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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Bayport Public Library | J 808.3 BAUER | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Discusses how to write fiction, exploring point of view, dialogue, endings, and revision.
Author Notes
Marion Dane Bauer was born in Oglesby, Illinois. She attended community college first, in her home town, and then went to the University of Missouri when she was a junior to study journalism. She quickly realized that journalism was not for her and changed her focus to the humanities and a degree in English literature. She switched one last time to focus on teaching english, which she did when she graduated college.
After her children were born, Bauer decided to try her hand at writing. She started out with a children's picture book, but discovered that youg adult novels were more to her taste. After making a career out of writing, Bauer became the first Faculty Chair at Vermont College for the only Master of Fine Arts in Writing program devoted exclusively to writing for children and young adults.
Bauer is the author of more than forty books for young people. She has won many awards, including a Jane Addams Peace Association Award for her novel Rain of Fire and an American Library Association Newbery Honor Award for On My Honor and the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for the body of her work. Her picture book My Mother is Mine was a New York Times bestseller.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Bauer offers a pragmatic, organized approach to story writing in this 118-page manual geared for older children and young adults. Concrete, step-by-step tips are effectively illustrated with examples taken from the author's own works-- Face to Face , A Dream of Queens and Castles , Rain of Fire . Eight of the 14 chapters deal with preparatory rituals--finding a special time and place to write, inventing a conflict, understanding what makes a main character tick, figuring out a plot, choosing a point of view--and later chapters address more technical issues of pacing, rhythm and balance. Although the importance of discipline is stressed (learning to write a story is often compared to learning to play a sport or a musical instrument), the exercises and thought processes introduced as groundwork come across as stimulating rather than tedious and may serve to hone analytical skills as well as inspire even the most reluctant writers to try their hand. Ages 10-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Bauer reveals the somber reality that writing can be hard work, though worth the effort for those who persevere. She provides a clear, concise elucidation on the elements of fiction, with chapters on the development of character, theme, plot, story tension, point of view, and dialogue as well as practical advice on revising. A thorough, clear, and functional approach to this topic. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 5-10. Bauer's writing guide for kids avoids the usual extremes: she neither focuses rigidly on grammar exercises and minutiae of style nor floats away with sentiments about trusting your dreams. A fine fiction writer herself, winner of a Newbery Honor award, she's candid about the excitement and hard work that comes with learning to tell a good story. Without condescension but with a wealth of brief, witty, personal examples, she covers the basics of planning, writing, and revision. The practical details are here (keeping a journal, working with an editor, etc.) and also suggestions for inventing characters, building conflict, handling point of view and dialogue, moving beyond your own experience ("The secret is to find that place within yourself where feelings are strong and then to ask, What if. . . ?"). Occasionally she's a bit dogmatic about getting a "good balance" and structuring a plot. One wishes there was more acknowledgment of the mystery of the creative process. But that part of it can't be taught, and Bauer's small, attractively designed guide focuses on some things you can learn and practice. Her own clear style is the best show-and-tell for building "a world with words." (Reviewed Apr. 15, 1992)0395577810Hazel Rochman
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9-- Newbery Honor medalist Bauer provides mentoring and practical and technical advice in this handy how-to book. By systematically exploring the components of fiction--plot, character, point of view, dialogue, beginnings and endings, and story tension, she shows how a story works and how to create one. Each chapter builds upon the previous one, reiterating essential points and putting them in understandable context. The clear and logical tone and evident respect for her audience speak to Bauer's sensitivity and empathy with those grappling with the creative process. As a result, this honest guide will be as useful to teachers as to young writers. For an audience midway between Carol Lea Benjamin's Writing for Kids (Crowell, 1985) and Stephen Policoff and Jeffrey Skinner's excellent Real Toads in Imaginary Gardens (Chicago Review Pr., 1991), this is a splendid choice for school, public, and home libraries. --Susan H. Patron, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
An award-winning novelist (On My Honor, 1987 Newbery Honor) and experienced writing teacher cogently discusses her craft. As John Gardner did in The Art of Fiction (1984), Bauer insists on technique and deliberation over inspiration and natural endowment, reminding readers that no musical virtuoso ever captivated without a command of the notes. After spelling out the need to regulate the writing habit, she settles into the nitty- gritty of gathering and expanding ideas; building on characters, plot, and themes; and, yes, mastering grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Her last comment is telling: ``Knowing your craft can help you tell a story. But only by taking risks can you make art.'' After many pages of provocative information and straightforward counsel, that sentence may be the one to launch youngsters to the challenge. The book speaks directly to young writers, but many adults (teachers, librarians, reviewers, editors, would-be writers) will also find this sensible dissection of the storytelling process invaluable. (Nonfiction. 11+)
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. ix |
| 1. The First Step ... A Story Plan | p. 1 |
| 2. Choosing Your Best Idea | p. 8 |
| 3. Character ... The Key to Good Stories | p. 17 |
| 4. Bringing Characters to Life | p. 28 |
| 5. Focusing Your Story | p. 37 |
| 6. Getting from Beginning to End ... The Plot | p. 46 |
| 7. Choosing Your Point of View | p. 57 |
| 8. At Last ... The Beginning | p. 68 |
| 9. Something to Talk About ... Dialogue | p. 78 |
| 10. Story Tension ... Keeping Your Readers Hooked | p. 87 |
| 11. Endings ... Expected and Surprising | p. 95 |
| 12. Just When You Thought You Were Done ... Revising | p. 102 |
| 13. The Final Step ... Polishing | p. 111 |
| 14. A Career as a Fiction Writer | p. 118 |
| An Afterword ... On Using This Book | p. 127 |
| Index | p. 131 |
