statt ihnen hinterher zu hecheln.Nun ist der Autor kein Verfechter des Self Publishing. Im Gegenteil, für ihn sind Verlage die Torwächter, die das Publikum vor Schund und Schrott bewahren. Diese Meinung muss man nicht teilen, und das tue ich auch nicht. Dennoch haben seine Anwendungsbeispiele und Übungen absoluten Mehrwert für Autoren, die schon alles gelesen zu haben glaubten, was es zum Thema Schreibhandwerk gibt.Einziger Wermutstropfen: Mit 11,07 Euro ist das Kindle-eBook nicht gerade billig. Da lohnt es sich fast schon, stattdessen die Printversion für zurzeit 12,30 Euro zu kaufen (Normalpreis: 16,09 Euro). Ich hatte überlegt, dafür einen Punkt abzuziehen, aber die Vorzüge überwiegen den Nachteil, und Papier macht sich im Buchregal ja auch ganz hübsch.

Reviewer: andersm
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Maass gives the straight goods on why so many manuscripts end up in the reject pile or, if published, languish in the 'also ran' category. Then he tells you how you must tell your story so it rises above the legions of the earthbound. I see my writing before and after reading Maass - the timidity is gone, the story more vivid, the characters more compelling. Events soar and crash in highs and lows that I wouldn't have dared until Maass took my blinders off and gave me permission to write the story I wanted to write without fear.

Reviewer: fluffy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I must have read a dozen books on writing and the ones by Donald Maass stand out as being the most inspirational and influential. The author is a literary agent in the US and seems to have his finger on the pulse of what sells and why. It's a unique standpoint, as others in the trade seem unable to define why some novels `break out' and others don't. By `breakout', he means novels by unknown or small-time authors that hit the bestseller lists based largely on word-of-mouth. He has a passion for dissecting the appeal of recent breakout bestsellers and how the rest of us can bring out similar qualities in our own writing.Because he's American, it's based on his experience of the US market but what resonates with fiction readers in the US often follows for the UK. And some of his examples of good writing are from UK authors such as Chris Cleve. If it sounds like the book is just about producing commercial fiction, it's not, it's about making your writing as good as it can be whatever your genre, partly through emotional resonance, which should be relevant to even the most literary of writers. Each chapter finishes with an extensive list of questions and prompts to challenge you to improve your own writing.If you haven't read any of his books, I'd suggest starting with Writing the Breakout Novel, followed by the Breakout Novel Workbook. After that, the law of diminishing returns kicks in but I still found this one very useful to keep the inspiration going. I was going to read The Fire in Fiction but it wasn't available on Kindle so I went for this one instead. As this is his most recent book, it covers more recent examples of breakout novels.Don't read this book if you're looking for a conventional how-to-write guide. But if you have an open mind and are prepared to be challenged to take your writing to the next level, you might want to read everything of his you can get your hands on.

Reviewer: Sunyi Dean
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Another amazing Maass craft book. Others don't work well for me as they tend to focus on structure or slightly more formulaic writing aspects. Maass though is basically analysing a series of best sellers and teaching you to spot patterns in how they're written, then providing suggestions for implementing that in your own work. Much like EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF FICTION, the only other craft book I've read which happens to also be by Maass, I will return to this many times I'm sure.