Rating: 
Summary: A great writing resource!
Review: An excellent tool for the craft! The text covers a variety of topics in fiction writing and includes story examples to demonstrate key concepts. The book is well organized, easily readable, and technically insightful. The chapters on structure and characterization were particularly helpful to me but each topic is thoroughly covered in concise language with meaningful examples. I feel like a better writer and a more alert reader. A must have for writers and literature aficionados.
Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: Any student wanting to learn or improve her fiction writing will feel blessed when she comes across this book. Yes, it's expensive, but buy it used; it's worth every penny.
Writing Fiction is a comprehensive, informal, practical guide (including an anthology) that approaches the elements of fiction writing from a writer's point of view. It touches on every aspect of the craft: plot, style, characters, dialogue, atmosphere, POV, and on and on and on.
Don't leave home without it!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Do not freak out at the price of this book. It is worth every penny, although I'm sure if it wasn't used as a textbook, it would [be cheaper]. The exercises in this book are absolutly essential to becoming a good writer of any kind. Trust me it's worth it, although you might save some money by trying to get a used one. On the other hand, a used copy might have somebody else's notes already in the margins...ewwwwwwww!
Rating: 
Summary: Are YOU ready to write mediocre *blah* fiction?
Review: First let me say that I am not a mean person. I am sure Ms. Burroway is doing her best to teach people how to write here. And look, the book is popular, and it's sold a lot of copies so that's something, right?
Well, popularity is not enough for me. And I would hope it's not enough for other smart consumers too -- professors and students alike.
This book shares a virtue in common with many other fine American textbooks these days -- it takes up a lot of space to say disappointingly little. It's structured thusly:
The author covers all the elements of fiction, one after the other, in a very cursory manner, interspersing between her thoughts a few mildly inspiring, mildly relevant quotes from a few "Important Writers."
Now the author's commentary on the elements of fiction is why I bought the book. I wanted to know about the elements of fiction and how I can use and fuse them to help me build legendary, immaculate fiction. Some of the commentary here, though not so original, is helpful. The author has clearly read up on the topic, and she doesn't do a terrible job distilling the basics. But each chapter left me wanting. These mini-essays are sparse, folks, sparse, and they won't get you past Fiction Writing 101.
After each fiction element is discussed, the author then presents a selection of short stories which feature the techniques discussed. Theory in practice. Not such a bad idea -- in theory. But in practice, this idea doesn't work so well, because the author's taste for fiction is generally (excuse me) mundane, to put it kindly. Don't hate me for saying this, but I think she included a lot of the stories just because they were written by women. "American History," "How Far She Went," "Girl," "20/20" -- it's a fem-fiction fiesta, especially in the beginning, and I thought I was going to have to excuse myself to vomit out the massive estrogen doses more than once.
Hold on, hold on. I'm no sexist. I respect women's lit., if it's _good_ lit. And some of the women's lit. here is good. There's stuff in here by Anne Lammott, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Talent, Joyce Carol Oates, to name a few, that's marvelous.
I hated some of the stories by males here too, but male writers just seem to be a lot less represented. (39 % to 61 %, by my quick calculations).
Regardless of gender, apart from a few quality selections like Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants," an excerpt from Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," an outstanding piece, "Orientation," by Daniel Orozco, and the selections from the female writers aforementioned, this book's _sense for story_ stinks. And that's not a quality I want from a book that would teach me how to write.
I wasn't moved by most of these stories. I don't understand why people would choose to read them. I don't care what Rik-Shaw prize they've won here or there. They didn't inspire me to live, and they did not inspire me to write.
Therefore caution. I paid a lot of money for this book because it got good reviews as a comprehensive writing course, and I want to become the greatest writer in the world.
Well, I suffered through many hours of mediocre material because of the initial investment I made. Students, teachers (please, teachers), think twice. The decent advice on craft in this book is ultimately drowned out by the gagging mediocrity of the anthologized fiction.
If your goal is to get published in that vast gray ocean we call *blah* fiction, then get this book. If you aspire to greater heights, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: For academic-literary writers only
Review: For would-be writers looking for a first book on fiction writing, this book is as good as any, provided and only provided that you are interested in writing what might be termed the academic-literary short story. For those interested in writing for readers (termed by academics the "popular" novel), this book could well be highly misleading. The fact that Burroway and others such as Macauley & Lanning think that the same basic principles apply but that "literary" fiction goes beyond--this fact shows that they understand neither popular fiction nor yet "literary" fiction. In fact, the two are based on diametrically opposed principles and have largely opposite criteria of quality.
Also, bear in mind that you are getting only the ABCs in this book. This is a first book, not a last book.
That said, the exposition is clear and there are numerous examples (all from academic-literary fiction). Whether it is worth the price--ah, that is another question.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish I could give it a -5 stars
Review: I am taking a class in Fiction Writing and this was one of the texts for the class. This book was touted as the be all and end all in assistance in the writing process. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I found it used in the bookstore for $40 (remember, starving college student). I got it home and was astounded by what I read in the second paragraph. We were to read chapter 2 first. Well, let me tell you. I have never been so insulted in my entire life. "...it's probable that your impulse to write has little to do with the desire or the skill to work out a plot." (p27) EXCUSE ME?!?!?! It only goes down hill from there. This author is arrogant and leads one to believe that she is the only one capable of writing a story. I've attempted to read chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 as they have been assigned in the class. It's complete torture to get through them.I will be selling my copy as soon as I possibly can.
Rating:
Summary: I wish I could give it a -5 stars
Review: I am taking a class in Fiction Writing and this was one of the texts for the class. This book was touted as the be all and end all in assistance in the writing process. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I found it used in the bookstore for $40 (remember, starving college student). I got it home and was astounded by what I read in the second paragraph. We were to read chapter 2 first. Well, let me tell you. I have never been so insulted in my entire life. "...it's probable that your impulse to write has little to do with the desire or the skill to work out a plot." (p27) EXCUSE ME?!?!?! It only goes down hill from there. This author is arrogant and leads one to believe that she is the only one capable of writing a story. I've attempted to read chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 as they have been assigned in the class. It's complete torture to get through them. I will be selling my copy as soon as I possibly can.
Rating:
Summary: Both very good and not as good as I had hoped . . .
Review: I'm on the verge of selling my first mystery-suspense novel, and I bought Burroway's book with high expectations, having persued it from the library and concluded that it had a lot to say. I found that only about ten to fifteen percent of what the book covered about writing was new to me and helpful (though it does cover a lot and is a pretty good general text), but I still liked the book because of the examples and because I love reading about writing fiction even when it's discussing concepts I understand. What really bothered me is Burroway's commentary on genre versus "literary" fiction, that one can learn to write genre fiction by writing literary fiction but will never learn anything useful about writing literary fiction by writing genre. This seems incredibly limitted, biased, and out of touch with the market to me since there are so many really fine, literary mystery and suspense novels and since I have learned SO MUCH about writing (and characterization, language, pacing, plot, themes, imagery etc.) by writing my suspense novel, which is no pat and formulaic thing. Burroway says that most college creative writing teachers don't want to work with writers of "genre," and as a writng teacher myself I just think that's so old-fashioned and stupid--have they not read Rendell, P.D James, Reginald Hill, Turow and so many others where the lines between literary and "genre" blur? How could those people get to be such marvelous writers with such rich characters and moving stories if one and all just thought that "genre" was bad and could not be literary too? I think a mystery is a wonderful kind of book to start out on to develop literary skills--it gives you the framework and conventions on which to hang your laguage use, characterization, and insights, and I have found that the same thematic and creative/personal issues can come out and be expressed plus you have a much better chance of being published, finding an audience and making some money. Burroway also makes comments in her book that seem condescending and as if the text is just aimed at a college-student audience, which it actually is. For example, she says that you, the reader, might rather be out making love or hiking or this or that instead of doing these fiction exercises and reading about point of view. Au contraire! I read her book b/c I'm passionately interested in writing and want to know more about it more than anything, and I would think many, MANY other writers would feel the same, whether they're young college students or middle-aged people like myself who have always wanted to write. The power of story is something Burroway does not really do justice to, acting at one point like the need for a narrative is almost distasteful to many aspiring "literary" writers. This ivory-towerish snobism and a certain schoolmarm-ingratiating-herself-to-the-young quality put me off her book at times, but I liked it anyway. Just realize, Ms. Burroway, that people can work viably and respectably on craft in genre for YEARS and learn fromk it and even produce wonderful, literary books. Genre need not be ..., and teachers of fiction should not be such category-ists. I think books like SELF EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS and HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL (written by editors or writers in the business) know this better and avoid making such arbitrary distinctions, foregoing the literary snobism in favor of giving pragmatic and professional advice.
Rating:
Summary: For avid readers, even if not an aspiring writer
Review: I've written non-fiction, but this is a whole 'nother thing. Learning about the intricacies of writing fiction has engendered a new level of respect for those who create anything publishable, to the point where even the notion of any casual reader offering critical opinions about a published book of fiction seems audacious. Point is, this book will help you to read like a writer, so you will appreciate your reading so much more.
Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny!!!!
Review: If you buy only one writing book in your life, make it Janet Burroway's book. She offers the most sensible and insightful look into creating believable fiction that I've ever come across. I credit her with teaching me the extras that took me from unpublished writer to published author. I can't even begin to discuss all the issues that this book covers. Burroway's chapters on characterization, metaphors and similes, plot development, and point-of-view are standouts. The writing exercises are for the most part instructive (especially if this book is used as a textbook), and are great for overcoming writer's block. Burroway's emphasis is unequivocally on literary fiction, but her lessons can be applied to all genres. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about writing fiction. For the hobbyist, you might want to find a how-to book that is not quite as comprehensive and thus less demanding.
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