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Rating: 
Summary: A quick read and rich with useful information
Review: A quick read, Creating Short Fiction explains writing in a strait-forward, easily accesible way. Knight offers very good advice about characterization; he made me realize the importance of characterization when writing fiction. The only weakness is the little attention given to short story writing in particular. However, Knight offers excellent tips for general writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Where to Begin and Good to Come Back To
Review: CREATING SHORT FICTION is an excellent introductory text for writers who want to try their hands at making short stories and starting a novel. However, published writers will learn much from it as well. It has, for example, one of the best analyses of point of view that I have seen in text or scholarly article. Reading Damon Knight's chapter on viewpoint will expand the understanding of many published authors who speak at writers conferences and professors who write introductory texts on literature. This text is about how to write fiction, not a book about how it was like to be a writer of fiction. Its occasional reference to science fiction, fantasy, and detective fiction is a useful corrective to the snob view that such "sub-genre" fiction is unworthy of being mentioned in a "literary" creative writing course. One hundred years from now, some of the short stories and novels that will be literature will come from such sub-genres. My college sophomore fiction-writing students begin with CREATING SHORT FICTION. In the second semester, they use Janet Burroway's WRITING FICTION: A GUIDE TO THE NARRATIVE CRAFT, also an excellent more-advanced text, now in its 6th. edition.
Rating:
Summary: Where to Begin and Good to Come Back To
Review: CREATING SHORT FICTION is an excellent introductory text for writers who want to try their hands at making short stories and starting a novel. However, published writers will learn much from it as well. It has, for example, one of the best analyses of point of view that I have seen in text or scholarly article. Reading Damon Knight's chapter on viewpoint will expand the understanding of many published authors who speak at writers conferences and professors who write introductory texts on literature. This text is about how to write fiction, not a book about how it was like to be a writer of fiction. Its occasional reference to science fiction, fantasy, and detective fiction is a useful corrective to the snob view that such "sub-genre" fiction is unworthy of being mentioned in a "literary" creative writing course. One hundred years from now, some of the short stories and novels that will be literature will come from such sub-genres. My college sophomore fiction-writing students begin with CREATING SHORT FICTION. In the second semester, they use Janet Burroway's WRITING FICTION: A GUIDE TO THE NARRATIVE CRAFT, also an excellent more-advanced text, now in its 6th. edition.
Rating:
Summary: DAMON KNIGHT IS A MASTER TEACHER READ AND LEARN
Review: Damon Knight passed away recently --he was not only a great writer (penning such classics as the original Twilight Zone episode 'To Serve Man') but a first rate teacher. I have many writing books including Jack Bickhams 'Writing the Short Story'
and the classic 'Short Story Writing' by Thronley but THIS book by Knight beats them all. He not only covers everything from getting ideas to mixed viewpoints and compression in story action but goes into such detail you will feel you're are sitting in a serious university class on writing fiction. As a matter of fact this book is NOT some fluff piece on 'getting in touch with the inner writer' and all that nonesense --no this author treats the reader as a serious aspiring writer. He also includes excercises which adds to what he is teaching you.
I only wish I could have met this author to shake his hand. A job very well done you will NOT be disappointed! It's about 208 pages (with index) of packed information on how to write and especially on how to get control over your story, keep that control till the end until you have a quality manuscript.
Harlan Ellison recommended this book--Harlan Ellison the guy who had enough chutzpah to jokingnly insult Asimov in person 'you're not so great!' if you know Ellison you know he would never recommend anything unless he liked it.
Rating:
Summary: Useful information but too narrow in focus
Review: I learned a lot from this book and enjoyed reading it. I believe my writing has improved (or, at least, will improve) from having read this, and I can think of no better compliment for a book about writing. However, it could have been better and may not be for everyone. Mr. Knight is a successful science fiction writer and this experience is evident in much of the book. He seems much more comfortable with genre writing than with the 'literary' short story. For instance, he describes seven different types of plots, most of which seem to work only in mystery stories. Unplotted stories, which seem to be at the heart of modern literary short fiction receives half a page of discussion. Even so, the discussion of viewpoint was excellent and the entire book gave me much to think about.
Rating:
Summary: Useful information but too narrow in focus
Review: I learned a lot from this book and enjoyed reading it. I believe my writing has improved (or, at least, will improve) from having read this, and I can think of no better compliment for a book about writing. However, it could have been better and may not be for everyone. Mr. Knight is a successful science fiction writer and this experience is evident in much of the book. He seems much more comfortable with genre writing than with the 'literary' short story. For instance, he describes seven different types of plots, most of which seem to work only in mystery stories. Unplotted stories, which seem to be at the heart of modern literary short fiction receives half a page of discussion. Even so, the discussion of viewpoint was excellent and the entire book gave me much to think about.
Rating:
Summary: Useful and inspiring
Review: I'll say right off that I don't agree with everything proposed in this book, but even when I disagree, at least I was thinking about something that I had overlooked in my writing. That said, I didn't disagree with much. I didn't do any of the exercises - yet, but I will.
The book is a great read and has helped me realize why my previous stories had not been getting published. It gives a great outline to go back over 'finished' work and improve it exponentially. As a discouraged writer, I'm beginning to see the glimmers of inspiration again.
Rating:
Summary: Short fiction writers
Review: If you want to write short fiction, read this. It is clear. It is well written. It has what you need to know. It provides a few exercises, just the right number for practice but not so many as to aid procrastination. Yes, D. Knight wrote genre; he wrote it well. But don't be deceived, the insight and knowledge in this book is not limited to genre writing. This is not a formula book. This is not about paint-by-numbers writing. D. Knight thought about his craft and practiced it. If you want to write short fiction, read this.
Rating:
Summary: Practical advice from a talented writer
Review: Knight's, Creating Short Fiction is, perhaps ironically, a short book but he manages to cover the craft of writing from nurturing talent to getting the story completed to what its like being a writer. A lecturer at the Clarion Workshop and author of many short stories and novels he knows how to write. But he doesn't give the reader a step-by-step guide to story writing. Such a recipe, in my limited experience, doesn't exist and Knight does well to avoid trying to give one. What the reader will find are discussions about the elements every story must have and how to use them. He also discusses what a story is and is not, how to generate ideas, and even a few work habits the reader might find effective.
The elements of stories and story writing can be found in many other books. Rather than simply parrot them, Knight is candid about which techniques he doesn't like and why; but that isn't to say the would-be author is allowed to break every rule. He give examples of stories and authors that show the successful use of a particular element or technique e.g. first person subjective point-of-view. And Knight includes diagrams that make the concept of story structure and viewpoint easier to understand. All of this advice is given in a conversational style that is never condescending.
Creating Short Fiction helped me to understand that, like painting or drawing, writing is highly individualized. Every art form has its accepted rules and techniques. And each artist must learn to build upon that foundation, combining the fundamental elements into unique patterns.
There are a few editorial errors, mainly of omission, that make the book feel as if it were the choicest bits from a much longer work. Overall this is an excellent book for the beginning writer, and perhaps the experienced one.
Rating:
Summary: A great book by a genius author and film critic
Review: Mr. Knight is really encouraging to those of us who are just starting out in this career. He gives good advice about how to write a successful plot that will keep your readers interested. I especially love the many plot diagrams and example. This book is a must have for a new writer (or an experienced one).
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